Oh the History here is just amazing.
THISTLEDOME – History: Thistledome is a rare Greek Revival Home, built in 1840 by Joseph Chalmers. During the war of Northern Aggression, Joseph's son, James Ronald Chalmers, whose family also occupied the home for a time, (especially after the war) rose to the rank of Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army. Joseph was also the Uncle of Confederate President, Jefferson Davis.
While the Federal Army was burning much of the south, “Thistledome”, as it would come to be known in later years, was saved from being burned by Mrs. Chalmers, the General's wife. When she heard the federal army was coming to burn their home and everything in their path, she gathered many children from the neighborhood and told the federal soldiers that her home was being used as an orphanage. The federal soldiers took pity on her and the children and did not burn the home as they did all others in the area, thus sparing the home from fire and devastation. It is the only home in the area that survived.
E.B. Horn purchased the home in 1906 from the Chalmers. His wife refused to live in the house because it faced a hog farm, so he turned the house using mules and logs a quarter turn so his wife did not have to look at the hog farm when she was on the front porch. The McCauley's bought the house in 1938. When Mrs. McCauley first saw the home she said, “This will do me” - The phrase quickly morphed into dubbing their new home “ Thistledome.”
Todd and Jill Maxwell are now the owners of this magnificent home and have restored much of the home to it's original beauty. Relics from the war have been found on the property. and are proudly displayed in the beautifully decorated historical house.
Cache – ammo can filled with neat trinkets with “First To Find” Prize and travel bugs. There is a nice big log book to leave a message. Be sure to leave the cache the way you found it!