From WASHINGTON COUNTY, STATE OF INDIANA
INDENTURE
Heirs & Devisees of Leonard Kerns
(Summa/Summy Heirs)
May 4, 1834
Personally came before me the undersigned subscriber a justice of thep eace in and for said County the within named William Green, Margarethi s wife, Leonard Kerns and Polly his wife, Jessee Lukenbill andNancy hi s wife, Michael Summy, Adam Strous and Mary his wife, GeorgeSummy and J erusha his wife, David Lukenbill, Joseph Lukenbill andSally his wife a nd acknowledged the within Indenture of bargain andsale to be their vo luntary act and deed for the purpose thereinmentioned - - And the said M argaret, Polly, Nancy, Mary, Jerusha,Sally being examined by me accord ing to law doth relinquish all theirwrits and title of dower in and to t he within mentioned land - Givenunder my hand and seal this 28th day o f August 1834
/s/ Ninian Hamilton J.P.
Abt 1840 This family moved from Washington County to a farm nearPike' s Peak, Van Buren Township, Brown County, Indiana.
1848 Van Buren Twp, Brown Co, IN His name appears in the Poll-TaxPay ers list.
9/7/1850 Van Buren Twp, Brown Co, IN. Listed in that census wereGeor ge Summa, 45, farmer with $800 in real estate, born NC. Ann, 40,birth place unknown, and a large family: William, 16, Sarah, 14,Eliza, 12, S usan L, 10, David J and Polly J, 8, Cynthia S, 6,Margaret A, 1, and 4 R ich children (Ann's children?) Jacob, 17,Nancy, 10, Abraham, 8, and Su san, 6. All children were born in IN.
In the Smithsonian Art Museum is:
Stonehead Road Marker, (sculpture).
Artist: Cross, Henry, d. 1864, sculptor.
Title: Stonehead Road Marker, (sculpture).
Dates: 1851.
Medium: Painted sandstone on a concrete base.
Dimensions: Sculpture: approx. 28 x 16 x 11 in.; Base: approx. 29 x16 x 1 1 in.
Inscription: (Front, north side:) TO COLUMBUS MIS 17/(Hand pointingpr oper right)/TO FAIRFAX 27 MS./(Hand pointing proper left)/1851 H.CROSS ( Proper left, west side:)To INDIANAPOL/(Hand pointing front) 48ms./To S PARKESFER/28 ms./(Hand pointing rear) signed
Description: A carved primitive head, set atop a rectangular blockins cribed with the mileage and directions to various towns in thevicinity . The head is sandstone painted with white and blackfeatures.
IAS files contain the Columbus Republic (Brown County, IN), Feb. 23,19 85 and Brown County Democrat (IN), ca. Feb. 1985. Articles discussthe a ddition of this piece to the National Register of HistoricPlaces, Dece mber 1984. Cross carved the piece in exchange for roadtaxes he owed th e county. It is believed that a county roadsuperintendent named George S umma or Sumney modeled for the piece.The piece was originally on a woo den post 100 yards west of thepresent location. The land was formerly t he property of Thomas A.Hendricks.
Homestead #3 - Thomas A. Hendricks Farm and the Stone Head. Placed ont he National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the stately houseand u nique stone head have intrigued the passerby for years. In 1851the sto ne head was designed by tombstone carver Henry Cross in thelikeness of t he then county road superintendent George Summa. In lieuof paying a ro ad tax or working to build roads as all residents wereasked to do each y ear. Henry Cross decided to provide several stonedirectional markers. T hus, the neighborhood was known as Stone Head.The house was built in 1 891 by Thomas Hendricks. It is said that hecompeted with his neighbor t o see who could build the finest home.The house was carefully restored i n 2005 by owner Dr. Michael Kelley.
