Maple Hill now a historic staple in Ripley
Feb. 8—RIPLEY — Nearly 25 years ago, a man was sweeping sawdust off the floor on his newly acquired house on N. Main St in Ripley. It was a home he had recently won from auction after The Peoples Bank had taken control of the property following the previous owner's death.
He found two dimes, one minted in 1924, the other in 1943. He found the dimes interesting, as he was born in 1943 and the house he just bought was born only two years prior to the other dime's minting. He wished the dime had been minted in 1922, the same year his new house was constructed.
However, after additional research was conducted, Tommy Covington realized the home he recently purchased was actually built in 1922. The two dimes actually did line up with his birth year and his new home's birth year.
"I'm not superstitious, but I'd say it was meant to be," Covington said. "What are the odds that I would find two dimes side by side in this house?"
Covington had long admired his new property from afar. Growing up just a few miles outside of Ripley, the home first caught his eye due to the two sugar maple trees in the front yard sporting yellow leaves in the fall.
As time passed, he began to appreciate the house even more due to its craftsman bungalow architecture. Eventually, in 1998, an opportunity arose that allowed Covington to make a bid on the home.
"I don't know if anyone else bid against me or not," Covington said with a laugh. "I got it for a reasonable price."
He immediately began the restoration process on the home. Broken windows, wall issues, roof problems and paint were all things that needed to be addressed.
"Its been a lot of labor but I've enjoyed doing it," Covington said. "I didn't keep a count of how much has been spent on restoring this house. It was just a little bit at a time when I needed materials."
Covington named the home Maple Hill because of the sugar maple trees out front that he adored. He moved into the house in 2002, four years after purchasing it.
Recently, though, new information about the house has come to light after many years of being dormant.
Covington was aware that the home had been built in 1924, and that there had been a home on the lot prior to the current home.
The original home was an antebellum house purchased in 1907 by First Baptist Church for their pastorium. It was torn down in 1923 and lumber from that house was used to build the current house in 1924.
It was discovered by author Jack Elliott the property had once been owned and occupied by William Faulkner's grandparents John Wesley Thompson Falkner and his wife Sally Murray Falkner in the 1870s. It is believed that William Faulkner's father, Murry Falkner, was born in the original home.
"I didn't know anything about the Faulkner connection when I bought this house," Covington said. "It wasn't until a few years ago when author Jack Elliott did research on the property."
During research, Covington was made aware of a well underneath the house. So, he decided to look for himself. He climbed underneath the house and found a 25-foot-deep brick lined well. The brick lining being an indication the well was constructed prior to the Civil War.
"I purchased this house mainly because I loved the sugar maple trees out front," Covington said. "One is no longer there. It died and I had to cut it out. But, I have planted more sugar maples in the backyard, plus many Japanese maples."
Covington may have bought the home due to the beauty he saw in the sugar maple trees in the front yard as he passed by in his younger years, but what he got was a piece of history that will now live on in Mississippi's historical records forever.
On Jan. 30, 2023, a historical marker was placed at the home. Covington had no issues applying and receiving the plaque, as the research he and Elliott had done was more than sufficient to validate the claims.
The historical marker reads:
"In the 1870s, the home of John Wesley Thompson and Sally Murry Falkner was located here. Author William Faulkner was their grandson. In 1907, First Baptist Church bought the house for its pastorium. The old house was torn down and elements were used to build a brick bungalow in 1924. It was named Maple Hill in 1998."
