BY RICHARD AMRHINE

Some folks might remember it as Plum Hill, the small farm about 2 miles past Five-Mile Fork on the south side of Old Plank Road. It was known also as the Christy place, where the late Chester and Bessie Christy hosted their weekly extended family gatherings.

In those days, Bessie would cook weekend meals for some 50 family members on the wood stove in her kitchen. They'd come not only for the food, but to swim and fish in the nearby pond.

Today the 29-acre farm is an eight-lot subdivision called Chancellor Pond that's being developed by Spear Builders of Virginia in one of the fastest growing areas of Spotsylvania County.

Spear Builders, owned by longtime area builder Dan Spear, has built houses on two of the eight 2-acre lots, and expects to build on five others soon.

That leaves one other lot, the one with Chester and Bessie's 1905 farmhouse at 7700 Old Plank Road. Spear didn't have the heart to tear it down, even though it had fallen into disrepair since the Christys died in 2001 and '02.

"Once we got in there the guys were telling me it just wasn't worth saving, with all the termite damage and the rot," recalled Spear.

But he was determined, certain that the old place wasn't finished being someone's home just yet.

"They talk about gutting houses from the outer walls in," he said. "With this one we took down some outside walls, too."

Two things convinced Spear that the house had a future: the classic Colonial frame design, and the brick exterior that the Christys added along the way.

But the rest of it--the floors, walls, framing, roof--all had to be replaced with new materials. In rebuilding it, Spear created a comfortable three-bedroom, 3-bathroom home that will welcome a family once again.

It's listed for sale by Tom Pleasants and Vanessa DeSousa of Century21 Adventure in Spotsylvania. The asking price is $479,900.

The house now has 2,200 square feet of living space on two levels and sits on a crawl space. Where there was once a screened porch, Spear built a wet-bar-equipped family room that, with the gourmet kitchen, creates a large open area.

"The key to a good addition and remodel is that it looks like it has always been attached that way," he said.