Across the street from our farm in Pike County, Missouri is one of the original plantation farms of the area….Ashburton. John Winn Davis bought a large tract of land from Walker Gilmer Meriwether who owned Aberdeen, a 1233 acre tobacco plantation. Mr. Davis build Ashburton in 1840. It was a duplicate of his home in Hanover County, VA and also the Davis home in England….both houses were also called Ashburton. He used slaves to accomplish this over a five year period. It is noted that he had 20 slaves. Mr. Davis fired bricks to build his house in his own kiln and even fired an additional 500,000 bricks to build nearby St. John's Episcopal Church in Eolia, Missouri….which is the oldest Episcopal Church west of the Mississippi. In the late 1800's they added a third story on the house.
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Hi Ted
Holly wrote me about your coming to Pike Co in May and planning to visit St John’s. I am a member there, and also a descendant of John Winn Davis and his wife, Alice Thornton Lewis (her mother was a Meriwether), who built Ashburton and donated the bricks for the church.
The family owned Ashburton until about 1936 (the year I was born). However, my grandparents (the grandson of JWD) was the caretaker there and lived in the “little house” until 1942.
I have many memories of the small house, plus pictures taken there. I have a vivid memory being in the big house and going up on the top floor and seeing that huge wardrobe. After Pat and Frank became owners, we were invited back for the first time in over 30 years. I took Mom down and she told Pat and Frank of her memories of growing up there. When any of the “cousins” visit Pike County, I generally call the McCrorys and ask permission to bring them by to view the outside. It has been wonderful being able to visit there again.
We visited Frank in Maple Grove the week of his birthday.
My cousin Frank Meriwether, who was the s/o Willian Meriwether and Mary Elizabeth Davis (she was the sister of my great grandfather, Edwin Davis, and she, along with ED and their brother, i nherited Ashburton) carved his initials on the bricks in the back. His oldest brother, William, Jr. carved his initials on the side of the house next to the road. He, along with several of the other children, died in VA after moving there after the death of their mother, in childbirth.
Frank had many talents, even though he was very shy and uncomfortable around people. I have a drawing he made of Ashburton, probably in the 1890s that shows the house before the third floor was added.
If you have seen early pictures of Aberdeen, available in a small book by George Block, which Bunny has a copy of, it is surprising how similar they look. Thank goodness, Ashburton has not been “improved” and still has the grace and style of her early design.
The Griffith McCune house was built by a relative of my husband, Ben. I gave Bunny what information I had about the early Griffiths.
At the end of her life, I asked my grandmother to tell me the history of her furniture, etc. that would be passed down to me and my other cousins. She said that a large walnut wardrobe had belonged to Jim Griffith, who lived across the road from Ashburton. I think the wardrobe had been purchased in the early 1900’s. At that time, I did not realize Jim’s kinship with Ben. We have that wardrobe. A number of years ago, a descendant of Jim Griffith visited and saw the wardrobe. I took a picture of it and visited his mother in a Hannibal nursing home. She remembered the wardrobe and said, it has shelves on one side and hangers on the other.
I’ve enjoyed visiting your site, and plan to forward it on to kith and kin.
Charlotte Griffith
My wife’s mother was born at Ashburton. Her maiden name was Marybelle Davis. She was the daughter of James D. and Lottie Davis. John Winn Davis was James’ grandfather.
We have seen Ashburton from a distance and have been to family reunions and services at the Episcopal Church in Eolia. Many of my wife’s family are buried at the cemetery there.
My wife’s first cousin, Charlotte Griffith who lives near Louisiana, MO, became the family historian, and one of the few who help keep the church still going.
Prior to Charlotte’s interest, their grandmother, Lottie Davis, wrote 3-4 family history books which included all of the Davis family history. Charlotte has a wealth of knowledge of their family history, the Davis’, the Wrights and the Meriwethers.
I actually found your website while researching a music rack my wife inherited through her family (Charlotte). It was originally on an 1859 Steinway Grand piano that was once at Ashburton.
We also have one of the original cast iron stoves from the Episcopal Church. They were getting rid of the two of them still in the church, but not in use. Charlotte got one of them for us. We have it here in Florida where we live.
The reason I am sending this is to see if you have any other pictures of the inside of Ashburton. My wife would love to have them.
We visit Charlotte whenever we can. Our daughter lives near Kansas City, KS so we stop by when we have time. Maybe next time we are that way, we can go by Ashburton again.
It is really a beautiful homesite and has a wonderful history. My wife’s mother loved the place.