Excerpted from the December 30, 1889 Creswell Letter:

On Tuesday morning the 24 inst. at 3 o’clock, the residence of Mrs. V. HICKS, of this place, was burned down; it was occupied at the time by Jas. L. NORMAN and wife, and D.H. HOLMES and wife.  Nearly everything was saved, and the building was insured for about what it was worth.

Source: Roanoke Beacon, 3 January 1890.  Available online at digitalnc.org.