Couple crafts with care an ode to Lexington’s past
When Rosa and Roger NeeSmith moved to Lexington in 1981 after living in Macon for years, it was a homecoming for Rosa.
Though it took 13 years and two children before Roger agreed, the move marked the beginning of their journey to restore and call home a piece of local history stretching over more than 18 acres.
“I would pray and pray and said, ‘Lord, please let me move back to Lexington,’” said Rosa, who grew up in the town.
Changes over the years
The home, built over a century ago by Walter Faust, showcases Colonial Revival elements in its architectural design. The Faust family was one of the oldest in Oglethorpe County, according to Florrie Carter Smith’s book, “The History of Oglethorpe County, Georgia.” Faust, also known as “Dr. W. Z. Faust,” was both a prominent farmer and the family’s practicing physician. Alongside his home, Faust owned about 2,500 acres of land, which once featured a store and several barns, one of which still stands behind the NeeSmiths’ home today, Roger said.
The couple’s commitment to honoring the home’s historical roots shaped their renovation choices. They retained most of its original architecture, aside from replacing the plaster walls with Sheetrock. Guests are greeted by French doors that lead to the front living room. The NeeSmiths chose to restore after being removed by Faust’s second wife, who converted the space into one large entertainment room.
“We went to see (Faust’s second wife) in the nursing home, and when I told her that we were living in her house, she got really excited, and she said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t put that wall back,’” Rosa said.
But the NeeSmiths felt strongly about maintaining the original design.
“We knew we just didn't want this great big living room,” Rosa said. This is plenty big.”
Love for all things antique
Heirlooms and antiques fill the NeeSmiths’ home. The living room holds a pedal organ that Rosa bought at an antique auction, a dream she had since childhood. Other treasures include a display cabinet filled with artifacts discovered beneath the house and around the yard when the NeeSmiths moved in. Paper dolls, a puzzle, an old roller skate and a piece of blue floral wallpaper offer a glimpse into the original decor.
To the left of the entrance lies the study, painted a deep brown as a nod to Roger’s favorite color, while the rest of the home showcases shades of green, reflecting Rosa’s personal favorite.
“I just can’t help it, I love green,” Rosa said.
The study is filled with personal mementos that capture the couple’s story, from a safe once belonging to Rosa’s father’s finance office to a framed certificate commemorating her “Teacher of the Year” award, earned over her 33-year career at the school across the street. As a second-grade teacher, Rosa would invite her entire class for an overnight gathering, turning the evening before the last day into a memorable sleepover.
Historic home, modern touches
While the home maintains most of its original architecture, it now features modern comforts, including insulation, central heating, air and other updates to make it livable.
The NeeSmiths closed off the original breezeway, once designed to let cool air flow through the house and provide a path for dogs in the dogtrot architectural style, to improve heating efficiency, Rosa said.
The kitchen, set at the back of the home, has undergone a significant transformation. Once a dark space with high ceilings and a lone white metal cabinet, it’s now a cozy spot where the NeeSmiths spend most of their time.
“We live in the kitchen,” Roger said.
Roger converted part of the former wraparound porch into a dining nook, adding new windows that flood the space with natural light. Despite modern additions like updated cabinets and paneling, the kitchen still has traces of its past. An insert marks where the original 7-foot fireplace once stood, a hearth so massive that you could lie down inside it for warmth, Roger said.
“I just loved (the fireplace) because it’s like something you see in a magazine,” Rosa said.
The original butler’s pantry now functions as a half-bath and laundry room, occupying part of the area where the wraparound porch once curved.
Upstairs, a guest room continues the green color scheme and features hardwood flooring. It originally had only a small closet, but to address the lack of an upstairs bathroom, Roger created a pass-through to the adjacent guest room, providing direct bathroom access without using the hallway. The pass-through doubles as an extra closet with built-in shelving.
Honoring the past
Since moving in around four decades ago, the NeeSmiths have been busy crafting their own stories, each one a tribute to the heritage of their ancestors. During the pandemic, Rosa completed her mother’s autobiography, “Down the Trail of the Years,” while Roger authored a genealogy cookbook that connects family recipes with ancestral roots dating back to the 1600s.
“When my mother finished (the autobiography), she said, ‘OK, now I want you to take up where I left off and write it,’” Rosa said. “Well, life got in the way, and when COVID hit, I thought, what if I die and go to heaven, and my mom is going to be sitting there tapping her foot because I hadn’t written this book?”
With Roger’s help, she got to work. “And that was really it,” Rosa said.