The Old Coward/Fitts/Hendrix House

Standing not more than a mile away from Long Swamp Baptist Church is the old Coward' homestead. The Cowards had moved here (then Cherokee County) from Rutherford, North Carolina around 1840. On December 14th, 1843 James Coward, Jr. bought 160 acres of Land Lot 8, section Four of Cherokee County from Samuel Tate.

The house in 2021

The second incarnation of Long Swamp Baptist Church. The original church was destroyed by a tornado in 1874.

James later deeded one acre of LL8 to Long Swamp Baptist Church in 1858. Robert Cowart (also spelled Coward) sold the land to Hiram D. Cowart for $200. Hiram D. Cowart sold the land to Van Buren Tatum in 1874 bought for $225.

Van Buren Tatum (center)

William E. Fitts bought the land in 1893 from Van Buren Tatum. William sold the land in 1941 to Henry Fitts. And Henry sold 80 acres to Ada Hendrix, Vida Hendrix, and Herman Hendrix in 1946.

Ada (Brooks) Hendrix and her grandson Donnie

Cicero and Ada Hendrix

Ada lived in the house with her daughter Vida and Vida's brother Herman until her death in 1954. Vida and her brother lived in Pickens County until the mid 90's.

I found a piece of correspondence, dated May 6, 1963, from her sister-in-law, Mrs. Jack Brooks, who was living in Copperhill, Tennessee inside the house.

Vida never married and after she died, her brother William Jack Hendrix lived at the property for a time.

Since then the property has changed hands about three times. Presently, it is owned by an L.L.C based in Atlanta.