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The People Who Lived on the Land that is Now Redstone Arsenal, page 361
An article in The Redstone Rocket, dated October 7, 1970 (author not shown on copy in the files of the Redstone Arsenal CRM) provides additional description of the construction of the Lee House: After their marriage, the Lees enlarged the house left by James Cooper. Four large rooms, 20 by 20 feet with 14 feet high ceilings were built in a two story section to form the upper part of the main house. The heart of the house is the wide center hall with a walnut, cantilevered stairway all the more remarkable for the utilitarian character of the rest of the structure. The wall is curved to match the turns of the banister. An additional four room section of a story and a half was built into the front of the house, enclosed on both sides. A small brick porch built of trapezoid shaped bricks in which the finger and handprints of Charity's slaves can still be seen provided an outdoor passageway making it possible to reach any part of the house without being directly exposed to the elements in inclement weather. (p. 14) A Diagram of the House Layout While Corrine Harris grew up in the Sam Harris House, she was, daily, in and out of the nearby home of her grandparents, J.B. and Martha Harris (the Lee house). On the following page, a diagram is presented which was drawn under her direction. Corrine's brother, Sam Harris Jr. looked on and also gave input. While one can view the Lee Mansion as it is preserved in Madison today, the sketch will give a perspective of the house as it was with all of its components. The sketch shows that the original part of the Cooper/Lee house (which was razed) was used by the Harris family as a “milk room,” Salted meat was also kept there. “Aunt Millie” and “Uncle Jim” (Black people who were the help) stayed in these rooms. A covered walkway was on each side of the kitchen and continued to a back porch that was also covered and had a brick floor. From the porch, the walkway continued along the side of the milk room and to the garage that was, in earlier years, a carriage house. A set of steps that was once used to step up into the high carriages was by the carriage house when Harris bought the property. Sam Harris Sr. took them with him when he left the farm. Carriage steps. Sam Harris Jr. has them now. 361 - (4394)