History of the Duck Smith House

The Duck Smith House was built in 1914 by William “Lola” Trogden as a farm house on their 50 acre tobacco farm.  

In the mid-1920’s, the home was rented to its namesake, Hayworth Duckery “Duck” Smith, and his family.  Duck was a colorful figure participating in local politics. Additionally, he was the janitor for the local school who wore  a white shirt and bowtie.  In 1927, Duck’s grandson Layne was born in what is now the Waverly room.  You can see a picture of Layne and his letter to the Duck Smith House in the entry hall.  In 1932, the Trogden family needed to sell their home, therefore, the Smith family had to move.  

In 1933, Johnnie Asheworth and his family moved into the home.  It is believed that they brought in electrical equipment using external coiled metal tubing.  They had two children, James and Mabel.

In 1951, the home was again sold, this time to Raymond Brim who moved in with his family of 6.  They continued living and farming here until 1997 – by far the longest owners of the home.

In 1997, the home was purchased by Sarah Naradzay who began the process of creating the bed & breakfast, and was able to begin operations less than a year later.  However, Sarah decided to return to her education to pursue a Masters degree and focus on her daughter.  She sold the property in 2005 to Suzanne and Barbara Murphy.

Suzanne and Barbara were originally from Long Island. They had spent time in Florida before making this life change. Working together in their later years as innkeepers they renovated the Duck Smith House. The Bed & Breakfast reopened in early 2006.  They hosted guests along with their dogs, Daisy Mae and Precious, until 2020.  They are responsible for much of the beautiful landscaping you see today, being especially fond of roses.

In 2020, the Duck Smith House was purchased by Marcia & Mark Willette from Ocala, FL.  While their tenure as innkeepers was short, they made some changes that you can see on the property, primarily to the exterior of the cottage.

In 2022, Jeremy and Jessica Steinhart purchased the Duck Smith House from the Willettes.  They have made some minor changes to make the home more comfortable for guests. They strive to keep it feeling much as the previous owners had established.  Above all, a friendly, welcoming place for all visitors to the area to feel right at home.