The holiday season is upon us… it’s such a magical time of year.
We visited my aunt at the old family home this past week. It always brings back fond memories.
My great grandfather Joseph Ellis built the house in 1934. It’s a beautiful two-story brick house with round white columns supporting the front porch. The architecture is very Jeffersonian – in a simple kinda way.
Ellis was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1878. Seeking the American Dream, he immigrated to the US in 1895 – along with his wife Zelpha and a few other Lebanese families.
They entered the country through the Ellis Island immigration station and went through the examination and registration process. That’s where he got the surname “Ellis”. I’m not sure if it was his choice or the immigration officers’ decision, but somebody decided it would be better for him to have the last name Ellis rather than his Arabic name.
Upon completing the registration process, Ellis and his wife were deemed “Naturalized” and permitted to enter New York City. From there, this cohort of Lebanese families traveled south. They eventually settled in a small paper mill town up in the Virginia highlands. The mountains reminded them of home.
Once settled, Ellis opened a restaurant in Covington. I’m told they were the first restaurant in town to have pizza on the menu. The Italian immigrants wouldn’t show up for another several decades.
Ellis worked seven days a week in the restaurant for much of his life. But it afforded him the ability to have four children and eventually build the family home in 1934. It’s perched atop a large hill overlooking the town.
Here’s a picture I took this past week:
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