I just don’t want to say too much, but this is great news. Some of you will remember the Allen house. It has ties to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and unimaginably, it is falling down in Vance County, North Carolina. I was told about this house a few months ago by a lady in an attorney’s office handling the tax foreclosure. She said, it has a build date of 1790. I was immediately cynical, SURE IT IS!!!! Then I drove out to it! It was the little outbuilding that drew me in!!! Those fireplaces!!! It belonged to a significant family!
Some of you will remember my Facebook Live videos from the house. lol. I will attach them at the end of this post. I spent hours researching it and was shocked when I found the Thomas Jefferson and George Washington connection!!!! I showed up at the Vance County auction at the courthouse. I knew of one person that would be at the auction that day. His wife was a direct Allen descendant, her family is buried in the side yard. They wanted that property back.
I bid four times. I knew immediately that the elderly man with his hair in a pony tail and he used two canes to walk into the courthouse was determined to get that property. I knew who he was, yet he had no clue who I was. I stopped bidding. Let them get it back in the family was my thinking.
He won the final bid. I stayed 20 minutes after the auction outside of the courthouse waiting to meet the elderly man that won it. It was a cold March day!!! It was funny though as I waited outside the courthouse, two sheriff deputies working at the courthouse recognized me and came out to talk! The elderly man came out and we talked for 30 minutes at the courthouse and then he suggested we drive to the house, so he and I did.
I made him one promise before I left him that day, I heard a developer or two are sniffing around about this property. I am going to keep an eye on it. You NEED this back in your family. I will take them on via social media and the court of public opinion if I need to on your behalf. Even though he won the auction, people are allowed to place upset bids for awhile so he didn’t have it completely the day of the auction.
I stayed in touch with the attorney’s office handling the property the entire time. I got word, he closes next week!!! He wants to talk with you! I was given his number. These are elderly people, they don’t do social media. They have no clue who I am or what I do. He just remembered a nice lady that wanted to help.
I called his number this evening and his wife answered. She asked who I was. I replied, I am Michelle Bowers, I met your husband at the auction for the Allen Property.
Her reply, “Oh my gosh. You are real! I heard so much about you! Hold on!”
He got on the phone, “My old friend, Michelle!!” He sounded very happy to have the property back.
Let me just say we had a VERY good talk tonight. He wants the family cemetery protected. That was his reason behind everything he did. And then he randomly met me that one fateful day. 🙂 I told him that day how important that house was, and especially that summer kitchen. I said to him, this is a huge undertaking!!!
After our talk this evening, I think he is going to let me have my long awaited preservation school and I never asked him for that. 🙂 He said he appreciates my kindness to him and my passion. So stay tuned!!!!!!
In case you missed our video of this house, watch it HERE.
In case you missed the history, read it HERE.
I remember that day at the courthouse I was standing up against a wall and texting a couple of people because I had no clue what I was doing. A lot of people were standing around for the auction. I had already researched. When I saw him walk in with his canes I immediately knew who he was. He walked around to several people introducing himself, he never approached me. I continued leaning up against the wall staring at my phone, but secretly watching everyone. lol.
Funny how life is!!!!
