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Welcome to 213 South Church Street

Here on lot No. 67 on the north side of Church Street, stands one of Smithfield's handsomest historical homes known as the King-Atkinson House

This lot was first sold by Arthur Smith to James Arthur, merchant, in 1752, and there Is no further mention of No. 67 until 1814 when the records show it was then owned and occupied by Thomas Purdie whose wife, Sally, had inherited lots No. 66, 67, and 68 from her father, Thomas King.

Thomas King had bought No. 66 from Mills Wills in 1762 and the transaction must have included all three of these lots. King served as an - ensign in the Revolutionary War prior to 1777 when he resigned his commission. His wife was Sally, daughter of Robert Tynes, of a family long established in Isle of Wight, and from which Tynes corner near Smithfield derives its name.

In the census of 1782 Thomas King owned much property , in both town and county and was a Justice of the county court for many years. In 1798 it was ordered by the Court "that Thomas King be appointed Treasurer of the County and that he be allowed 3% of all monies received by him as Treasurer." His daughter, Sally Tynes King, married Thomas Purdie who was born in Smithfield, August 20,1775, son of the Scottish merchant, George Purdie, who had settled in Smithfield soon after the town was founded.

It is believed that the large brick home was built by Thomas King or Thomas Purdie in the early eighteen hundreds. King died in 1813 or 1814, and Thomas and Sally Purdie are known to have been living there in March of 1814. Sally King Purdie died around 1823 or 24.

In 1827 Thomas sold the house and three lots to Joseph Atkinson for a total of $4000.00. George R. Atkinson, son of Joseph Atkinson, often told his children and grandchildren that when he was four years old he and his family went to live in the old house with his uncle who had built it around 1800. The records bear this out, as George R. Atkinson was four years old when his parents bought the place in 1827, and Thomas Purdie was actually his great uncle by marriage, and Thomas King his great grandfather.

Thomas Purdie was quite well-to-do, owning much property in Smithfield and the County - including all of the land that is now Red Point Heights and Moonefield Farm, the great marsh across from Smithfield, and the toll bridge across Cypress Creek. He died December 4, 1829, and was buried in the family burying ground on his Red Point farm, on a knoll overlooking Pagan River

Through his son, George James Purdie, born 1817, who married Mary, the daughter of Charles D. Broadfield, Jr., he has many descendents living in this area today, but none of the name of Purdie. Mary Broadfield's grandfather, Charles David Broadfield, was born in Bridge North, England, July 22, 1749, and died in Smithfield in 1809.

Capt. Joseph Atkinson had served as a captain of militia during the war 1812. He was one of the leading merchants of Smithfield - His wife was Margaret King West, daughter of Ralph West of Oyster Shell Neck, and a granddaughter of Thomas King, Their children were: Dr. Joseph N. Atkinson, Judge George R. Atkinson and Margaret Atkinson, who married Alexander K. Parker of Richmond.

Capt. Atkinson died in 1832, and on December 8, 1836, his widow, Margaret, became the third wife of Samuel Whitfield who lived in the old Capt. Sinclair home on lower Church Street. - Whitfield moved up to the home of his new wife where he remained until his death in 1842. Mrs. Whitfield lived until 1857, and after her death her son George R. Atkinson bought the old home and lots No. 65, 66, 67, 68, and 64 from his brother and sister, and made his home there for the rest of his life.

It is still spoken of by older citizens of Smithfield as the old Atkinson house, although the last Atkinson left there long ago - after having owned and occupied it for eighty-four years.

George R. Atkinson was born August 4, 1823; his wife, Georgianna Taliaferro, was born on January 24, 1822, and died February 2, 1889. He was appointed judge of the County Court in 1870, was the oldest presiding judge in the state when the county courts were abolished in 1904, and had the distinction of being reversed three times by the higher courts. His law office, a small wooden building that stood close to the street on the southwest corner of the lot was removed many years ago.

Judge Atkinson died on November 29, 1909, and two years later the old home was sold by his heirs to Daniel Webster Chapman. Mr. Chapman, son of George Dallas and Winnie Ida Edwards. Chapman, was born in Isle of Wight County, September 9, 1872, and was for many years a hardware merchant in Smithfield.

After his death, his widow, Maude Hopkins Chapman, formerly of Canada, left Smithfield, and the old house was sold in 1947 to Daniel Webster Sykes, and became the home of Mr. Sykes's daughter, Sarah Sykes Scott, her husband Charles L. Scott, III, who died in 1962, and their daughters, Ann Randolph Scott and Elizabeth Warren Scott who married William M. H. Robinson. The old house is of brick with basement, two full stories, a dormer windowed attic, clipped gables and four chimneys.

At one time it had had a small front porch; and a small pencil sketch made about 1830 shows a small two storied porch on the back. Porches with Ionic columns, both front and back, were added by Mr. Chapman soon after he bought the place. He also made some interior changes, increased the number of windows in the back room on the right, and modernized other windows and doors.

The small two room brick building on the lot also with clipped gables, now used as a garage, was originally kitchen and servants quarters. The broad, deep yard is terraced down to the river, attractively planted, and the ancient crepe myrtles at the east end of the house are among the handsomest to be found anywhere. Mrs. Scott's mother, Mrs. D. W. Sykes, when retired after operating old Sykes Inn since 1923, made it her home with Mr. Scott.

The current owners, Henry Samual Earl Jr. (Sam) and his Wife Joan Earl married in 1953 and purchased this home and adjoining lots in 1979 and subsequently sold off the lots. They removed the front porch in 1983 to bring the home closer to its original appearance.

Sam is from Newport News, studied at Virginia Polytechnical Institute and University of Virginia before starting work at NASA in 1949. He was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War for two years before returning to NASA where he worked on the antenna system for the "Man on The Moon" project during the Apollo Space Program. He later programmed the final analysis on Stealth Aircraft and proved that they were in fact invisible. Sam retired from NASA in 1985 and pursued his hobby of clock maker. He has since pared his clock collection from 400 down to a paltry 200.

Joan graduated from Hampton High School and studied at Hampton Roads Business School. She worked for the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) which is now our CIA where one of her duties was to interrogate German war prisoners at Langley Airforce Base. (although rumor has it, she was a spy) When she retired from the OSI in 1967 she became a librarian right here in Smithfield.

Sam and Joan now feel it is time to find a new caretaker for the King-Atkinson house and this home is currently on the market. If you would like to see photos of the inside and get the price, you can scan this QR code with your smart phone or device. However if you want to be the next family in the chain of ownership of this historic beauty, the home will be shown in person by appointment.