It appeared all the men at that time worked at the Slate Quarry across from the Hill. I remember when they came home from work they would be covered in slate dust and practically unrecognizable; you could hardly see their eyes.

I don’t remember being bored while I lived Esmont; I can recall 35 people my age living there at the same time. We had teen club meetings that teens from Alberene, Schuyler and Scottsville would attend. 

All the Esmont kids went to Esmont School. It had 7 grades. Virginia and Moody Anderson were teachers early on until Mr. and Mrs. Bill Boggs came in from West Virginia to be teachers. I recall they were very good teachers.  They sure gave a lot of homework. 

The Post Office housed Dr. Early’s Office and was originally Esmont National Bank.

We had several stores, between them you could get most anything you needed including sacks of flour that were bagged in beautiful calico fabric. My mother made me lots of clothes from flour sacks. 

I am so proud of Peggy Denby and Don Jones for tackling the enormous task of reviving this wonderful little town.  Kudos to them. 
 
​~Melva Adcock Purvis

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ESMONT: MY LIFE ON RED ROW HILL

We moved to Esmont in the early 1940's from Schuyler, Va. My parents were Lacy R. Adcock and Grace Rittenhouse Adcock. My two sisters Janice Adcock Stotler and Kaye Adcock Denby Williams.

We lived on Red Row Hill, now Red Row Lane.  When we moved in, all the houses were red clapboard. There were 5 houses in a row, hence, Red Row Hill. 

The houses were poorly insulated with no heat or plumbing. Our water came from a pump many yards away, from a well in my grandmother’s yard. They were Joseph and Fannie Bragg Adcock, known to us as “Papa Joe” and “Big Mamma.” Others houses had individual wells or shared wells. I lived on Red Row for 18 years and never had indoor plumbing. Bathrooms were all outdoors.  

The 5 houses on Red Row were occupied in the early 1940’s (starting at the crest of the hill) by: My family, Lacy Adcock, next was Polly Pace with her sons Jimmy, Rip, Wetchie, Raymond and Pat, and a daughter whose name I think was Margaret. The third house was occupied by Russell and Ruth Boatwright and their 5 children: R.N. Jr (Buddy), Nancy, Guy, Faye, and Rosemary. All are deceased but Rosemary. The fourth house was occupied by a family I cannot remember, but they had 2 children a boy and a girl. He was called Buster.  Mr. Brokenburough lived in the 5th. house.  Don't remember the kids’ names.

Big Mama and Papa Joe lived further up on the Hill as did Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Beasley who lived in the white house closest to us, their children were Toots and Jewel. Toots later built the house behind Purvis’ Store and in front of the Newells who lived further back in the hollow by the creek. I recall they kept their perishables in the cool cellar because they had no refrigerator and they had a water wheel bringing water to their home from the creek.