Hello swVA researchers, The question was asked: << Does anyone know what the average homes were like in Russell Co, VA in the 1810-1850s? Were they cabins with dirt floors or more like a 2 story home with wooden floors? >> My notes: The following is an example of the homestead, the outbuildings and the land of that period of time. This person was one of my ancestors in Russell County, Va. I have found a mention of Rodden in the "Southwest Virginia Tax Assessments for 1815", compiled by Mary B. Kegley. Most of the houses were very small by today's standards, but common in 1815. The kitchen, and loom house were separate buildings and outhouses probably did not refer to outhouses as we know them. There were no brick houses mentioned, a situation common in most parts of Southwest Virginia at this time. In addition to houses, most had a barn, stables, and corn houses (cribs). Many had spring houses, kitchens, smoke houses, and loom houses. There were a few blacksmith shops, one straw house, and a hen house. >From the Tax records of Russell County, VA. Rodden Adderson (Addison), one farm on Indian Creek, 80 acres having thereon one dwelling house of wood, one story, 21 feet by 18 feet, one stable, one kitchen, and one corn house, valued at $160. Russell County, Virginia, pioneer Rodden Addison was born about 1780. His wife was Susannah Keen, daughter of John Keen who along with his brother Israel came to Russell County from Henry County in the year 1801. As the family grew, they continued to increase their land holdings in the Belfast Mills area of Virginia. My wife and I located the original tract of land that Elizabeth and Rodden owned and it is still fairly well undeveloped. We used the car's odometer to measure the distance that the road took us through the original tract and the odometer gave us a total of 1.3 miles across. There are probably not more than 12 to 15 houses on this area today with the rest of the land being pasture and forest. I hope this gives an insight into the "normal" homestead of that time. Until later, good hunting, Jerry in Kingsport, TN