| David W. Daily's home was
referred to as the Old Homestead and was mostly
timber except the left addition in brick. It once
consisted of eleven to twelve hundred acres, the
last of which was one hundred acres consisting of
fruit of all kinds, and therefore known as
"The Fruit Farm." It
was situated about 3/4 mile from Charlestown and
was built in approximately 1815. It was described
by David's granddaughter, Katherine Daily
(daughter of Thomas Hart Daily and Margaret
Walsh), as "two stories with three rooms
facing a long wide brick walk in front. Each room
was entered from the street by a door which like
the windows on each side of the door, were
shuttered with twelve or eighteen small panes of
glass to each.
Two rooms, living and
dining room were logs (walnut) covered with
plastering and painted. The third and last room,
the parlor, was brick and painted to match
others. The foundation of this room and the large
cellar beneath it were of large stones, and floor
of cellar stone slabs.
The door to enter it could
well answer for a cell door, so thick and heavy.
The cellar was cold as ice and filled always with
the choicest fruits, preserves, pickles and what
not, none finer or better to be found.
The parlour (a dream)!
Lovely velvet carpet, large design, pretty paper
to match and at only two windows there were
custom made curtains. White woodwork, high
mantel, rosewood and hair cloth furniture and
family pictures of all the sons and Grandfather
and Grandmother done in oil.
A stairway led from here
to guest room alone. The parlour was about
square. The living room a long one; a fireplace
and comfortably furnished, old clock over mantel
of huge fireplace. A chest of drawers and a desk
below it. Dark old quaint tables. The last room
on street side with brick walk. A dining room
with a grand, large mahogany sideboard. The kind
people look for now and pay high price for.
The stairs in living room
reached the two rooms alone, one over living and
one over dining room. The beds with canopies and
in rosewood, mahogany, and walnut. Back of these
rooms were two bedrooms, a kitchen and two
porches. The long one back of living room and
parlour, served a dining room in warm weather.
The long table was never empty, as sons always
appeared for a meal of good cooking. Due to the
increase at the table and the children, caused
Grandfather and Grandmother to take meals in the
living room on small tables, usually two joined
together."
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