"Pinkney lived about eight miles out of Meridian,
Mississippi, in a community called Hookston. In 1858 or 1859 he
built a large two story antebellum home, according to the Meridian Star
Newspaper dated January 1928. This home was deeded to his daughter
Eliza T. and her husband Robert W. Maxey about 1881/1882. Don't know
for sure if this was Pinkney or John A. Vaughn's home. Some say it
wsa Pinkney's home others say it was John A. Vaughn's home. The
records show all the children and Telitha signed the papers to deed the
property to Eliza T. Vaughn Maxey. When Eliza died May 22, 1898 this
property was deeded to her youngest son Russell Eugene Vaughn Maxey.
When Eliza died May 22, 1898 this property was deeded to her youngest son,
Russell Eugene Maxey, and sometime between 1902 and 1928 the property was
sold to C.W. Smith. On January 28, 1928 the home burned. It
was the oldest antebellum home in this part of Mississippi. The home
looked like the William Cole house, in the book "Paths To The Past" on
page 157. The show place of that area. The barn stood for many
years after the house burned. On of Mr. Smith's granddaughters
described it as the biggest, finest built barn she had ever seen. It
had big real glass windows and a stairway instead of a ladder to go to the
loft. The house must have been magnificent.
Relatives of the Smith family describe the house and
barn. The porch extended the full house width. Upper and lower
galleries both had banisters with perpendicular spindles only - no
decorative touches, (Christine, described the columns and banisters as
real decorative for that time) four or five steps leading up to the porch.
There was a porch at back of the dining room - not certain how it might
have connected to the wrap around kitchen porch with screened milk room.
As to the upper level. The gallery matched the lower one. The
stairs were from the corner of the dining room to the upstairs hall which
was flanked by matching bedrooms. The back area - possibly space for
two more bedrooms remained unfinished. (Aunt Lois, kin to the Smith
family), tells how Mr. Maxey stored his coffin in the unfinished area
awaiting use when he was once ill. They always refrained from
visiting that northwest corner because they thought it "spooky".
One specific memory concerns the dining room. There was a pass
through window for serving from the kitchen; and the sideboard remained
locked with only Grandma Smith carrying a key. The story is told
that when the fire first started, she hurried into the dining room,
unlocked a drawer, removed some silver and locked it back before exiting!
The stairway was right by the door to "Aunt Minnie's room. Neither
remembered if the boxed in lower stairway invaded the front hall"
room, which was a large room with wicker furniture. Aunt Lois was born in
the front bedroom in July 1910. That room was "Aunt Bessie Smith's
room.
Christine writes, her papa used to take them to visit
the Smith grandparents: I have a mind picture of the beautiful old place.
We usually always entered the side door which led into the kitchen which
had a huge fireplace with a tall mantle. On each side of the mantle
long streams of dried red pepper hung on both sides. The kitchen
always smelled of fresh coffee made from coffee beans fresh ground.
You go out of the kitchen into a huge dining hall. On the west side
of the dining area was Aunt Minnie's bedroom. She was the black
maid. On the east side of the dining room was two bedrooms.
Those bedrooms were private. I can't remember the furnishings, if I
ever saw them. There was a stairway between Aunt Minnie's room and
the hall to the front. Now let's come in the front way. On the
right of the hall was a bedroom. The Christmas tree was placed on
the left side of the hall. This letter was from LoRita Mitcham to a
Mr. Harvey dated September 20, 1993. Farnell Vaughn sent it to me.
Great grandson John D. McDonald said he remembers the
barn for it stood for many years after the house was gone. It was
close to the Vaughn Beason Cemetery. He said when General Sherman
was marching to Meridian his troops camped all around Pinkney's house.
The Suqualena first station is on the site of the home place now."
