The Ailes House

Ailes/Aills House

Zaccheus Aills was born March 13, 1800 in Kentucky.  He married Ann G. Goode in 1825 in Amite County MS.  Zaccheus Aills died in 1869 and his wife died in 1849.  Their graves may be found 2 miles away in a family cemetery on the frontage road, surrounded by a black iron fence, surrounded by daffodils and irises from their home place.

Aills was a carpenter and owned 2 wood mills (perhaps with his brother), one in Crystal Springs and the other reportedly in Utica.  He acquired the land in 1838-1839 and built house some time around 1860, to shelter his family of 12 children. 

Signatures of his daughters, Emma (b. 1848), Carrie (b. 1843) and wife, Ann were in the east room window pane.  Just left of their signature is a full scale Z imposed over A.  Signatures may be found all over the faux walls…two on the second floor from 1867 and 1869 by unknown guests.

Timbers under the house are 15” square and run the entire length of the house.  They were hand hewn from whole trees and resisted termite damage for 140 years because of their density.  Repairs were made by a specialist in 2002.  Rooms are 17 ½’ square, with tongue and groove boards spanning the entire length of the walls, ceilings and floors.

The hallway is the only area with an original paint treatment of what, at one time, covered the entire downstairs area.  One upstairs room has also made it through the years with some portions of different paint treatments through the years, in addition to more signatures.  Most historic properties must carefully remove layers and layers of paint to find original paint finishes, and it is very rare to have extensive walls in historic properties like those in the hallway.

Downstairs ceiling height is at 15’6” in height.  All windows have glass storm windows which stops drafts while also providing protection of the original window panes.  Floors are wide plank heart pine.  One fireplace was restored in the late 1980’s and the other three were restored in the late 1990’s.  Two fireplaces are set up as wood-burning… one with a gas starter.  One is plumbed for gas logs.  The fourth is set up with a wood-burning stove.  All are tile-lined with copper covers.

The National Register of Historic Places classifies the house’s architectural classification as “a Greek Revival cottage that rests upon original piers of fieldstone and brick piers, replacements for original deteriorated fieldstone.”  “All but two doors retain their original painted graining.  Despite the simplicity of the interior millwork, the house’s interior achieves distinction from its grand proportions and original decorative painting.  The central hallway of this rural country cottage represents, in a vernacular manner, an interior space as imposing and dramatic as many, finely finished Mississippi mansions.”

The property has operated over the past 10 years as an organic farm and has irrigated raised beds, and electrified barn, chicken coop and side shed.  There are mature fruit trees and blue berry bushes.  It is partially fenced/gated, and consists of bottom-land, a ridge of old growth, as well as 5 acres of cleared land.  There is a small pond, and sand/gravel lined creek running down the west side of the property joining another creek that cuts through and into White Oak Creek.

The property operated as an organic farm over the past 9 years.