Lots 11 & 12, Block 4; Subdivision: Thompson's Addition/Thomson Neighborhood District
Winchester, KY 40391, Clark County
Originally Built 1890 - 1891
Major Alterations - fire damage between 1934 to 1938; addition to north side in ?

Ownership/Residents History:

? - ?
Edward Wilson - land acquired/gifted from state of Virginia or Transylvania Company for military service rendered.

? - ?
Mr. Patrick, a squatter, built a cabin on this site, did not own the land.
John Baker, from Winchester, VA, purchased 319 acres from the Edward Wilson patent.
1st wife - Miss Welch; 2nd wife - Aga Williams; 3rd wife - Polly Combs.
1st official cabin built on site in 1793.

? - 1859
Samuel M. Taylor.
Replaced cabin with brick house.

1859 - Aug.1, 1888
James Ballard.
Held after his death by his wife, then his heirs.

Aug.1, 1888 - Dec. 16, 1889
Col. Harrison "Harry" Patton Thomson & Fannie S. Thomson purchased the tract from James Ballard's heirs.
Thomson subdivided this area into Thomson Addition, Thomson Subdivision, Thomson Station and Ballard's Woods.

Dec.16, 1889 - July 19, 1890
Nancy W. Bryan
Husband - John R. Bryan
Child - Bertha (died 3-15-1894)
Began construction but sold 7 months later before construction complete.
Plagued by marriage troubles and legal troubles (liens placed on house).

July 19, 1890 - Jan12, 1907
Margaret Hockaday Moore French (died 1-12-1907).
Husband - Judge Charles Stephen French (died June 1905).
Children at time of purchase -
Mary Evaline "Eva" "Evy" "Ed" - age 34, lived with parents, never married.
Emily "Emma" Irvine - age 32, married, 3 children.
William Hendley - age 30, married (died in 1915).
Margaret "Maggie" Anne - age 27, married in 1892, 7 children.
(Thomas Richard - died 7-27-1886 at age of 20, drowned near family home.)
Pattie Elizabeth - age 22, eventually married, step-children.
Sarah "Sallie" Calloway - age 19, married in 1905, again in 1934, no children.
Additionally, at least - 6 field slaves, 3 house servants known to live here during this time.
Various children and grandchildren lived in the house off and on during this period.

Jan.12, 1907 - Dec.7, 1908
Mary Eva French, Margaret French McCready, Emma French Sphar, Sarah E. Youtsey, Pattie French Witherspoon, W.H. French.
(Left to children upon death of mother Margaret M. French.)

Dec. 7, 1908 - March 4, 1934
Mary Eva French (died March 4, 1934).
Purchased home from siblings.
Additional occupant listed - L.J. Wilkerson - no additional information yet known
Cousin Mary F. Calloway (known as F. Calloway Besuden after marriage to Henry Besuden) moved in with her two children - Emily and Henry, in April 1914. She died shortly after the move, in July 1914, at age 33. Daughter Emily, aka "Emma", died in March 1915, at the age of 10 or 11. Possibly both mother and daughter died from the TB epidemic.
Probable that Eva's sister, Margaret Anne, and her 7 children also lived here during some of these years. Margaret Anne's son, William George McCready, Jr., died June 11, 1918, at age 19 yrs.

March 4, 1934 - May 11, 1934
Margaret French McCready, Emma French Sphar; Sarah French Yates; Pattie French Witherspoon (ownership upon death of sister Mary Eva French).

May 11, 1934 - July 26, 1938
Margaret French McCready; Emma French Sphar; Sarah French Yates;
and additionally since the death of Pattie French Witherspoon, her heirs -
W.R.Sphar, Bessie S. Goff, Margaret S. Reeves. Stephen French McCready, Emily Irvine McCready, Margaret M. Blake, Richard French McCready, Henley M. McCready, John D. McCready (all children of her sisters).
House apparently rented out during this period, including:
- first floor rented to Clark Co. Health Unit for children's clinic.
- a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
- second floor room to John Moore Wheeler (nephew of original owner Margaret
Hockaday Moore) a mentally unbalanced man.
- probable the fire happened during this period, possibly caused by John M. Wheeler.

July 26, 1938 - Oct.1, 1951
Arthur E. & Christine M. (Payne) Rice.
Two children - daughter and step-son.
Additional occupants - William H. & Elizabeth Mansfield in 1940.
Home purchased for $1.00, possibly due to fire damage.
Arthur died in Cynthiana, KY, at his daughter's, implying Christine died first.
The wheelchair (Colson Corp., Colsonaire model 4533, circa 1948) probably purchased for an occupant of the house during this period.
Extremely difficult to find any information on this family.

Oct.1, 1951 - July 12, 1978
Florence Pace (widowed) and son Robert Bruce Pace.
Home purchased for $1.00 at auction - still researching "why?"
Florence moved out upon marriage of son in 1955, yet retained ownership.

July 12, 1978 - Jan. 19, 1990
Robert Bruce Pace inherited house upon death of mother.
Wife - Billie Burke Smith, married in 1955.
Four children.

Jan.19, 1990 - May 12, 2000
Billie Smith Pace inherited house upon death of husband.

May 12, 2000 - present
Craig & Elizabeth.
Three children.