Napoleon Hill Documents

Napoleon Hill Papers Found In A House In Wise

Lost Napoleon Hill Documents Found
By: Keith Strange / Staff Writer for The Coalfield Progress

 

Wise resident Thomas Kennedy is pictured with the ornate wood mantle that concealed previously unknown documents from Napoleon Hill’s family. The find resulted in the discovery that a dilapidated house in Wise is a former home of Hill’s father, Dr. James Hill. (KEITH STRANGE PHOTO)

WISE — Treasure can be found in the darnedest places. Sometimes, history is hiding in plain sight. The home in Wise was just weeks from demolition. It has yielded previously unknown writings from internationally revered motivational author Napoleon Hill.

Hill, a Pound native whose book “Think and Grow Rich” and many others have influenced business and civic leaders around the globe, was the son of Dr. James and Sara Hill. Dr. Hill was a well-known dentist in Wise; living in what was once a grand hilltop home overlooking the town. Dr. Hill Died in 1939 and is Buried in Norton’s Laurel Grove Cemetery, Norton, VA.

Today, the home is anything but grand. Peeling paint and years of neglect took their toll on the two-story structure, but owner Thomas Kennedy said all it needs is a little tender loving care. Kennedy’s family purchased the property on which the home is located in the 1970s, but it sat forgotten, shrouded in weeds and decay, until he acquired full ownership in January.

“My previous partner wanted to tear the house down,” Kennedy said. “We’d planned to tear it down, but I always felt like we needed to make every effort to save it.”

Earlier this year, workers were in the home exploring whether it was worth saving when they removed an aged mantle that framed an Italian marble fireplace.

“This spring, when we started cleaning it up, we hired a couple of men to remove the mantles and molding to begin renovation,” Kennedy said. When they removed the mantle, dirty, yellowed papers were found folded neatly in the crevice behind it.

One of the documents discovered was what appears to be a magazine article entitled “This Changing World” by Napoleon Hill. Others were store receipts made out to Mrs. Sara Hill. Still others were family letters dated in the 1920s.

It was the find of a lifetime, Kennedy said. “The funny thing is that I’d started researching the property to find out its history since it appears to have once been a very upscale home,” he said. “I knew a dentist named Dr. Hill had built the house, but I didn’t have any idea he was related to Napoleon.”

Kennedy took the find to Napoleon Hill Foundation Executive Director Don Green, who was instrumental years ago in moving the international organization’s headquarters to the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. The foundation’s activities include sponsoring a business professorship and the Napoleon Hill Scholars program at UVa-Wise, and operating a learning center on one campus of Purdue University in Indiana.

When Green saw the material, the truth was discovered. “As soon as he looked at one of the pictures of a young man in his 20s he knew it was Napoleon Hill,” Kennedy said. Kennedy has donated the documents to the foundation.

CHANGED PLANS

The previously planned demolition is now a thing of the past, and Kennedy says his new goal is to restore the home to its original glory.

“Prior to the find, I was more interested in making the home energy efficient. I wanted to maintain the home in all its grandeur, but wanted to make it energy efficient,” he said. “But considering its historical significance, I’m now researching the guidelines for historical renovation. It’s exciting to go to bed at night and think about all the possibilities,” Kennedy added. Asked if he is glad he did not proceed with demolition, Kennedy’s eyes light up. “Oh, yeah!” he said with a grin.

THE FUTURE

So what will happen to the house? “I don’t have any plans to sell it,” Kennedy said. “I’d planned on using it as a place for dignitaries to stay when they come to the area, but now, I really don’t have any definite plans other than to restore it to the way it was and make it the best we can.

“It’d be nice to see us get a return on our investment at some point, but now I’m looking forward to seeing how the community can benefit from it.” Kennedy said the home will be a great asset for the Napoleon Hill Foundation as well as the town of Wise. “It we can use it that way, it’ll be all the return I’ll ever need.”