A gate with a plaque denoting the family's homestead being listed as a Century and Heritage Farm.

Living in a county older than the state provides a unique opportunity to remember the people and places of years gone by. For the descendents of the Shanks family, a farmhouse along a timber trail that turned into Highway 411 in Ashville has served as a reminder of their history for nearly 80 years, as well.

Recently, the house was named to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage as a historical home in St. Clair County. From the original rock foundation to the unique gable window, the house is a well-preserved piece of local history through and through.

The residence, constructed in the architectural style commonly know as a “shotgun house,” was built in 1930 by Roland Shanks and his brother, Euell. Roland lived in the house for a number of years while farming cotton and corn with Euell on a 200 acre Century Farm nearby.

While there have been changes to the structure — a bathroom was added in 1977, and the fireplace was removed while cabinets were added in 1987 — much of the structure is true to the period in which it was built.

“We’re really trying to keep it as close to its original structure as possible,” said Elvelier Shanks-Richey, Euell Shanks’ daughter and the owner of the house.

The original cedar heart clapboard siding still graces the outside of the home, and the chert-and-concrete porch greets visitors to the house, which Euell Shanks’ grandson, Jay Richey, and his wife, Martha live now.

“If you look closely, you can tell that this was poured by hand, it definitely wasn’t done by machine” Elvelier Richey said of the concrete work in the porch. The chert rocks, she said, were brought in from the field and stacked to make the pillars which support the front porch.

The hand-dug well has been sealed and shares an outdoor space with the house’s central air unit, but served as a valuable asset during its heyday.

“It was a community well because the water was so very good when other people had problems with too much iron in their water,” Elvelier Richey said. “The Jones Sawmill in Etowah County even came with big containers to get water for its employees.”

For Elvelier Richey, the house and the farm are a piece of St. Clair County history that she’s proud to preserve.

“I think it’s an honor for the county, and we’re proud to have kept it in the family. It was a rental home for many years, but it’s great that Jay and Martha live there now. Dad would be very pleased that he lives there,” she said.

For Jay and Martha, being able to live in a piece of their family history is a cherished experience, as well.

“We do think it’s special to live in that house, and we think of the people that lived there before, Jay’s great uncle and his family,” Martha Richey said.

The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage recognizes historic properties which are particularly worthy of preservation and appreciation. Structures, site, objects and historic districts must be 40 years old or more to be considered for listing.  The Shanks House is just one of 18 St. Clair County listings. For more information, visit www.preserveala.org.