CLINTON ? The portraits of Dr. Victor Small and his wife, Suzanne, hang in separate rooms in the couple?s old home on College Street.
Legend has it whenever the photographs are hung together, one of the oval pictures will mysteriously be taken off the wall. The story says the couple did not get along, and Dr. Small once remarked that if the pictures were ever hung together he would remove them.
Lois Weaver, who looked after the 1870s house before she died, would often tell that story, said Linda Carr, president of the Sampson County Arts Council. Weaver served as head of the arts council and claimed to have sensed the presence of the former owners? ghosts.
Dr. Small, a popular Clinton physician, lived in the home until he died a widower in 1971. Today, Dr. Small?s portrait remains in the living room; his wife?s picture hangs in the dining room.
?I?m not superstitious,? Carr said as she walked through the lofty house. ?But I listen to Ms. Weaver.?
The Southern mansion was once the headquarters for the arts council and was used for plays and musical recitals. But the home has been empty for nearly two years since the heating system broke and caused carbon monoxide to leak inside. The house has deteriorated in other ways, too. The plaster is old. The paint on the clapboards is chipping. Part of the wood is rotting.
The arts council plans to renovate the house and use it for community meetings and as an arts center. In his will, Dr. Small ? an author, poet and advocate of the arts ? stipulated that the house go to Sampson County for use as a cultural center.
?Knowing that Sampson County is rich in history and tradition,? the will says, ?but that of recent years, apparently, the interests and endeavors of its citizens have been largely directed to commercialism and material attainments, with neglect, if not a total disregard for the things historical; I am of the opinion that a reawakening of interest in historical artistic and cultural values is long overdue.?
The county has deeded the house to the arts council to fulfill Dr. Small?s mission. The doctor?s belongings, including his Victorian and turn-of-the century furniture, book collection, old military uniforms and medical equipment, will be preserved and displayed in the home.
As Dr. Small directed in his will, the household?s furnishings are to remain intact. He asked that the executor of the estate keep the antiques, especially the old clawfoot bathtub, in the home.
?My reasons for the disposition of this is bathtub are sentimental,? the will says, ?since I have bathed, sang, and even written poetry while bathing in it. A former owner of these premises cut his throat in it ? very effectively.?
The arts council also plans to reopen its office there. ?It?s just a dream for the arts council,? Carr said. ?We are really excited.?
Pat Green, coordinator of the home?s revitalization effort, said an assessment of the house will be done to determine the extent of the repairs. The council will use a grant to pay for the renovation. An estimate of the cost has not been calculated.
The work is expected to take at least a year.
Outside, the two-story house looks slightly worn. The white paint is fading into a dull gray and ivy is growing along the brick chimney.
The inside smells musty. But the impressive high ceilings, hardwood floors and large fireplaces evoke the home?s grandeur.
?This was once a showplace,? Green said, making her way down the wooden staircase. ?It will be again.?
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=237686
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