Probably the most pretentious Lilly home was built by Dr. Lonnie Lilly at the Flat Top Post Office and on the Mercer County line very much on the inspiration of his wife, a Miss Sue Tickle, who was said to be from the Bluefield area. She first married a McCormack, who was killed in an accident shortly after their marrage (in a buggy accident) and she then married Dr. Lonnie Lilly and she operated a millinery shop st Dunns and there she drew her plans for their home which they built at Flat Top containing twelve rooms with two long halls extending the length of the house and containing also ten closets and seven fireplaces. The right side of the house had an entrance to Dr. Lilly's office for his patients's entry and in his office he had a trap door with shelves that lowered to the basement to keep his medical supplies in days before refrigeration so that the medicaine could be stored in the cooler level when it was not being used. (The flat area on the top of the house is ten feet by fifteen feet with a balcony type railing around it was used for sight seeing and star gazing, removed in 1978.) The house was built in approximately 1897 and was designed to keep overnight patients who traveled long distance for treatment. (The original lot size was 104 x 106 feet located in Giles Turnpike. James Rose purchased an additional 30 acres in the 1960s. The material to build the home was hauled in on several horse drawn wagon via Ellison Ridge from Hinton, this was before Route 19/21. Cost of building was $5,000.)" A History of Shady Spring District, Compiled and Published by the Shady Spring District Woman's Club (1979).
