AH HA! I can answer that. I believe actually posted something about that a while back when I first joined the group but all the same I might not have. So anyhow...on with the story...
A little over a year ago, my best friend and I decided to have a look at the area around this house you have mentioned. Both of us had seen it on numerous occasions and nobody else I knew had ever seen it or noticed it and thenceforth the mystery of the Atsion house was thrust upon me to find some answers.
I started at the Ethridge General Store (aka Ranger Station) and asked the ranger if she knew anything about the house. She only knew that somebody lived there and that it isnt state property or stag club property.
Well this of course was just the answer we were looking for because it was an excellent excuse to go trespassing and have an adventure. We parked my truck across the road at the church (very inconspicuous eh?) and went to have a look. There is an old late 50s - early 60s AMC Rambler station wagon near the house which is in rough shape and has probably spent most of its life at its present location. Near the fireplace/foundation of the other house mentioned is a lot of old trash...tires, the hood of an old ford, an old radio, and lots of other odds and ends...especially parts of old appliances. There are also PILES of trashbags nearby other PILES of alcohol bottles. There is also the gazeebo, an outhouse, and in the front (actually behind the stag club) is what I beleive is called a Virginia cottage.
After this we both decided we should head over to check out the extremely dilapodated double house next to rt 206, about 1/10 mile south from Atsion Road. Well, we pulled up and from the near the house a man started walking in our general direction. So, not knowing what to do we just said "hi". The man came up to the car and turned out to be a 23 year old guy named Paul. He was walking back from the house off of 206, which was his grandmother's house until she died in 1970 and the state took the property. He told us just about everything you could want to know about Atsion.
The old double house, which is fenced off for obvious reasons was a railroad era house and dated back to the mid 1800s I think. I forget a decent amount of the story about the house until the 1900s. Until the 20s, one of the female Ethridges had run the post office at Atsion. Paul told us that she used to steam open everybodys mail and bills and find out everything about everybody. Then, in the 20s, she died and Pauls grandmother took over as postmaster and the practice of opening letters was discontinued.
As I mentioned earlier, the house was a double house built for 2 families to live in. For some time a circus clown by the name of Bill Bailey lived next door with his wife and two children. He was on television for sometime in the 50s and 60s too. Unfortunately, he was also a raving alcoholic and ofter was quite verbally abusive and wouldn't bring home much money after going on business trips up to New York. Pauls grandmother was always generous with the Bailey family and made sure they got a warm meal. One time Bill came home and got wind of this and was furious. He went and had some nasty words with Pauls grandmother. Pauls grandfather in turn beat up Mr. Bailey pretty good. As of last time I was at the house, a sign with "Bill Bailey" painted on it lay that once hung from the house lay on the ground. The house has fallen beyond repair since the state owned it. According to Paul, the deterioration started with a 6 inch hole in the roof that the state wouldn't fix.
Anyhow, the real point to all of my ramblings is that Paul's uncle owns the house that this whole post is about and sometimes he stays there. His uncle, Mr. Duffy, is a retired Waterford Elementary school teacher and owns a shop in Mt. Holly now that deals in Irish imports. It is called Pot 'o' Gold and is on High street. Paul works there and sometimes he too stays at Atsion in the Virginia Cottage. Both men are very nice and will talk to you for hours about the pines, as they are bubbling with knowlege.
Their main concern with the area is vandalization. Paul said that they've chased partiers out of the Atsion school house before with a shot gun, and although they wouldn't dare shoot, it scares people so they will think twice about doing stuff like that. All the same they think it is great that people are interested in the pines and with the state would allocate more money to the preservation of its historic towns.
I hope that answered your questions.
Red
