The House in the Woods Maryville College TN

Well hush my mouth... Who could that be? Well, isn’t that somethin...its little ole me. Geoffrey with a “G” livin the dream at the house in the woods!

Well? Yes! My poor parents! Here we lived in this shangri la place and little old me, a boy without fear, caused my parents many a time of tribulation... I was learning the role of the black sheep of a very highly educated, prim and proper family... This was one of many hospital visits for me. I still remember this vividly! It was a Kerns bread delivery truck that hit me and knocked me down. The poor driver, Mr. Combs didn't realize the truck, after his panic stop, was still on my foot! He jumped out and asked if I was okay. I said only, "Would you please get that truck off my foot!" He jumped in and hastily backed up and almost hit a car... It was crazy

My younger sister Mary and I playing on our swing set outside our fantastic home, “The House in the Woods” on the campus of Maryville College TN. There are two of my calamity Geoff episodes associated with this picture. First, the reason we got a swing set. This followed an episode where one of my older brothers Jim (deceased) put a board up in the Mimosa tree and told me it was our sliding board and I should try it out. Excited, I climbed up in the tree and started to slide down. Ummm... Very bad idea. It tilted to one side and I started to fall, only to become impaled on a rusty nail that ripped into my right tricep and left me screaming and writhing in pain. My dad came running and had to lift me off the rusty nail. About a jillion stitches and another time I traumatized my poor mom. The ugly scar is still VERY visible today. The second story is a short time later my younger sister pushed me into a fire set by the men who were logging part of the property. Of course as I fell I put my hands out to stop my fall. My hands were severely burned and smoking as I ran screaming through the woods to get my mom to help. She screamed and passed out. My dad took me to the doctor with severe burns on both hands. The doctor treated me and put huge bandages on both hands. When we got home my brother Jim asked me if I wanted to have a coloring contest. Ummm... NO

(Photo taken from Maryville College Instagram account) - While my family lived in The House in the Woods at Maryville College TN, our Easter celebration always included the beautiful ampitheater Service (right next to The House in the Woods) put on by the college... Unforgetable memories

Back row: Brother Wade (lives in England), brother Jim (deceased) Front row: Sister Mary and I outside our home at The House in the Woods. Oh look! Mary is pestering me! How unusual... (NOT 😂😂😂)

My younger sister Mary and I by the front door of The House in the Woods. We knew it was haunted but most simply laughed it off. Ummm... Look closely at the bottom window behind us... No relative of ours, no guest of my parents... Nope. The only photographic evidence I know of revealing the apparition that haunted our lives for seven years there...

While living in the House in the Woods (this picture around 1957) I attended Kindergarden at Mrs. Pesterfields. Here’s my class picture... Where am I in this sea of aspiring future American leaders? Last row, 3rd from right in striped shirt.

My brother Jim (deceased) and I playing with our guns... What a great time running through the College woods playing army, cowboys and indians and all sorts of games... A childhood paradise

Christmas time at The House in the Woods was always amazingly special. Christmas morning we all had to wait upstairs til our dad said we could come down to see our presents. When the word came we all charged down those stairs! In this picture, left to right are my brother Jim (deceased - went to Maryville College), little old me, one of our older brothers Wade (went to Maryville College) and younger sister Mary... Such glorious memories

This picture (one of only a few color) was a picture of "The men of The House in the Woods". Tall one in blue suit was my older brother Wade (lives in England now) who was attending Maryville College then, next to him is our dad, James W. Hampton who was Director of Public Relations at that time at Maryville College, shortest is my younger brother Bill Hampton, that dapper young man next to him is moi and next to me (off by himself) is my older brother Jim Hampton (deceased). It was a glorious time for our family! LOVED living in the House in the Woods!

This is me in the front yard of "The House in the Woods" when my family lived there back in the 50's and early 60's. Here I am getting ready for bow practice...

This is the national publication that my dad James W. Hampton began publishing while serving as The Director of Public Relations at Maryville College where our family lived in "The House in the Woods".