Lewis H. Dickey bought his first land in the Dark Corner area in 1824, when he purchased 740 acres from Frances Adams on the ‘Sink Hole Fork of Middle Tyger River.’

The tract had been a part of land originally granted to Ann Easley, William Gowen and Thomas Barton.

He purchased other land in and around Middle Tyger and the Tugaloo Road area from individuals and master-in-equity sales until he died in 1868.

By the 1860 agricultural census, Dickey owned 700 acres of improved land and 1,400 acres of unimproved land.

To operate the various agricultural interests of the plantation, he had 64 slaves in nine houses.

Dozens of horses, mules, cows, steers, oxen and swine were accounted for, along with hundreds of bushels of wheat, corn, oats, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes and a few bales of cotton.

Located on the plantation was a water-powered gristmill and sawmill that served the surrounding area as well as Dickey’s interests.

The gristmill was constructed in the 1820s and is known today as the old Ballenger Mill.

Dickey’s house was built soon after his first property purchase in 1824. It was built of wood on a rock foundation. Ruins of the house are located at the junction of Highways 414 and 101 at Highland.

The magnificent structure was two stories high in two front sections with a back wing of one story.

Originally, there was a full basement that was partially bricked up later.

Huge fireplaces heated the interior rooms that had wide plank floors, baseboards and mantels painted to resemble dark marble.

Thick, solid doors had huge locks that, along with heavy window shutters, could completely shut the house interior off from the outside world.

Portholes were made in upstairs rooms near the chimneys, through which shots could be fired while the shooter would remain invisible to persons on the outside.

One lingering tale is that these portholes were used to shoot at Yankee soldiers during the Civil War (few were seen in this area, however).

The Highland Grove Post Office was established in December 1843, with Lewis H. Dickey as its first Postmaster, serving until 1866.

The mail was first dispensed from the Dickey house, then later from a large store that was operated across the road and east of the house.

Dickey built a church, which stood on the same side of the road as the house and in its view. It was known as Dickey’s Chapel, a Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Baptists later acquired the church and cemetery, which is now called Highland Baptist Church. Members of the Dickey family are buried there.

Following the death of Lewis H. Dickey, the property passed to James Wilson and his family, who lived there for many years.