Fennell-Thompson House (c. 1890)

Fennell-Thompson House (c. 1890)

Merchant and Farmer’s Bank

1892 Sanborn Map showing Fennell-Thompson House (left)

Merchant and Farmer’s Bank (Opening Day)

Merchant and Farmer’s Bank

The Fennell-Thompson House was built in about 1890 by Martha Fennell (1834-1918).  The Fennell family owned the old log cabin just to the east of this house, which is today called Old Traveler (1836) and, though it was moved across town in the mid 20th century, remains one of the oldest houses in Holly Springs.  This house was built as a Folk Victorian cottage, which was a very popular style of house in Holly Springs in the 1890s. Before this house was built, it was the location of Aaron Woodruff’s gunsmith, which was one of the earliest businesses in Holly Springs.

In 1914, Mrs. Fennell sold the house to Frank R. Stojowski (1864-1942) and his “friend”, Una J. Thompson (1885-1948), who lived together in this house for nearly thirty years.  Stojowski died in 1942, and Thompson died a few years later, in 1948.  Neither Stojowski nor Thompson had children, and Thompson willed this house to her niece Bonnie Mae Davis (1911-1999) and nephew Orville R. Johnson (1909-1971).

In 1968, Davis and Johnson sold the house to Merchant and Farmer’s Bank, which destroyed this house and built the current small brick bank, which was used as a drive-though bank from 1968 until 2017, when the branch closed.  The future of the current building is unknown at this time.

The Fennell-Thompson house was a one-story, gable-front Folk Victorian cottage, with a bay window and a two-bay porch supported by columns with beautiful ornamentation.

Thanks to Bobby Mitchell for providing the 1968 picture of the opening day of the Merchant and Farmer’s Bank.