Joe's great grandfather John O. White purchased this farm in 1891. At that time he bought 440 acres known as Springfield or the old Ross place. We (Joe, 4th. generation on this land and Mary White) purchased 30 acres of the farm in 2000 from Joe's uncles and aunts who had inherited it at Jacob and Artemisia's deaths. A few years later we purchased another 30 acres of the original farm from a cousin.

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There was much work to be done to restore the house. It had been vacant for six years. Upon purchasing the property we had a representative from Preservation NC come out and look at the house. He advised me to get chickens to roam around and eat bugs etc. He said that was why these old houses had survived with out Orkin for so many years. We suddenly found ourselves the owners of chickens. Friends and relatives begin to give us "chickens" when they heard the story. Chickens who laid colored eggs, green eggs, pink eggs, blue eggs and of course brown, tan and white eggs. The local grammar school celebrates Dr. Seuss's birthday each year so several of the school staff came to my chicken house several years ago to video the green eggs and how they are collected in the nest. Some of the kids recognized it and immediately I became the keeper of Dr. Seuss's chickens. There was a wonderful old chicken house on the property so we cleaned the junk (antiques!) out and instant housing.

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This land had been in constant cultivation since the 1700's. Truck crops such as cantelopes, watermelons, beans, red and white Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, corn and peanuts had grown in these fields for over 200 years. The N.C. Extension service said the land needed to rest so half the farm was put into pasture. Joe bought several Black Angus cattle to join a couple of old show horses left from the days our children rode and a mule that roamed about.  Neither Joe nor Mary had ever owned cattle, so the, adventures on the farm with cattle is often referred to as "Bovine 101". Next came the rescue animals, first a dog, then goats then a stray cat and a pony. We soon learned the joys of reproductions (calving and kids) and also the heart breaks of loosing some of our much loved animals. Many warm days our entertainment is sitting on the porch late in the afternoon and watching the calves or the baby goats run, jump and play like happy children at recess. Most mornings and afternoons our pastures and fields is meal time for deer and wild turkeys.

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There are several original out buildings on the property but the special one is the big old barn. Don't know how old it is but its frame is constructed out of tree trunks put together like Lincoln logs and pegged together with wooden dowels. It has a central hall, stalls on one side a shed type structure on the other used to store old horse drawn equipment. The next part was used for corn on the cob storage in the day. It had rooms divided and boards to set in place to hold the corn back. There were ramps on each side so a mule could pull a cart load of corn in one side, unload in one of the rooms and out the other. There were more stalls out back for mules that were used to farm. The hay loft is huge. I am always amazed when I climb the straight up steps how some one made it easier by just nailing a small block of wood to the floor for a hand hold to pull yourself up.

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Hurricane Isabel hit this area of North Carolina hard in 2004 and changed the looks of our land scape. The old barn changed looks some but we have and are trying very hard to save its place in history. We think every piece of horse drawn equipment great granddad and granddad owned is still here. Joe has made a mini museum to display lots of these plows, wagons, harnesses and tools. It is a step back to another by gone era we are trying to save for not only our grandchildren and guest but for anyone who loves farming and animals. We delight in participating in the County farm tour and each year we offer special events for school groups. Most children have never fed a goat or touched a chicken or shelled an ear of corn in an old fashioned sheller. They love the experience.

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Other buildings on the property include another shelter that we think was a carriage house because there are original harness racks in it. There is a smoke house and what was a wood shed next to it. There was a wash house with a huge fire place in it up until the 70's when it was torn down and also years ago people tell us there was also a milk house. The old well is still here and with very good water. We used it to water the chickens before we moved here.

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Pecan trees line the drive way and several in the front yard. Two of them were lost during hurricane Isabel and another during a thunder storm.

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An old cemetery on the property has family members of the White family and others from the Ross family. The oldest marble head stone dates 1828 and is that of Martin Ross, founding father of the first Baptist churches in the area and of the North Carolina Southern Baptist Association. Granddaddy said there were also numerous Indian graves and earlier owners graves on that hill. He had a large collection of arrowheads and other Indian relics.

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The property is listed with Century Farms of North Carolina under Perquimans (Joe Towe White, Jr) meaning it has been farmed by the same family for over 100 years.