First Brick House in Mt. Pleasant

FLORY, COZIER, ROGERS, CRANE, HUGHES, LASH, GRANTHAM, WHITING

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 6/10/2015 at 20:25:53

“The Bystander’s Notes”, by Charles S. Rogers, Publisher
Mt. Pleasant Daily News, Monday, September 15, 1941

FIRST BRICK HOUSE
What and where was the first brick house built in Mt. Pleasant? That proposition was ably argued the other day by two earnest debaters. One argued that a small, one story brick residence on the east side of Main street, just south of Washington, was the first brick – not the first residence – built in the town and by Geo. W. Flory.
~~~~
The other argued that the first brick residence built in town is now standing and occupied, on the east side of Jefferson, and just south of Washington, and known as the Cozier residence.
~~~~
We are inclined to agree with the first debater, that it was the Main street residence. The last owner was Mr. George Crane. It was a single story brick and was the first house south of the court house, when it was at the corner of the square. When the new court house was built, Mr. Crane sold his place to the county, and the old structure was razed. If we remember correctly, at that time the records were examined and the fact established that it was the first brick house in town. The old city directory of 1867 lists George W. Flory as residing at “Main es. 2s Wash.,” which translated means East side Main street, and two doors south of Washington.
~~~~
The city directory of 1870 lists G.W. Flory as residing at “Jefferson es. 1s Washington.” Mr. Flory had a daughter, Augusta, and in 1869, she was married to Ben L. Cozier, civil war veteran and long-time school teacher. The 1870 city directory lists Cozier as residing at “Jefferson es. 1s Washington.” Now that looks as if Mr. Flory had sold or rented his first home on Main street and built or bought what is now known as the Cozier home on Jefferson, and moved in, and when his daughter got married, hubby moved in, too.
~~~~
The 1879 “History of Henry County,” says, “The first brick house put up in Mt. Pleasant was built by John B. Lash, Esq., in the fall of 1838, and he moved into it in the spring of 1839. This is the house now standing immediately south of the court house and owned by G.W. Flory. John P. Grantham made the mortar and carried the brick that went into the house. The first brick chimney was built by L.B. Hughes to a little frame building just north of Whiting’s bank.”
~~~~~
An historical sketch, we ran into, declared that Mr. Flory built the first mill at Oakland Mills. We doubt that, although, he being a first class millwright and miller, might have built a mill down there for its owners. When you go to asserting, without reservations, this and that in history was so and so, you stir up a hornet’s nest.