People from all over were thrilled for the opportunity to see the grandeur of Acquinasaw at its Open House this past Saturday. The owners, Anthony and Mallory Chancelor, have worked hard to renovate and restore the beautiful house for over a year.
“We actually became interested in the house in July of 2020. We were able to meet with the owner at the time, and we actually made the purchase in February of 2021. We started construction and tearing stuff out in April,” explained Anthony.
They wanted to maintain the integrity of the structure of the house, but they also wanted to make it more updated. They were able to make some changes without completely changing the structure inside.
“The house was full of that old plaster. It did not have central air and heat. It did not have any type of insulation or anything whatsoever,” continued Anthony. “We completely gutted it, but we wanted to keep it as original as possible, so each room in the house is still the same room as when we bought it. We opened up a couple of rooms that were regular doorways when you walk through the front door. The house has been re-wired; it’s been re-plumbed. We put in foam insulation. We put new windows in the entire house. We put in central air and heat, which made a big difference. We put a new roof on the house. It’s been painted inside and out. The house is like a new house in an old shell. We were still able to keep the integrity of the era.”
They know that the house is full of history and wanted to help preserve some of that history.
“The house was built in 1850 originally and was started in the back around a fireplace. It was built by Mr. C.H. Hand,” informed Anthony. “It served as the headquarters for the Confederate Army during the Civil War for this area.”
Its significance in the Civil War isn’t the only thing that is amazing about the house’s history. Surprisingly, the house hasn’t belonged to many families over the years.
“Another fact I find interesting about this house is that it hasn’t been through many families. I believe we’re the fourth family to own this house,” continued Anthony. “Mr. Hand built it, and his daughter, Minnie Otis Hand Buckley, sold the house in the early 1930s to Miss Laura Stevenson. When Miss Stevenson bought this house, there were not even any bathrooms in the house. It didn’t have any type of running water or anything. She put the two bathrooms in that are still there now. Where those bathrooms are would have been a dogtrot and would’ve gone straight out the back. The well that is in the back now actually was inside the house. Laura Stevenson bought the house and was a teacher at Enterprise. In the 1960s, she passed it down to her daughter and son-in-law, Laura Miller Allen and Monroe Allen. Then, she sold it to the late Jim Stockman and Michael Elfring. We bought it from the Michael Elfring estate.”
Despite the hard work and effort it has taken, their main motivation for the renovations has been to give back to the Enterprise community by investing in it.
“We wanted to reinvest where we live in this house,” declared Anthony. “We didn’t want to see it go down. We wanted to bring it back to life. We knew whenever we bought the house that it wasn’t gonna be a challenge, and it has been a challenge to say the least. It has been worth it, though. We have been living here since September 1 of this year.”
They carefully selected who would assist with the changes to the house.
“We used Roger Ivey, Michael Ivey, and Terry Wayne Simpson,” stated Anthony. “They have so much experience dealing with this stuff. They have years of experience, and they’re very meticulous about what they do. That’s why we picked them. They understood that we didn’t want it to be done like houses now and that we wanted it to be as close to the original as possible.”
They are incredibly thankful and pleased with everyone who has worked on the house to restore and renovate it: Michael Ivey (carpenter), Roger Ivey(carpenter), Terry Wayne Simpson (carpenter), Greg Vaughn’s Painting and Pressure Washing LLC, Jay Williams (electrician), Brandon Leftwich (plumbing), Brown Brothers & Son LLC, M&E Roofing, Terry Staniscavage (brick mason), Joe Wiggins (concrete), Donnie Moore (rod iron step rails), Charles’ Tree Service, All-Time Heat and Air, Airtight (foam insulation), Todd drywall, Hinson flooring , Fitzgerald flooring, Floor Décor, JWC Environmental LLC , Oates Monuments, Fantasy Cottage, and different friends and family.
The Open House was a success, and people in the community were able to witness the history of this beautiful antebellum home for themselves.
