the brick house added later. It was once a beautiful home with over 500 acres of land 
bordering Craddock's Creek. Today it borders the lake with a spectacular view of Smith 
Mountain Dam.
Eva Mitchell, daughter of William Davis Franklin, owns the house with the view and some 
of the original acreage. The house has not been lived in for a long time and probably not 
worth restoring.
This house has an interesting background. If William Saunders built the house, it would 
probably be the William who bought slaves in 1822, DB 7, P 318, and bought property 
from Joseph Feather in 1851 and 1855. This property was on Shallow Ford Road, which 
is near the house. Shallow Ford Road is Route 656, DB 38, P 77. We do know that 
William Saunders, (probably a son), lived in the house later, and his son, Jim H. Saunders 
lived in the house after him.
Jim H. Saunders had a sister who died, leaving a young son, William Davis Franklin. 
Another sister, living in Jim's house, brought up William. Jim built himself another house 
farther down on Anthony Ford Road (Route 626), leaving his sister and William in the 
house. The house later became known as the W.D.Franklin house.
William Davis Franklin married twice, first wife was Louisa Bell, there were two children 
of this marriage, William Horace and Edgar Hugh. Louisa died in 1892, and William 
married Exie Coleman, children are; Annie Tuck, John Emmett, Eva Mitchell, Myrtle 
Nichols, Effie Jonson, Hayden, Jesse, Lawrence, Gilbert, and Harry Saunders Franklin.
The house Jim H. Saunders built is located on Route 626, opposite Saunder's Marina, and 
is almost surrounded by water from the lake. Jim's son, Jimmy Lee, married Winifred and 
stayed on in the house. They had two sons, William who lives in Huddleston, and Jim, 
who is in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Jim H. Saunders is now deceased.
MUSGROVE
Both old Musgrove houses have collapsed from old age. The house near the Gap in Smith 
Mountain is now covered with water. The house farther up the river is also gone. 
Benjamin B. Musgrove had extensive acreage. In 1801, Benjamin B. Musgrove bought 
from William Arthur, 154 acres on Shallow Ford Road (Rt. 656), DB 11, P 144. In 1827, 
he bought from Stephen Hunt, 50 acres on Shallow Ford and Anthony Ford Rd (Route 
626), DB 20, P 219. In 1853, he bought 140 acres from William Cunningham on 
Staunton River. In 1855, he bought 140 acres from Wingfield, this was known as 
"Finney's Place", DB 38, P 121.
In 1869, at the death of Benjamin B. Musgrove, the home place was sold at auction. This 
land was the dower land of Benjamin's widow, Keziah. It bordered lands of Christopher,
245