The Rucker-Mason Farm, a historic farmstead near the unincorporated community of Porterfield in southwestern Cannon County, Tennessee, is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C for its local significance in agriculture and architecture. Since its founding at the turn of the nineteenth century, the farm's inhabitants have participated in the history of their community, a fact reflected in the evolution of the farm complex. First settled by the Ruckers in 1798 with buildings dating to c. 1800, the property has passed down through generations of their descendents, remaining within the family for ail but ten years of its history from 1907-1917.4 In addition to the house, there are nine contributing resources, seven outbuildings, a family cemetery, and the agricultural landscape dating from the settlement of the farm through the progressive farming period of the 1920s-1950s. Only one non-contributing resource is located on the property, a c. 1995 garage. The period of significance ranges from the construction of the first buildings c. 1800 to 1956.The property is eligible for the National Register under Criterion A for its significance in agriculture as an excellent intact example of a historic Tennessee agricultural property. The agricultural history of the property dates to Gideon Rucker's purchase of the farm in 1798 and continues to the present. It represents the evolution of farming methods for over two hundred years, seeing a particular period of development between the 1920s and 1950s with the transition from traditional row crop farming to more progressive farming trends, corn and grain production, and livestock farming.It is also eligible under Criterion C for its significance in architecture with its intact Federal style I- house with a Greek Revival portico and collection of seven contributing outbuildings. The farmhouse is a significant early example of a Federal style l-house and a significant early example of the use of brick as a common building material in the state. The extant outbuildings represent distinct phases of agricultural development from the settlement and pre-Civil War period to the mid- twentieth century shift to progressive farming techniques.The Rucker-Mason Farm can be evaluated under the Historic Family Farms in Middle Tennessee Multiple Property Submission, and its agricultural significance relates to each of the historic contexts of the nomination: "Settlement and Subsistence Farming, 1780-1850," "Expansion and the Market Economy, 1850-1900," and "Rural Reform and Agriculture, 1900-1945."Located in a dominantly rural and agricultural area of Tennessee, the Rucker-Mason Farm is an excellent example of a Cannon County farm complex. The property was first settled in 1788 by Thomas Hickman who was granted the property by the State of North Carolina for his service in the Revolutionary War. A decade later, he sold it to George M. Deaderick, a land speculator who then resold it in 1798 to Gideon Rucker, the founder of the current farm complex. Almost forty years later on January 31, 1836, the Tennessee General Assembly created Cannon County out of Rutherford, Smith, and Warren counties and established the county seat at Woodbury.5Coming with his three brothers from Amherst County, Virginia, Gideon Rucker purchased at least three tracts of land which Cannon County historian Robert L. Mason estimated to equal at least 2,342 acres. Mason notes the similarities among the brothers: they each married one of the Reade daughters and became ministers, though for four different denominations.6 Like most settlers, Gideon planted traditional row crops such as corn and other vegetables. On his two other properties, Gideon had a grist and saw mill as well as a large cotton gin and gin house, indicating that he successfully farmed both cotton and corn.7Gideon developed the home first c. 1800 with its cedar ell and several log dependencies. The brick l-house was added to the log structure in 1802, creating the main portion of the present house. Gideon lived in this home until he constructed a second home along a busier thoroughfare, deciding to sell the Rucker-Mason Farm. In 1817, he sold the 670 acre Rucker-Mason farm to his younger brother Bennett for four thousand dollars.8 According to the documents, Bennett lived on the property for a while before purchasing it, so it is not clear which of the brothers oversaw which portion of the building process, but the home and many of the outbuildings existed when Bennett became owner.9The original c. 1800 cedar dwelling on the property is the two-story log section at the rear of the main portion of the house. This portion of the house was built prior to 1802 and the construction of the l-house. Constructed of hewn cedar logs, this structure consists of two rooms stacked upon one another. This portion of the house is now covered in weatherboard siding and a frame stair hall connects it to the l-house. This portion of the house was constructed concurrently with the log kitchen and smokehouse.The main portion of the brick Federal symmetrical l-house was built between 1802 and 1804. Immigrants from Ireland and Great Britain brought their traditional ways of building with them when they came to America, and these plans evolved into the American l-house. Like the Rucker- Mason house, these two-story homes were often two rooms wide and one room deep on each level. In much of the United States, the two rooms were not of equal size, but in the South some homes were built with rooms of equal dimensions, and the Rucker-Mason house is an example of this variation. However, unlike the Rucker-Mason house, many have a central entrance with a central hall dividing the two rooms. Because of the size and the skill these homes required, many affluent farmers constructed l-houses, and they were sometimes referred to as the "farmer's mansion." The presence of one on the Rucker-Mason Farm further indicates the relative affluence of the family.10Not commonly seen in early southern l-houses, the Federal style in the Rucker-Mason house indicates the Virginia heritage of the builder. The plan of the structure is a simplified variation of the southern l-house. Rather than having a central hallway dividing the two rooms as is common in both l-houses and Federal structures, the builder instead created two stairways, mirrored in the two downstairs parlors, into the upper rooms. On the second floor, the two rooms are separated by a solid brick wall with no access between the two. The stairway in the east parlor has been destroyed and the opening sealed with plaster, making the upstairs bedroom accessible only from a later addition. On the front facade of the l-house, there are two main doors that provide access to each stair rather than one central door, as is most common in l-houses and Federal style structures.The first brick house built in its community, the Rucker-Mason house represents the emergence of brick as a building material in the area. Brick became an important symbol of the establishment of a community during the early Republic period. As conflicts between Native Americans and whites subsided, "impressive brick buildings emerged in almost every settlement. The brick house became the harbinger of permanent settlement, and the early residents took notice of the first one in their neighborhood."11 Only a relative few early brick farmhouses such as this remain in Middle Tennessee to represent the early settlement period of Tennessee farming. One particular symmetrical two-story, hall-and-parlor plan resembling the Rucker-Mason House is the Bowen- Campbell House (NR 7/25/1977) in Hendersonville (Sumner County). Constructed by Capt. William Bowen on Mansker's Creek in Sumner County in 1787, it is the oldest known brick building surviving in the state.12Several decades after the home's construction, a one-story extension composed of a kitchen and breezeway was added to the east end (c. 1840). Two small shed-roof additions were later added to the north elevation of this addition (c. 1970). The home also features a Greek Revival portico (c. 1840) of red cedar added after the completion of the main structure. Though the most common alternation to an l-house was the addition of a two-story portico, the Rucker-Mason farmhouse has only a one-story portico, making it an excellent example of how the Cannon County's builders interpreted the Greek Revival architectural style in their designs.
The home's interior retains many of its original elements including mantels, doors, hardware, wainscoting, ceilings, and floors. It is architecturally significant not just for the surviving components from the area's initial settlement but also for the ways the property owners altered the house over the years, eliminating a staircase to heat the home more efficiently, building a Greek Revival portico to ornament the front of the Federal structure, and adding rooms to expand living space before the end of the period of significance.Along with the main house, two contributing outbuildings survive from the early settlement of the farm. A c. 1800 log kitchen remains on the property and is located thirty feet from the main house. As mentioned earlier, an original smokehouse from c. 1800 is located ten feet north of the log kitchen. These two c. 1800 structures are the only outbuildings remaining from settlement of the property and from the pre-Civil War period. The detached kitchen shows the separation of labor from the house that was typical in the pre-Civil War period. The log smokehouse indicates the presence of hogs on the farm and the preservation and smoking of meat on the property. Both the smokehouse and detached kitchen were important components of pre-Civil War farms.During this pre-Civil War period, as well-propertied southern farmers, both Gideon and Bennett Rucker had a relatively large slave population for their area. A source suggests that Gideon and possibly Bennett brought a skilled labor force of slaves as well as house plans with them when they left Virginia.14 Both brothers also inherited slaves from their father—who split forty slaves among his seven children in 1810.15 Over the course of their lives, both continued to acquire slaves. By the time of the 1840 census, Bennett Rucker had nine male slaves, four of whom were between the ages of 10 and 55, and five female slaves, four of whom fit the same age range as the men. This provided a large work force to help him farm his property, which included traditional crops such as corn and vegetables, as well as prepare meat from the hogs raised on the farm. The presence of the cotton gin and gin house on Gideon's nearby property also suggests the presence of cotton in the area, possibly on the Rucker-Mason Farm. Gideon, who had moved to a larger and better positioned property, had a slightly larger slave population. However, since over half of his eight males slaves were under ten and one was over 55, he probably did not have a larger work force than Bennett. In addition, Gideon had eight female slaves, only one of whom was under the age of ten.16 Both owned slaves at the time of their deaths.17The suggestion that Gideon brought both slaves and house plans with him from Virginia indicates that slave labor likely built the home that was constructed soon after their arrival on the farm in 1798. The construction of the house required a considerable amount of on-site labor, as the I- house was built with brick made on the property and poplar and cedar logs hewn on-site. In addition, the Federal style of the l-house, the early use of brick as a building material, and the variation of the l-house form that excludes the central entrance hall all attest to the Virginia influence and vernacular adaptation of the plans. Although this physical evidence and the slave census show the presence of slaves on the property, no original slave dwellings remain. However, the farmhouse and two log outbuildings, a kitchen and smokehouse, remain from the pre-Civil War period as representations of slave labor on the property.Following the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, the farm underwent a period of transition. During the latter half of the nineteenth century and particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, the market production of crops on the farm greatly increased. This is most evident with the presence of the five c. 1920-c. 1950 outbuildings that represent a significant period of development for the Rucker-Mason Farm. This period saw the introduction of more progressive farming techniques such as tenant farming, corn and grain production, orchard growth, and livestock farming that expanded the traditional practices of farming in place on the farm. The outbuildings and orchard on the Rucker-Mason Farm are representative of this shift with a tenant house, two double-crib barns for storing corn and grain, and a well house for sanitation purposes.The property has remained with descendants of Gideon and Bennett Rucker throughout most of its history. After Bennett's first wife Johanna Reade died/he married again, wedding Joanna Barton Wade in 1828. In addition to the four children Bennett had from his first marriage, Joanna entered the marriage with at least one daughter named Miriam.18 In 1834, Miriam married Henry Goodloe, Jr., and the two of them remained with her mother and stepfather, caring for them as they aged. They had at least six children.19 As the years passed, Bennett sold pieces of the land to his neighbors before finally selling the rest of the property and the home to Miriam and Henry for fifteen hundred dollars, an arrangement that may have been a gift to the couple especially when considered with a deed of trust made out to Miriam by Bennett that same year willing his slaves to her.20 After Joanna died in 1861 and Bennett passed in 1862, the property remained in the Goodloe family for over fifty years.21 Bennett, his two wives, and the Goodloes are all buried in the family cemetery on the property.Overtime, Henry Goodloe sold other portions of the land. In 1856, he sold 158 acres to Bryant Hare, 28 acres in 1871 to S. M. Elrod and 26 acres to his son Bennett Rucker Goodloe in 1873. In addition, in 1857 he deeded two acres to the trustees of the Philosophean Institute for scholastic purposes. No evidence exists that the trustees ever established anything there, and the idea may have been a casualty of the Civil War.22 In Henry's 1877 will, he bequeathed all his property to Miriam. Following her death in 1884, her children sold the property to Henry N. and Adele Goodloe and James T. and Carrie Jetton for seven thousand dollars.23In November 1901, the Jettons and the Goodloes mortgaged the property for three thousand dollars, and following Henry N.'s death in 1902, the Jettons assumed the mortgage and all necessary fees. Five years later, the Jettons sold the property which was then 280 acres to S. V. Barker, J. L. Barker and C. C. Barker. Though the Barker's paid off the mortgage, they never lived on the land but sold it to Houston and Margaret Smith Hare in 1917 for twelve thousand dollars. Houston had descended from Alta Mira Goodloe, daughter of Miriam and Henry. The years it was owned by the Barkers mark the only time the land left the Rucker-Goodloe line. After Houston's death in 1920, Margaret and her daughter Ruth left the land and rented the farm for fifty years until Ruth returned there with her husband Robert L. Mason in 1969.24The property stayed in the Mason family until 2005 when it was purchased by Greg Tucker and Carl and Charles Montgomery. The house was occupied until 2003 and the land continues to be leased for agricultural production. The intact farmhouse and collection of outbuildings are an important part of the landscape that represent over two hundred years of agricultural development on the farm.
The home's interior retains many of its original elements including mantels, doors, hardware, wainscoting, ceilings, and floors. It is architecturally significant not just for the surviving components from the area's initial settlement but also for the ways the property owners altered the house over the years, eliminating a staircase to heat the home more efficiently, building a Greek Revival portico to ornament the front of the Federal structure, and adding rooms to expand living space before the end of the period of significance.Along with the main house, two contributing outbuildings survive from the early settlement of the farm. A c. 1800 log kitchen remains on the property and is located thirty feet from the main house. As mentioned earlier, an original smokehouse from c. 1800 is located ten feet north of the log kitchen. These two c. 1800 structures are the only outbuildings remaining from settlement of the property and from the pre-Civil War period. The detached kitchen shows the separation of labor from the house that was typical in the pre-Civil War period. The log smokehouse indicates the presence of hogs on the farm and the preservation and smoking of meat on the property. Both the smokehouse and detached kitchen were important components of pre-Civil War farms.During this pre-Civil War period, as well-propertied southern farmers, both Gideon and Bennett Rucker had a relatively large slave population for their area. A source suggests that Gideon and possibly Bennett brought a skilled labor force of slaves as well as house plans with them when they left Virginia.14 Both brothers also inherited slaves from their father—who split forty slaves among his seven children in 1810.15 Over the course of their lives, both continued to acquire slaves. By the time of the 1840 census, Bennett Rucker had nine male slaves, four of whom were between the ages of 10 and 55, and five female slaves, four of whom fit the same age range as the men. This provided a large work force to help him farm his property, which included traditional crops such as corn and vegetables, as well as prepare meat from the hogs raised on the farm. The presence of the cotton gin and gin house on Gideon's nearby property also suggests the presence of cotton in the area, possibly on the Rucker-Mason Farm. Gideon, who had moved to a larger and better positioned property, had a slightly larger slave population. However, since over half of his eight males slaves were under ten and one was over 55, he probably did not have a larger work force than Bennett. In addition, Gideon had eight female slaves, only one of whom was under the age of ten.16 Both owned slaves at the time of their deaths.17The suggestion that Gideon brought both slaves and house plans with him from Virginia indicates that slave labor likely built the home that was constructed soon after their arrival on the farm in 1798. The construction of the house required a considerable amount of on-site labor, as the I- house was built with brick made on the property and poplar and cedar logs hewn on-site. In addition, the Federal style of the l-house, the early use of brick as a building material, and the variation of the l-house form that excludes the central entrance hall all attest to the Virginia influence and vernacular adaptation of the plans. Although this physical evidence and the slave census show the presence of slaves on the property, no original slave dwellings remain. However, the farmhouse and two log outbuildings, a kitchen and smokehouse, remain from the pre-Civil War period as representations of slave labor on the property.Following the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, the farm underwent a period of transition. During the latter half of the nineteenth century and particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, the market production of crops on the farm greatly increased. This is most evident with the presence of the five c. 1920-c. 1950 outbuildings that represent a significant period of development for the Rucker-Mason Farm. This period saw the introduction of more progressive farming techniques such as tenant farming, corn and grain production, orchard growth, and livestock farming that expanded the traditional practices of farming in place on the farm. The outbuildings and orchard on the Rucker-Mason Farm are representative of this shift with a tenant house, two double-crib barns for storing corn and grain, and a well house for sanitation purposes.The property has remained with descendants of Gideon and Bennett Rucker throughout most of its history. After Bennett's first wife Johanna Reade died/he married again, wedding Joanna Barton Wade in 1828. In addition to the four children Bennett had from his first marriage, Joanna entered the marriage with at least one daughter named Miriam.18 In 1834, Miriam married Henry Goodloe, Jr., and the two of them remained with her mother and stepfather, caring for them as they aged. They had at least six children.19 As the years passed, Bennett sold pieces of the land to his neighbors before finally selling the rest of the property and the home to Miriam and Henry for fifteen hundred dollars, an arrangement that may have been a gift to the couple especially when considered with a deed of trust made out to Miriam by Bennett that same year willing his slaves to her.20 After Joanna died in 1861 and Bennett passed in 1862, the property remained in the Goodloe family for over fifty years.21 Bennett, his two wives, and the Goodloes are all buried in the family cemetery on the property.Overtime, Henry Goodloe sold other portions of the land. In 1856, he sold 158 acres to Bryant Hare, 28 acres in 1871 to S. M. Elrod and 26 acres to his son Bennett Rucker Goodloe in 1873. In addition, in 1857 he deeded two acres to the trustees of the Philosophean Institute for scholastic purposes. No evidence exists that the trustees ever established anything there, and the idea may have been a casualty of the Civil War.22 In Henry's 1877 will, he bequeathed all his property to Miriam. Following her death in 1884, her children sold the property to Henry N. and Adele Goodloe and James T. and Carrie Jetton for seven thousand dollars.23In November 1901, the Jettons and the Goodloes mortgaged the property for three thousand dollars, and following Henry N.'s death in 1902, the Jettons assumed the mortgage and all necessary fees. Five years later, the Jettons sold the property which was then 280 acres to S. V. Barker, J. L. Barker and C. C. Barker. Though the Barker's paid off the mortgage, they never lived on the land but sold it to Houston and Margaret Smith Hare in 1917 for twelve thousand dollars. Houston had descended from Alta Mira Goodloe, daughter of Miriam and Henry. The years it was owned by the Barkers mark the only time the land left the Rucker-Goodloe line. After Houston's death in 1920, Margaret and her daughter Ruth left the land and rented the farm for fifty years until Ruth returned there with her husband Robert L. Mason in 1969.24The property stayed in the Mason family until 2005 when it was purchased by Greg Tucker and Carl and Charles Montgomery. The house was occupied until 2003 and the land continues to be leased for agricultural production. The intact farmhouse and collection of outbuildings are an important part of the landscape that represent over two hundred years of agricultural development on the farm.
.The 314-acre Rucker-Mason Farm is located just off Hare Lane in rural northwestern Cannon County, Tennessee, and shares its western boundary with neighboring Rutherford County. Located in the rural unincorporated community of Porterfield, the closest populated town is now Milton to the west in Rutherford County. Founded c. 1800 by the Rucker family, the farm continued to develop through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the present. The farm includes a dwelling with c. 1800, 1802, and c. 1840 sections, a c. 1800 log kitchen, a c. 1800 log smokehouse, and a nineteenth-century family cemetery. Its twentieth-century resources include a tenant house, log double-crib barn, frame double-crib barn, well house, and an all-purpose shed built between 1920 and 1950. Including the surrounding agricultural landscape, the farm contains a collection often contributing resources. Only one non-contributing structure is on the property, a c. 1995 garage. With ten contributing resources the farm has a high level of integrity as a Middle Tennessee farm.The Rucker-Mason Farm remains an intact working farm and represents the rural and agricultural character of Cannon County. The entrance to the farm is near the end of Hare Lane just northeast of the community of Porterfield and leads west toward the main farmhouse. The farm is situated around the farmhouse, which is on the north side of the main drive. The original c. 1800 log kitchen and smokehouse, the c. 1995 garage, and an orchard lie just east of the main house. The c. 1920 tenant house is just north of the garage. The family cemetery is located north of the house near a creek. West of the house are the c. 1950 frame double crib barn and all-purpose shed. Across from the garage and log kitchen, an old road is still visible leading toward the farmhouse. On either side of the old road are the c. 1920 log double-crib barn and the c. 1950 well house. A small creek wraps around the northwest edge of the farm. The following inventory of resources describes each individual component of the farm complex.1. Rucker-Mason House (c. 1800, c. 1804, c. 1840, contributing building)EXTERIORThe Rucker-Mason House, the farm's main dwelling, has three distinct sections: an l-house, a two- story ell extending to the north, and a one-story wing extending to the east with smaller additions. The house's main facade is the two-story, hall-andrparlor brick l-house, c. 1802, which was added to the south of an existing, c. 1800, two-story log structure now covered in wood siding. The area between these two sections was enclosed at an unknown time forming a two-story ell attached on the north side of the l-house. Extending from the east side of the l-house and two-story ell is a mid-nineteenth century, one-story kitchen wing. Originally connected to the main structure by a breezeway, that connection was expanded and covered in wood siding c. 1970. Shed roof (8-86)United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic Places Continuation SheetRucker-Mason Farm Section number 7 Page 2 Cannon County, Tennesseeadditions, c. 1970, at the north and south ends of the former breezeway created a living room. Further extensions in the 1970s on the north side of the one-story wing created a bathroom and utility room. The foundation of the l-house and log ell is stone while the 1970s additions have a concrete block foundation. The entire roof is covered in asphalt shingles.The south or front fagade of this Federal style, hall-and-parlor l-house has a four-bay symmetrical facade with two front doors and a one-story Greek Revival-style portico, built c. 1840. The portico is fronted by four square posts with simplified Doric capitals and bases. The portico features dentils along its cornice and a deep band of trim above forming a triangular pediment. Simplified Doric pilasters adorn the brick wall on either side of the two entrances. Extending along the east and west sides of the portico from the pilaster to the corner columns are low balustrades composed of square posts. The house's four bay fagade has two single wood front doors, each with six solid panels and a rectangular four-light transom above. The front doors are both recessed, revealing the width of the solid brick wall and featuring four wood panels on either side. Two nine-over-nine, double-hung, wood sash windows flank the entrances while four nine-over-six, double-hung, wood sash windows line the second floor. The windows and door on this facade appear to be original to the c. 1802 structure. The wood cornice along the south fagade features dentils, decorative brackets, and an open diamond-shaped fret band. The original brickwork is laid in Flemish bond along the front while the sides and rear of the house are laid in common bond.A centrally located exterior brick chimney dominates the west elevation of the l-house. No doors or windows are located on the west elevation of the l-house. The two-story log structure and the enclosed area between it and the l-house form the two-story ell. The entire length of the ell is covered in wood siding while a downspout running from the roof to the ground delineates the log structure from the formerly open area, which has been enclosed. The enclosed area has a wood- and-glass door on the first floor composed of nine lights above two vertical panels that dates to c. 1970. A four-over-four, double-hung, wood sash window is located directly above the door. North of the door and window and located between floors in the interior stair hall is a stained glass window added c. 1970. The west elevation of the log structure includes a six-over-six, double- hung sash wood window centered on both the first and second floors.The north elevation includes the l-house, the two-story log structure, the one-story wing, and two one-story shed roof additions (c. 1970). Extending from the east half of the c. 1802-1804 l-house's north elevation is the ell created by the c. 1802 two-story log structure. East of the log structure are three distinct frame additions. The north fagade of the l-house has two original nine-over-nine, double-hung wood sash windows on the first floor and two original nine-over-six, double-hung, wood sash windows on the second floor. Irregular brickwork on the second floor where the rear ell (log structure) meets the l-house reveals that a window has been filled in with brick. The original wood cornice along the l-house's north elevation features dentils, decorative brackets, and an open diamond-shaped fret band in the same pattern of that on the l-house's south facade. The north elevation of the log structure has historic six-over-six, double-hung, wood sash windows on its first floor flanking a brick exterior end chimney with a three-foot-high stone base. On the second floor, there is one six-over-six, double-hung, wood sash window west of the chimney. The westernmost c. 1970 one-story addition (bathroom) has a shed roof, no windows or doors on its north elevation, which is flush with the north elevation of the log structure. Stepped back from the bathroom addition is the one-story utility room addition with a shed roof and a six-over-six, double- hung wood sash window. Stepped back from the utility room addition is the east end of a one- story kitchen and living room ell dating from the mid-nineteenth century, c. 1840s. The north elevation of this ell has a single six-over-six double-hung window.A centrally located brick exterior end chimney dominates the east elevation of the l-house section. No windows are located on the east elevation of the l-house. Just north of the l-house on the east elevation, a portion of the living room that was enclosed c. 1970 is visible and contains a single six- over-six, double-hung window. The east elevation also includes a one-story, c. 1840s kitchen addition with a cut-stone chimney in the center of the gable. North of the kitchen on this elevation is the stepped-back c. 1970s utility room that contains a single door with two panels in the bottom half and a nine-light window in the upper half. A storm door covers this entrance.On the south facade, east of the main facade of the l-house, is the c. 1970s living room and the c. 1840s kitchen. It has been reported that the area between the kitchen and the house was originally a dogtrot where the farmhands would eat. This area was enclosed and made into a living room sometime during the 1970s renovations, at the same time adding a bath and utility room.1 The south elevation of the living room contains a door on the west end that has two panels on the bottom half and a nine-light window in the upper half. A storm door covers this entrance. A six- over-six, double-hung window is also located on this elevation of the living room east of the door. Stepped back from the living room is the south elevation of the kitchen that contains a single six- over-six, double-hung window.INTERIORThe oldest dwelling on the Rucker-Mason Farm is the two-story log section of the house. It is known that this log section was built before 1802, prior to the construction of the two-story brick I- house.2 Since the completion of the log and brick sections, the interior of the house has undergone the enclosure of the space between these two sections at an unknown date and the renovation of this space in the 1970s, the addition of a mid-nineteenth century kitchen to the east of the l-house and log section, the enclosure of a breezeway between the kitchen and main structure in the 1970s that created a living room, and the 1970s addition of a bathroom and a utility room on the north end of the living room and kitchen.
The main portion of the Rucker-Mason House is an l-house with a hall-and-parlor plan. The interior of the l-house maintains a high degree of integrity. The east and west parlors on the first and second floors still maintain the original plank floors. The fireplaces and mantel pieces in these parlors are original. Of the two original stairwells only one remains, in the northeast corner of the west parlor. The stairwell measures three-and-one-half feet wide. The stairwell that was original to the east parlor originally stood in the northwest corner and was removed sometime after 1970. The two downstairs parlors have wainscoting that is original to the house while the two upstairs rooms have the original chair rail. Most of the trim, doors, windows, and hardware are original in the l-house.The double entrance doors lead from the portico into the west and east parlors. In the west parlor, this door is located on the east end of the south wall and is a six-paneled door with a four light transom and a molded wood door surround. In the west parlor a dogleg stairwell is located in the northeast corner. The balustrade contains simple square posts with a square newel post. A small four-paneled wood door is located beneath the stairwell and measures four feet, ten inches tall and two feet, eleven inches wide. The side of the stairway is paneled while applied scrollwork decorates the sides of the stairs. Underneath the stairway as it turns toward the south are sets of paired wood panels. The fireplace mantel in the west parlor is a simple wood classical mantel that surrounds a brick fireplace and hearth. The mantel is composed of two simple pilasters, each having a single inset panel running the height of pilaster; a simple frieze with a horizontal band of molding and a simple rectangular decorative panel in the center; and dentils just below the mantelshelf. The windows in the west parlor, two on the north wall and one on the south wall are original to the l-house. The inside of the window surrounds contains wood paneling to accommodate the thickness of the brick wall. The window in the northeast corner of the west parlor is partially blocked by the stairwell and contains a bronze cherub imbedded in the center of the top of the window treatment. The east and west parlors are separated by a brick wall that measures one foot, seven inches thick, and a doorway is in the center of the wall. Wood paneling covers the interior depth of the doorway and the door itself has six wood panels. Wood molding surrounds the doorway. Original wainscoting composed of rectangular panels runs along each wall of the west parlor. A simple wood cornice surrounds the parlor just below the ceiling. Original wood floorboards and the plaster ceiling and walls remain in this room.The basic plan of the east parlor mirrors that of the west parlor with the placement of entrance door and windows on the south wall and the location of the mantels on the outer ends. The original wainscoting and cornice in the east parlor matches that of the west parlor as does the paneling of the windows and connecting doorway. However, there are no windows on the north wall of the east parlor. The dogleg stairwell that once mirrored the one in the west parlor stood in the northwest corner of the east parlor. This stairwell was removed sometime after 1970, most likely during the 1970s renovations. Where the stairwell was once located, the wainscoting ends along the west wall at three feet, five inches from the corner of the north wall. A six-inch base molding extends in its place. In the east parlor, the original brick fireplace and hearth are surrounded by a simple wood classical mantel in the center of the east wall. The pilasters supporting the mantelshelf each contain two panels and the frieze of the mantel has simple horizontal molding and dentils running just below the shelf. In the center of the frieze is a rectangular mirror set within a simple wood frame oriented vertically. Two doors are located in the east parlor, one along the north wall and one on the east wall. One original door opens to the enclosed space between the I- house and log structure. This door is similar to the two front doors and has a four-light rectangular transom. The second door, located just north of the mantle is an original six-paneled door that opens into the 1970s living room. Original wood floorboards and the plaster ceiling and walls remain in this room.The area between the l-house and the log section was enclosed at an unknown time and underwent renovations in the 1970s. This enclosed area contains a dogleg stairwell in the northwest corner that is encased with wood planks. The balustrade contains simple square posts with a square newel post. Underneath the stairwell is an original vertical-plank closet door. A c. 1970 door on the west wall leads outside. Vertical-plank doorways are located along the east wall (entrance into living room) and in an entrance into the downstairs section of the log structure on the north wall. The south wall of the enclosed space exposes the exterior wall of the brick l-house while the north wall exposes the original logs of the c. 1800 log structure. It is evident from this perspective that an additional window was located on the west half of the north wall of the east parlor. A shelf has been inserted into the brick wall and it is evident from the different pattern of brickwork that this was a location for the window. A c. 1970 bathroom is located in the northeast corner of this space. The door into this bathroom is a vertical-plank door similar to those on the north and east walls. The ceiling in this space exposes the floor joists of the upstairs stair hall.The first floor of the log structure is currently being used as a bedroom. The logs measure from seven to nine inches in width and the north wall has been covered over with five-inch wood boards. Three historic six-over-six, double-hung, wood sash windows are located in this room, one on the west wall and two that flank the fireplace in the north wall. The brick fireplace is encased within a simple wood mantel composed of two simple wood posts and a two-panel frieze supporting the shelf. The baseboards are along the four walls and measure seven-and-one-half inches tall. A second original, vertical-plank doorway is situated along the east wall and leads into the living room. The floor joists of the second floor are exposed in the ceiling.The living room was created in the 1970s by expanding and enclosing a breezeway that led to the kitchen to the east. The baseboards in the living room measure three inches tall. At the north end of the living room is a bathroom, accessed through a c. 1970 door. Two windows are located at the southeast corner of the room and two doorways lead separately into the kitchen and utility room. The simple wood door into the kitchen is original to the c. 1840 kitchen and has a simple wood door surround. The door into the utility room is a c. 1970 door.
The kitchen, which is on the east wall of the living room, was added to the house sometime in the 1840s. A fireplace and mantel is located on the east wall of the kitchen. The mantel contains a simple wood post on either side that supports a plain wood frieze and a molded wood shelf. The fireplace and hearth are both stone. A simple wood cornice runs just below the ceiling. Two windows are located in the kitchen, one on the north wall and the second on the south wall. A doorway in the north wall leads into the utility room. The utility room was added to the house sometime in the 1970s. One c. 1970 window is located along the north wall of the utility room and a c. 1970 door is located along the east wall extending outside.The second floor of the l-house is arranged in a similar manner as the downstairs parlors. The stairwell that remains in the west parlor leads into an office which was used by Dr. Robert L. Mason c. 1969-2003. This is the only access into this room. The stairs lead into the second floor along the east wall. A wood balustrade with a simple square newel post and simple square posts supporting the wood handrail is located along the west edge of the stairwell opening. There are four windows in this room, two along the south wall and two along the north wall, all set within simple wood surrounds. Simple wood seven-inch baseboards and a wood cornice run along the perimeter of the room. The simple wood chair rail measures two feet, four inches tall and also runs the perimeter of the room. The original mantel is located in the center of the west wall and surrounds a brick fireplace. Simple wood pilasters support the mantle frieze that contains a single wood panel. A simple molded cornice supports the mantle shelf. The mantel, chair rail, baseboards, cornice, and floorboards are all original. This room has plaster ceiling and walls.The upstairs east bedroom of the l-house was originally accessible from a dogleg stairwell that was once located in the first floor east parlor. The stairwell has been removed, but a ghost of this stairway is visible in the floorboards. A second stairwell that now provides access to this space is located in the enclosed area between the l-house and the log structure. The entrance to the east bedroom is in the north wall through a simple doorway containing a vertical-plank door. Four steps lead from the upstairs stair hall into this parlor. There are two windows located on the south wall with simple wood surrounds. No other windows are located in this room. The original fireplace and mantel identical to the one in Dr. Mason's office sits in the center of the east wall. Original features include the chair rail, cornice, baseboards, and floorboards identical to those in Dr. Mason's office. Original wood floorboards and the plaster ceiling and walls remain in this room.The area that has been enclosed between the l-house and the log structure contains two windows: one is a double-hung sash window at the top of the stairwell and the other is a c. 1970 stained glass window panel that sits over the stairwell. This enclosed area also includes a bathroom that was added sometime in the 1970s, and a board-and-batten door on the east wall. This door leads to a roof attic over the living room. A second door on the north wall leads into the upstairs bedroom of the log structure. The south wall of this area exposes the exterior brick of the l-house while the north wall exposes the logs of the c. 1800 log structure. The wood boards covering the east wall date to the 1970s renovation of the space. The floor and ceiling material are original wood boards.The second floor of the log structure is currently being used as a bedroom. All four walls are exposed to show the log beams that measure seven to nine inches thick. The floor and ceiling are composed of original wood boards. Three windows are located in the upstairs room: one sits on the east wall; a second on the north wall; and the third on the west wall. Each window is a historic, wood, six-over-six, double-hung window.Both the exterior and interior of the Rucker-Mason house retain much of their original material and maintain a high degree of architectural integrity. The construction of the main portions of the house occurred between c. 1800 and c. 1840s and represents its evolution as the main dwelling on a growing farm. Significant features include the Greek Revival portico, original windows and doors, original mantels, wainscoting, stair, and trim.2. Kitchen (c.1800, contributing building)This cedar log structure rests on flat stones laid right on the ground thirty feet from the main house. It features a rectangular floor plan consisting of one room with a large roughly hewn limestone fireplace at one end and opposing doors centrally placed on the two long walls. The loft joists have been extended a foot or so outside the plane of the long walls in order to support the false plate that the rafters rest upon. Asphalt shingles now cover the roof. The logs on one end of this structure have been half-dovetail notched and put together in the traditional way, but the logs on the other end have been treated in a different manner. Originally these logs had been fastened to a vertical corner post by means of stout wooden pegs. All that remains of this uncommon arrangement are the holes in the ends of the logs that had received these pegs. The posts themselves as well as the logs on the end wall have been replaced with vertical hardwood planks.3. Smokehouse (c.1800, contributing building)This small cedar log building sits on a low limestone foundation ten feet north of the kitchen. It is approximately fourteen feet square, with a vertical plank door offset to one side on the front wall. The structure appears to have been built in two stages, with five-inch thick, hewn cedar logs stacked eight rounds high and four more rounds of threenjnch sawn yellow poplar logs placed on top of them. The smokehouse is surmounted by a hipped roof, framed with heavy sawn timbers including a kingpost, and covered with asphalt shingles.4. Garage (c.1995, non-contributing building, due to date)The two-bay modern garage has been built near the two log buildings along the lines of a stylized carriage house. It is an example of balloon frame construction, with vinyl siding and a fiberglass shingle roof. A pre-manufactured cupola adorns the ridgeline.
5. Tenant house (c.1920, contributing site)This four-bay frame house is covered in weatherboard and sits on a concrete block foundation in the far rear area of the farmstead. An off-centered, half-glass entrance door is flanked by two single windows on one side and a picture window combination on the other. A shed porch supported by five evenly-spaced square wood columns has been added to the front elevation. The entire house is covered in 5V pattern sheet metal roofing. Due to its poor condition, this house is listed as a contributing site.6. All-purpose shed (c.1950, contributing building)This small pole frame farm shed located in the small field west of the main house is sided with vertical hardwood planks and covered in 5V pattern sheet metal roofing.7. Frame Double-Crib Barn (c.1950, contributing building)This frame, double-crib barn is raised two feet off the ground on a group of short posts set into the ground. This was done in an attempt to ward off vermin. The building consists of two similarly sized units separated by an open hallway. It is sided with vertical hardwood planks and covered in 5V pattern sheet metal roofing.8. Log Double-Crib Barn (c.1920, contributing building)This round cedar log outbuilding rests in the woods in front of the main house. The logs are saddle-notched with the ends untrimmed. Cedar pole rafters support the lathing to which the corrugated sheet metal roofing is nailed. The building has two similarly sized log pens separated by an open hallway.9. Well house (c.1950, contributing building)This small concrete block structure covered with sheet metal is located at the edge of the woods in front of the main house.10. Family Cemetery (first known burial c. 1825, contributing site)A family cemetery is located north-northwest of the house and is enclosed by a dry-laid rock wall. The earliest known burial is Bennett Rucker's first wife Johanna Reed, who died sometime prior to Bennett's second marriage in 1828. Joanna Barton Wade, Bennett's second wife died in 1861, followed by Bennett Rucker in 1862. Headstones for Rucker and his two wives, his stepdaughter Miriam Goodloe, and her husband Henry Goodloe were erected over their graves in the 1880s, after Miriam died. These stones are of molded concrete and take the form of truncated tree trunks decorated with bark, limbs, and ivy.3 A few other rough headstones are located in this cemetery, only two others with inscriptions for two Goodloe children dating to 1856 and 1899.
11. Agricultural landscape (early 19th century-1956, contributing site)The agricultural landscape of the Rucker-Mason Farm includes the fields, pastures, orchard, tree lines, fences, gates, and farm roads throughout the property. These items retain their original layout and orientation. Together with the individual components described above, these elements of the landscape are integral to the operation of a working farm. Several historic rough-cut stone walls are visible throughout the property and are maintained by the current owners. The dirt farm roads providing access to the fields and pastures on the property are also maintained by the current owners.
The main portion of the Rucker-Mason House is an l-house with a hall-and-parlor plan. The interior of the l-house maintains a high degree of integrity. The east and west parlors on the first and second floors still maintain the original plank floors. The fireplaces and mantel pieces in these parlors are original. Of the two original stairwells only one remains, in the northeast corner of the west parlor. The stairwell measures three-and-one-half feet wide. The stairwell that was original to the east parlor originally stood in the northwest corner and was removed sometime after 1970. The two downstairs parlors have wainscoting that is original to the house while the two upstairs rooms have the original chair rail. Most of the trim, doors, windows, and hardware are original in the l-house.The double entrance doors lead from the portico into the west and east parlors. In the west parlor, this door is located on the east end of the south wall and is a six-paneled door with a four light transom and a molded wood door surround. In the west parlor a dogleg stairwell is located in the northeast corner. The balustrade contains simple square posts with a square newel post. A small four-paneled wood door is located beneath the stairwell and measures four feet, ten inches tall and two feet, eleven inches wide. The side of the stairway is paneled while applied scrollwork decorates the sides of the stairs. Underneath the stairway as it turns toward the south are sets of paired wood panels. The fireplace mantel in the west parlor is a simple wood classical mantel that surrounds a brick fireplace and hearth. The mantel is composed of two simple pilasters, each having a single inset panel running the height of pilaster; a simple frieze with a horizontal band of molding and a simple rectangular decorative panel in the center; and dentils just below the mantelshelf. The windows in the west parlor, two on the north wall and one on the south wall are original to the l-house. The inside of the window surrounds contains wood paneling to accommodate the thickness of the brick wall. The window in the northeast corner of the west parlor is partially blocked by the stairwell and contains a bronze cherub imbedded in the center of the top of the window treatment. The east and west parlors are separated by a brick wall that measures one foot, seven inches thick, and a doorway is in the center of the wall. Wood paneling covers the interior depth of the doorway and the door itself has six wood panels. Wood molding surrounds the doorway. Original wainscoting composed of rectangular panels runs along each wall of the west parlor. A simple wood cornice surrounds the parlor just below the ceiling. Original wood floorboards and the plaster ceiling and walls remain in this room.The basic plan of the east parlor mirrors that of the west parlor with the placement of entrance door and windows on the south wall and the location of the mantels on the outer ends. The original wainscoting and cornice in the east parlor matches that of the west parlor as does the paneling of the windows and connecting doorway. However, there are no windows on the north wall of the east parlor. The dogleg stairwell that once mirrored the one in the west parlor stood in the northwest corner of the east parlor. This stairwell was removed sometime after 1970, most likely during the 1970s renovations. Where the stairwell was once located, the wainscoting ends along the west wall at three feet, five inches from the corner of the north wall. A six-inch base molding extends in its place. In the east parlor, the original brick fireplace and hearth are surrounded by a simple wood classical mantel in the center of the east wall. The pilasters supporting the mantelshelf each contain two panels and the frieze of the mantel has simple horizontal molding and dentils running just below the shelf. In the center of the frieze is a rectangular mirror set within a simple wood frame oriented vertically. Two doors are located in the east parlor, one along the north wall and one on the east wall. One original door opens to the enclosed space between the I- house and log structure. This door is similar to the two front doors and has a four-light rectangular transom. The second door, located just north of the mantle is an original six-paneled door that opens into the 1970s living room. Original wood floorboards and the plaster ceiling and walls remain in this room.The area between the l-house and the log section was enclosed at an unknown time and underwent renovations in the 1970s. This enclosed area contains a dogleg stairwell in the northwest corner that is encased with wood planks. The balustrade contains simple square posts with a square newel post. Underneath the stairwell is an original vertical-plank closet door. A c. 1970 door on the west wall leads outside. Vertical-plank doorways are located along the east wall (entrance into living room) and in an entrance into the downstairs section of the log structure on the north wall. The south wall of the enclosed space exposes the exterior wall of the brick l-house while the north wall exposes the original logs of the c. 1800 log structure. It is evident from this perspective that an additional window was located on the west half of the north wall of the east parlor. A shelf has been inserted into the brick wall and it is evident from the different pattern of brickwork that this was a location for the window. A c. 1970 bathroom is located in the northeast corner of this space. The door into this bathroom is a vertical-plank door similar to those on the north and east walls. The ceiling in this space exposes the floor joists of the upstairs stair hall.The first floor of the log structure is currently being used as a bedroom. The logs measure from seven to nine inches in width and the north wall has been covered over with five-inch wood boards. Three historic six-over-six, double-hung, wood sash windows are located in this room, one on the west wall and two that flank the fireplace in the north wall. The brick fireplace is encased within a simple wood mantel composed of two simple wood posts and a two-panel frieze supporting the shelf. The baseboards are along the four walls and measure seven-and-one-half inches tall. A second original, vertical-plank doorway is situated along the east wall and leads into the living room. The floor joists of the second floor are exposed in the ceiling.The living room was created in the 1970s by expanding and enclosing a breezeway that led to the kitchen to the east. The baseboards in the living room measure three inches tall. At the north end of the living room is a bathroom, accessed through a c. 1970 door. Two windows are located at the southeast corner of the room and two doorways lead separately into the kitchen and utility room. The simple wood door into the kitchen is original to the c. 1840 kitchen and has a simple wood door surround. The door into the utility room is a c. 1970 door.
The kitchen, which is on the east wall of the living room, was added to the house sometime in the 1840s. A fireplace and mantel is located on the east wall of the kitchen. The mantel contains a simple wood post on either side that supports a plain wood frieze and a molded wood shelf. The fireplace and hearth are both stone. A simple wood cornice runs just below the ceiling. Two windows are located in the kitchen, one on the north wall and the second on the south wall. A doorway in the north wall leads into the utility room. The utility room was added to the house sometime in the 1970s. One c. 1970 window is located along the north wall of the utility room and a c. 1970 door is located along the east wall extending outside.The second floor of the l-house is arranged in a similar manner as the downstairs parlors. The stairwell that remains in the west parlor leads into an office which was used by Dr. Robert L. Mason c. 1969-2003. This is the only access into this room. The stairs lead into the second floor along the east wall. A wood balustrade with a simple square newel post and simple square posts supporting the wood handrail is located along the west edge of the stairwell opening. There are four windows in this room, two along the south wall and two along the north wall, all set within simple wood surrounds. Simple wood seven-inch baseboards and a wood cornice run along the perimeter of the room. The simple wood chair rail measures two feet, four inches tall and also runs the perimeter of the room. The original mantel is located in the center of the west wall and surrounds a brick fireplace. Simple wood pilasters support the mantle frieze that contains a single wood panel. A simple molded cornice supports the mantle shelf. The mantel, chair rail, baseboards, cornice, and floorboards are all original. This room has plaster ceiling and walls.The upstairs east bedroom of the l-house was originally accessible from a dogleg stairwell that was once located in the first floor east parlor. The stairwell has been removed, but a ghost of this stairway is visible in the floorboards. A second stairwell that now provides access to this space is located in the enclosed area between the l-house and the log structure. The entrance to the east bedroom is in the north wall through a simple doorway containing a vertical-plank door. Four steps lead from the upstairs stair hall into this parlor. There are two windows located on the south wall with simple wood surrounds. No other windows are located in this room. The original fireplace and mantel identical to the one in Dr. Mason's office sits in the center of the east wall. Original features include the chair rail, cornice, baseboards, and floorboards identical to those in Dr. Mason's office. Original wood floorboards and the plaster ceiling and walls remain in this room.The area that has been enclosed between the l-house and the log structure contains two windows: one is a double-hung sash window at the top of the stairwell and the other is a c. 1970 stained glass window panel that sits over the stairwell. This enclosed area also includes a bathroom that was added sometime in the 1970s, and a board-and-batten door on the east wall. This door leads to a roof attic over the living room. A second door on the north wall leads into the upstairs bedroom of the log structure. The south wall of this area exposes the exterior brick of the l-house while the north wall exposes the logs of the c. 1800 log structure. The wood boards covering the east wall date to the 1970s renovation of the space. The floor and ceiling material are original wood boards.The second floor of the log structure is currently being used as a bedroom. All four walls are exposed to show the log beams that measure seven to nine inches thick. The floor and ceiling are composed of original wood boards. Three windows are located in the upstairs room: one sits on the east wall; a second on the north wall; and the third on the west wall. Each window is a historic, wood, six-over-six, double-hung window.Both the exterior and interior of the Rucker-Mason house retain much of their original material and maintain a high degree of architectural integrity. The construction of the main portions of the house occurred between c. 1800 and c. 1840s and represents its evolution as the main dwelling on a growing farm. Significant features include the Greek Revival portico, original windows and doors, original mantels, wainscoting, stair, and trim.2. Kitchen (c.1800, contributing building)This cedar log structure rests on flat stones laid right on the ground thirty feet from the main house. It features a rectangular floor plan consisting of one room with a large roughly hewn limestone fireplace at one end and opposing doors centrally placed on the two long walls. The loft joists have been extended a foot or so outside the plane of the long walls in order to support the false plate that the rafters rest upon. Asphalt shingles now cover the roof. The logs on one end of this structure have been half-dovetail notched and put together in the traditional way, but the logs on the other end have been treated in a different manner. Originally these logs had been fastened to a vertical corner post by means of stout wooden pegs. All that remains of this uncommon arrangement are the holes in the ends of the logs that had received these pegs. The posts themselves as well as the logs on the end wall have been replaced with vertical hardwood planks.3. Smokehouse (c.1800, contributing building)This small cedar log building sits on a low limestone foundation ten feet north of the kitchen. It is approximately fourteen feet square, with a vertical plank door offset to one side on the front wall. The structure appears to have been built in two stages, with five-inch thick, hewn cedar logs stacked eight rounds high and four more rounds of threenjnch sawn yellow poplar logs placed on top of them. The smokehouse is surmounted by a hipped roof, framed with heavy sawn timbers including a kingpost, and covered with asphalt shingles.4. Garage (c.1995, non-contributing building, due to date)The two-bay modern garage has been built near the two log buildings along the lines of a stylized carriage house. It is an example of balloon frame construction, with vinyl siding and a fiberglass shingle roof. A pre-manufactured cupola adorns the ridgeline.
5. Tenant house (c.1920, contributing site)This four-bay frame house is covered in weatherboard and sits on a concrete block foundation in the far rear area of the farmstead. An off-centered, half-glass entrance door is flanked by two single windows on one side and a picture window combination on the other. A shed porch supported by five evenly-spaced square wood columns has been added to the front elevation. The entire house is covered in 5V pattern sheet metal roofing. Due to its poor condition, this house is listed as a contributing site.6. All-purpose shed (c.1950, contributing building)This small pole frame farm shed located in the small field west of the main house is sided with vertical hardwood planks and covered in 5V pattern sheet metal roofing.7. Frame Double-Crib Barn (c.1950, contributing building)This frame, double-crib barn is raised two feet off the ground on a group of short posts set into the ground. This was done in an attempt to ward off vermin. The building consists of two similarly sized units separated by an open hallway. It is sided with vertical hardwood planks and covered in 5V pattern sheet metal roofing.8. Log Double-Crib Barn (c.1920, contributing building)This round cedar log outbuilding rests in the woods in front of the main house. The logs are saddle-notched with the ends untrimmed. Cedar pole rafters support the lathing to which the corrugated sheet metal roofing is nailed. The building has two similarly sized log pens separated by an open hallway.9. Well house (c.1950, contributing building)This small concrete block structure covered with sheet metal is located at the edge of the woods in front of the main house.10. Family Cemetery (first known burial c. 1825, contributing site)A family cemetery is located north-northwest of the house and is enclosed by a dry-laid rock wall. The earliest known burial is Bennett Rucker's first wife Johanna Reed, who died sometime prior to Bennett's second marriage in 1828. Joanna Barton Wade, Bennett's second wife died in 1861, followed by Bennett Rucker in 1862. Headstones for Rucker and his two wives, his stepdaughter Miriam Goodloe, and her husband Henry Goodloe were erected over their graves in the 1880s, after Miriam died. These stones are of molded concrete and take the form of truncated tree trunks decorated with bark, limbs, and ivy.3 A few other rough headstones are located in this cemetery, only two others with inscriptions for two Goodloe children dating to 1856 and 1899.
11. Agricultural landscape (early 19th century-1956, contributing site)The agricultural landscape of the Rucker-Mason Farm includes the fields, pastures, orchard, tree lines, fences, gates, and farm roads throughout the property. These items retain their original layout and orientation. Together with the individual components described above, these elements of the landscape are integral to the operation of a working farm. Several historic rough-cut stone walls are visible throughout the property and are maintained by the current owners. The dirt farm roads providing access to the fields and pastures on the property are also maintained by the current owners.