James Michael Taylor Home – Rye Cove:  Built in the 1890's and destroyed by fire in 1927. J. M. Taylor was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and was the son of Milo Taylor and Nancy Jane Salling Taylor of Scott Co. Virginia. His first wife was Rebecca Agnes Mitchell, dau. of Henry R. Mitchell and Nancy Cocke Mitchell.

This picture was in the possession of James Mitchell Taylor of Rye Cove, Va.   The picture was given to him in 1945 by Dr J. M. Daugherty Sr.

"Many readers of the Herald-Virginian have requested that a list of the names of those pictured in the Greenwood Normal School group last week be printed in this week's paper.

Identification of the faces in the old picture, made in 1890, was made by Prof. I. C. Coley in 1940 -- fifty years after the picture was made-but even so, I am sure he correctly identified them. Mr. Coley had a remarkable, an almost marvelous memory.

The names are as follows:

From left to righ beginning at the bottom of the picture. J. C. Rogers, J. M. Dougherty, S. H. Bond, James Casteel, R. E. Quillin, A. L. Godsey, John Minnich, G. L, Dougherty, H. L. Rollins, John Neal, G. B. Compton, Peter Marcum, Mark Horton, J. M. Taylor, W. J. Rollins, Mollie Lawson. Della White. Markey Wolfe, R. C. Coley, W. F. Ramey, J. W. Repass, George W. Coley, Henry Winegar, R. W. McConnell, I. T. Jennings, M. B. Compton, C. C. palmer, Nannie Culbertson, John E. Smith, Ida pridemore, Charlie L, Dougherty, Ed Bellamy, Hattie Dougherty, Lizzie Noblin, Fannie Godsey, Fannie Shelton, Floretta Dougherty, Cora Wolfenbarger, J. A. counts, Laura Bond, Mollie Dean, Alice Bond, Carrie Quillin, Nannie Perry, Flora carter, M. F. Horton, H. H. Reynolds, Cynthia Horton, Anne Pridemore, Kate Horton, Dona Miller, Belle Bussell, Millie Gilliam, Florda Nickels, Sallie Haynes, Mattie Dougherty, Delia Davidson, Davidson, Susan carter, Phinettie Lane, Miss Elam, R. M. Addington, Miss Ramey, Peter Noah Wolfe, Harvey Gillenwater,' Harrison Lynn, Christopher Rider, Harmon Lewis, John S. Dougherty, Billie Nickels, Prof. Will Wolfe, N. M. Frazier, Robert M, Dougherty, Mr, Meade, Linzie Wolfe, M. W, Quillin, Albert Dickenson, J. J. Hensley, Robert Dillon, W. H. Bowling, J. W, Godsey, E, M, carter, A. Hammond, E. W. Elliott, Albert Pippin, Will Miller, J. H. Hilton, Andy Rhoton; Ella Perry in rear of W. F, Ramey."

This is the Col. Alexander M. Gray home which sat on top of Buckner's ridge just across the road from Hagan Hall.  This photo was taken just after a fire had burnt the front porch off in the 1880's. The old couple pictured are Stephen Jett Nickels and Lucy Gray Nickels (she was a daughter of Alexander Gray)
Building Date: 1775
Building Material: Poplar Log/weather boarded--Double porch ran the entire length of the home.
Owner: Alexander Gray, then Lucy & Stephen Jett Nickels, then Mary Gray Flannary.
Alexander M. Gray was a veteran of the War of 1812 and was captured by the British at Villerie Plantation during the Battle of New Orleans, at which time the British amputated one of his legs. He was one of the larger slave holders in Southwest Va.