HABS/HAER BUILDINGS

View south east, circa 1910 (Courtesy University of North Carolina postcard collection) 

View south east, circa 1890s

View south west, circa 1920

"Very old courthouse in Hillsboro, North Carolina," December 1939 (photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Service Adminstration)

View south east, circa 1940

View south west, 1969

Looking southeast, March 1983. (NCSHPO via Tom Campanella / builtbrooklyn.org)

A new Orange County Courthouse, directly to the south across East Margaret Lane, was built in the 1950s.

07.02.2016 (G. Kueber)

From the National Register nomination:

One of the earliest and most architecturally distinguished courthouses in North Carolina, this brick temple-form Greek Revival-style building was designed and built by John Berry, a well-known local architect and builder. The two-story building is three bays wide and five bays deep with a full portico with classical pediment and entablature supported by four fluted Doric columns. Such fine details as the Flemish-bond brick walls, wide cornice, twelve-over-twelve wood-sash windows with flat brick arches, keystones, and stone sills, and the central double-leaf door with fanlight, brick voussoirs, and keystone remain intact. There are four interior brick chimneys and the original two-stage cupola clock tower surmounts the building. The courthouse is at least the fourth on this site. The interior retains most of its original finish, including a pair of open-string Federal-style stairs with foliate brackets, turned balusters and newels and heavy molded handrails, four-panel doors, symmetrically molded frames with cornerblocks, and well-proportioned pilastered mantels. The upstairs courtroom was renovated in the 1880s.

The plaque affixed to the front (north side) of the building in 1964

National Registry information:

files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/OR0014.pdf

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) images and information:

loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/nc0067

Ayr Mount, 1965 (NCSU Library Built Heritage Collection)

(Text below from the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust website for Ayr Mount)

Ayr Mount was built in 1815 by William Kirkland (1768-1836), a Scottish man who emigrated to the Piedmont region of North Carolina in 1789. Kirkland left his home in Ayr, Scotland and came to America to work in the mercantile trade, a practice followed by many Scots during this time. By 1793 he had married and opened up his own store in Hillsborough. Ayr Mount was built in the Federal style; and functioned as a plantation after it was built. Elhannon Nutt, who did work at nearby Fairntosh Plantation, is said to be the joiner or cabinetmaker at Ayr Mount.

Kirkland used half of the 503 acres for farming. Although tobacco was never a successful crop, the plantation did produce cotton and wheat among others crops. Outbuildings included slave quarters, a stone barn, a well, small barns for poultry and milk cows, an icehouse, a smokehouse and a two-room kitchen.

Ayr Mount, 1965 (NCSU Library Built Heritage Collection)

Ayr Mount, 1965 (NCSU Library Built Heritage Collection)

Ayr Mount, 1965 (NCSU Library Built Heritage Collection)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971

Ayrmount, the most stately of Hillsborough's old homes, was built about 1794 by William Kirkland, a native of Ayr, Scotland. The brick used in its construction was made on the plantation. The interior paneling is remarkable and beautifully preserved, and is said to have been imported from England.

The house was approached from the old road by a semi-circular drive bordered with cedar trees. These trees have since disappeared, the stumps only remaining. The magnificent holly trees are said to be as old as the house. The original garden was carefully landscaped; many trees and shrubs were transplanted for its beautification. The flower garden just south of the house was formal in its plan, with many flower beds. A broad path through the center, bordered by English box, led down to the river. After the War Between the States, this garden was ploughed up and replaced by a large vegetable garden, which furnished food for the many kinfolk, who made long visits to them. The flower garden was never replanted.

The view of the lovely old house, seen across the broad sweep of lawn, is a memory treasured by many who visit Historic Hillsborough.

Ayr Mount, 1965 (NCSU Library Built Heritage Collection)

These buildings were gone for many years when the last direct Kirkland descendant, who was still living in the house, sold the property to Richard H. Jenrette in 1985. Jenrette restored the house and property, which included furnishing the house with period antiques and decorative arts, including many original Kirkland furnishings.

Today the house stands on approximately 60 of the original 503 acres beside the Old Indian Trading Path, once the principal route to the interior of North Carolina, Few’s Tavern and the Eno River. A stone’s throw from the house is the Kirkland family cemetery that has been the final resting place of the Kirkland family for over 200 years. Four generations are interred alongside William Kirkland (1768-1836), the patriarch from Ayr, Scotland and his wife Margaret (1773-1839). The cemetery holds approximately 26 graves plus the unmarked graves of all four of their infant sons, William (1799), William (1801), James (1805) and David (1813), all born before Ayr Mount was completed.

As of 2014, the house is operated as a historic site by the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust and is open to the public.

05.14.14 (G. Kueber)

Berry Brick House, February 1965 (HABS / Library of Congress)

From the National Register nomination:

The earliest surviving brick residence within the original town, the Berry Brick house measures 37 '8" by 20' and is a simple, Federal-style, one-and-a-half-story structure. The house is three bays wide with a rubble- stone foundation, one-to-five common-bond brick walls, and flat brick arches atop the six-over-six wood-sash windows. The eight-panel door, centered on the façade, has a four-light transom. Three pedimented dormers on the façade have flush sheathing and four-over-four wood-sash windows. There is an interior brick chimney in the right (east) gable and an exterior brick chimney in the left (west) gable. There is a shed-roofed frame wing at the rear and hip-roofed porch at the left rear (northwest) was enclosed in 1988 [HDC].

The original portion of the house consists of three rooms and a narrow center hall on the first floor and two rooms and a hall on the second floor. A simple stair rises from the rear of the hall. The two small rooms on the east side share a chimney and boast corner fireplaces. Simple Federal style trim remains on the interior.

The Berry Brick House was built about 1805 for Mrs. Rhody Berry, the mother of John Berry, a noted local brickmason. Tradition has it that John Berry built the house, but in 1805 Berry was only seven years old. Therefore it is more likely that the house was constructed by neighbor Samuel Hancock, a master brickmason who later became John Berry's partner. The house remained in the Berry family for 131 years until 1936 when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. F. S. McLarty. The McLartys made several changes to the house including the addition of two shed-roofed dormers on the rear elevation. It is also possible that they added the dormers on the facade. The McLartys sold the house in 1943 to Mr. and Mrs. F. Ross Porter.

Berry Brick House, February 1965 (HABS / Library of Congress)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

This is the only old solid brick dwelling within the original limits of Hillsborough. It was built sometime between 1805 and 1815 for John Berry's mother, Rhode. The tradition that John Berry built the house is certainly erroneous, since he was born in 1798, but he might, if it was built toward the end of the period, have helped in the work.

The house was a simple rectangular plan with an A-roof. We would now call it story-and-a-half, the upper story having dormer windows. The pleasing rose tone of the brick results from the remains of a coat of red paint.

The venerable box walk, planted some one-hundred-fifty years ago, originally continued to the front steps, and was later shortened to give access to the front lawn. A planting of sweet shrub and lemon lilies remains from the old garden. Old roses clamber over the shed at the rear. The well-house is an attractive feature, though not a copy of the original one.

Mr. and Mrs. Ross Porter are the present owners of the Berry Brick House.

08.19.2016 (G. Kueber)

Although associated with the 1965 HABS survey, this picture appears older than the others - likely 1930s from earlier HABS survey, although it is not noted as such. (HABS / Library of Congress)

From the National Register nomination:

One of the most elegant pre-Civil War houses in the district, this tripartite Federal-style house features a two-story, pedimented front-gabled core flanked by one-story, pedimented front-gabled wings. The house is sheathed in plain weatherboards except for the flush sheathing in the pediments. It has nine-over-nine wood- sash windows on the first floor and nine-over-six windows on the second floor. There is an interior brick chimney in the two-story core and a replacement pointed-arch window in its gable. The double-light door on the right (east) end of the façade has a ten-light transom and is sheltered by a near-full-width, hip-roofed porch supported by Ionic columns. The one-story side wings have nine-over-nine windows flanked by three-over-three windows on the façade and have pointed-arch vents in the pediments. A one-story, side-gabled wing at the right rear (northeast) was completed in 1998 [HDC]. The house is impressively sited, set back from the road with a wide front lawn and a circular walk lined with boxwoods.

February 1965 (HABS / Library of Congress)

February 1965 (HABS / Library of Congress)

February 1965 (HABS / Library of Congress)

Listed individually on the National Register, the Hasell-Nash house was built around 1820 for Mrs. Eliza Garden Tart Hasell of Charleston and Wilmington. She was the granddaughter of Charleston botanist Dr. Alexander Garden. The house design is similar to Plate 37 of Morris' Rural Architecture (London, 1750). The house was sold by Eliza and her new husband, Reverend William S. Plumer, in 1829 to Samuel Simpson of New Bern who bought it for his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kollock and Mary Nash. After the deaths of the Nashes in 1897, their unmarried daughter Miss Annie Nash owned the home until 1919. Lieut. Governor A. H. Graham lived here after his own house, Montrose, burned. It was restored by Dr. H. W. Moore, who was assisted by architect Archie Royal Davis, who added the rear wings around 1943. [Moore referred to the house as "Moore's Pleasure," but that didn't stick.] The spelling of the Hasell name was changed to “Hazel” in the mid-twentieth century, but has since been reversed to its historic spelling.The only architectural changes that have occurred at the Hasell-Nash House appear to be the rear extension of the gable wings and the addition of fireplaces to those rooms. Unfortunately none of the original outbuildings remain.

(Hillsborough, North Carolina General Development Plan, 1968-1988)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971

This elegant Greek Revival House is thought to have been built about 1820 by Archibald DeBow Murphey, from plate thirty-seven of Robert Morris' Rural Architecture (London, 1750). There is much fine interior panelling to compliment the beauty of its exterior. In the 1820s it was the home of Mrs. Eliza G. Hasell of Wilmington, and later of the Henry K. Nash family for the ninety years from 1829 to 1919. The house and garden were res to red by the present owners, Dr. and Mrs. H. W. Moore in 1943. The well house is a replica of one at Williamsburg.

Several beautiful maples remain from plantings made long ago, and an enormous American Holly. Old climbing roses and Hower borders add color at the back of the garden. At the rear of the immense lot is a large vegetable garden and a Scuppernong grape arbor planted one-hundred-fifty years ago.

09.10.2016 (G. Kueber)

(UNC Postcard Collection)

From the National Register Nomination:

The Eagle Lodge is undoubtedly one of the most architecturally significant landmarks in Hillsborough. Designed by the state architect, Captain William Nichols, the Greek Revival-style building is believed to have been built by local brickmasons, John Berry and Samuel Hancock. The two-story, hip-roofed structure is roughly forty-feet square and is constructed of solid brick laid in a Flemish bond. It is three bays wide and three bays deep with windows concealed behind original louvered wood shutters and window openings having flat brick arches and stone windowsills. The double-leaf, four-panel door is centered on the façade with a stone threshold and is sheltered by a one-bay-wide, pedimented portico supported by grouped Ionic columns. A plaque to the left of the entrance commemorates those who served in World War I. An original glassed-in observatory said to have pre-dated President Caldwell's 1831 observatory at UNC, was removed from the roof in 1862 and the current hipped roof was built. A low, brick retaining wall extends along the sidewalk.

(UNC Postcard Collection)

(UNC Postcard Collection)

The building stands on Lot 23, the site of Edmund Fanning's house. The Eagle Lodge No. 19, chartered in 1791, remained active until 1799. It was dormant until 1819 when the Masons revived but with a new number, No. 71. Money was raised for the building through an authorized public lottery that ran from 1821 until 1832, empowered to raise 00. The cornerstone was laid on November 23, 1823. The property was conveyed to the Lodge in 1824, after the building was erected. During the mid-nineteenth century the building was called the King Street Opera house and was used as a town meeting place. The building appears on the 1888 Sanborn map as the “King Street Opera House” and “Masonic Hall 2nd.” In 1932, the original lodge number, 19, was reinstated. The Masonic hall is still owned and used by the Eagle Lodge, Number 19, A.F. and A.M. A gravestone that reads “George Doherty, May 30, 1732 – April 23, 1793, First Secretary, Eagle Lodge No. 19 A. F. & A. M” is embedded in the ground at the edge of the front lawn, next to the driveway. Doherty’s death predates the construction of the building, so it is unclear whether he is buried on the site.

The building was used as a makeshift hospital at the very end of the Civil War (1865) by a local ladies' aid society.

(HABS - from Library of Congress, June 29, 1937)

(HABS - February 1965; retrieved from LOC)

Rear of Structure. (HABS - February 1965; retrieved from LOC)

1966 (Hillsborough, North Carolina General Development Plan, 1968-1988)

07.02.16 (G. Kueber)

Moorefields, HABS photo 1965.

Below taken from https://moorefields.org/history/

Moorefields was built in 1785 as a summer home by Alfred Moore, a military and educational leader and prominent jurist who ultimately served as the second and last North Carolinian on the United States Supreme Court.

Moore, born in 1755, served as a captain in the First North Carolina Regiment and later in the coastal militia during the Revolution. As a founder of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university to enroll students, Moore was a leader in early public education in the United States. Most notably, he served as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall.

Hillsborough was a center of North Carolina government and commerce, and Moore the state attorney general, when Moorefields was constructed. To reach the Orange County seat in what was then considered the state’s western reaches, Moore traveled a week by wagon from Buchoi, his manor house south of Wilmington, North Carolina. According to legend the Moores fled to the modest Occoneechee Mountains from May until the third hard frost, usually in late October, to escape the heat, mosquitos, and disease of the coast.

The house at Moorefields is located three miles from the court house in Hillsborough (five miles by modern road) and strategically situated upon one of the highest points in central Orange County, where in summer it catches the prevailing southwest breeze. Shade was provided by 50 white oaks planted around the house when it was built. The last of the grove fell during Hurricane Fran in September 1996.

The Moorefields site came into European hands when Colonel John Gray received a 500-acre land grant from Lord Granville on March 25, 1752, half a year before Orange County was formed and two years before Hillsborough was founded.

On September 9 of that year Grayfields, as the plantation was called,was the site of the first session of a Court of Common Pleas and Quarters Sessions held in Orange County. Orange was the most populous county in the west and so large it stretched to the Virginia border and included the present Caswell, Person, Chatham, and Alamance counties as well as parts of Durham, Guilford, Lee, Randolph, Rockingham, and Wake.

The Regulators, protestors against what they considered corrupt,distant government and arbitrary taxation, organized in Hillsborough in 1768. Three years later they fought and lost the battle of Alamance against colonial troops under the command of Governor William Tryon. Alfred Moore served as a lieutenant in Tryon’s service at the battle. Later Moore’s father, Maurice Moore, was the presiding judge in the trial that resulted in the hanging of six Regulators in Hillsborough on June 9, 1771.

The Moores were a prominent coastal family that included the first governors of South Carolina and the founders in 1725 of Old Brunswick, the first permanent English settlement on the Cape Fear River, located 13 miles south of Wilmington. Up the road from the state historic site stands Orton Plantation, built by “King” Roger Moore, whose brother was Alfred Moore’s grandfather. Orton is the last survivor of 66 manor houses built in the area during colonial times, including a plantation named “Moorefields” located north of present-day Wilmington.

Alfred Moore, born on May 21, 1755, read for the law under his father. At age 20 he was appointed a captain in the First North Carolina Regiment under the command of James Moore, his father’s brother. The relatives fought the Tories at the Battle of Moore’s Creek in February 1776, a major early victory for Colonial troops. Along that day was Col. Francis Nash, Alfred Moore’s brother-in-law. Nash, who died in combat the following year, is the man for whom Nashville, capital of Tennessee, is named.

Moore resigned his Continental commission after his father and uncle both died of disease on January 15, 1777. He remained on the coast and continued to disrupt Tory operations as a guerrilla colonel. British Major James Craig, later governor of Canada, offered Moore amnesty and restoration of his property upon condition he lay down his arms. Moore refused, and his home place was razed.

Moore became a state senator from Brunswick County in 1782, a year after Gen. Comwallis’ surrender at Yorktown effectively ended hostilities in the Revolutionary War. Moore was named attorney general in 1783, replacing James Iredell, for whom lredell County (Statesville) is named.Junius Davis, in an 1899 speech dedicating Moore’s portrait in the chambers of the North Carolina Supreme Court, described him as “small in stature, scarce five feet four inches in height, neat in dress, graceful in manner, but frail of body”. Davis also ascribed to Moore “a dark, singularly penetrating eye, a clear sonorous voice” and “a keen sense of humor, a brilliant wit, a biting tongue, a masterful logic (that) made him an adversary at the bar to be feared.”

He acquired Gray’s property near Hillsborough in 1785. One  year earlier,  a county had been cut from Cumberland County, and named Moore County in his honor.  Alfred Moore  renamed the site “Moorefields,” and over the years amassed 1,202 acres. Moorefields was a mile and three-quarters at its widest and more than tw omiles from north to south.

While spending summers in Orange County, Alfred Moore became a founder and benefactor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served on the board of trustees from 1789, when the university was established, through 1797.

Moore was among those who selected the site at which the state of North Carolina established the first public university to open its doors in the United States. He helped prepare a bill for prohibition of distillation or retailing of spiritous liquors within two miles of the school, and served on a committee that chose the device for the seal of the university corporation. While seeking to encourage subscriptions to the university in 1793, Moore was among its largest benefactors, contributing 0 and a pair of globes,the first apparatus for instruction presented to the institution of higher learning.

Meanwhile, in 1792 Moore, a Federalist, returned to legislative office, winning election to the state House of Commons. Two years later, at a time when state legislatures chose U.S. Senators, he was defeated by a single vote in seeking that office. Moore became a Superior Court judge in 1798 and the next year was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President John Adams.

Moore became an Associate Justice, again succeeding Iredell, in August 1800. He retired in Febuary 1804. During Moore’s brief tenure the U.S. Supreme Court decided Marbury v. Madison, the case that established the doctrine of judicial review, asserting the right of American courts to overturn legislation deemed to violate the U.S. Constitution. Moore did not participate in the decision.

Moore died at age 55 on October 15, 1810 at Belfont, his daughter’s home in Bladen County in eastern North Carolina. His son Alfred Moore, at one time the Speaker of the N.C. House, retained Moorefields and is buried in the family graveyard southwest of the house. So are two of Justice Moore’s daughters, Augusta W. Moore and Sara Louisa Moore.

Moore’s descendents included James Iredell Waddell, commander of the CSS Shenandoah, last Confederate warship to surrender to the Union, and Alfred Moore Waddell, a Congressman and later mayor of Wilmington, who was a central figure in a notable 1898 white race riot in that city.

The Moorefields property was divided into five sections in 1847 in accordance with the terms of Justice Moore’s will. The segment containing the house — bordered by Rocky Run to the east, Seven Mile Creek to the northwest, and Gray’s Creek to the west — stayed longest in the family, ultimately purchased in 1913 by Thomas and Louise Webb. Six years later they sold the property to Ada and June Ray.

The Rays sold their 157 acres on May 14, 1949 to Edward Thayer Draper-Savage. The new owner, a UNC French professor and noted artist,came upon Moorefields while looking for a place in the country where he might build a cinder block studio in which to do sculpture and painting. Only after purchasing Moorefields did Draper-Savage discover he was related by marriage to the Moores.

Draper-Savage, a Wilmington native who lived in Paris during the 1920s and early 1930s, removed most of the farm buildings at Moorefields and laid out formal gardens in the French style. Draper-Savage also extensively restored and preserved the house, and for his efforts in 1960 was awarded the prestigious Cannon Cup by the North Carolina Society for the Preservation of Antiquities.

The Historic American Building Survey described Moorefields, one of North Carolina’s earliest surviving examples of Federal style architecture, as “an elegant small rural manor house” and its Chinese Chippendale staircase the “most spectacular feature”. Reflecting the building’s historical and architectural significance, Moorefields was named to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1972.

The most notable alteration to the structure — essentially a high central core with flanking right-angle wings — was the enclosure of the porch connecting the wings on the north side. A canopy was added over the entrance. Draper-Savage also restored the shed roof to the front porch, then removed the front stairs. They were later restored.

The parlor with its 14-foot ceiling was originally used for meals, the smaller rooms in the wings as bedrooms. Each corner post of the parlor, or Great Hall, is comprised of a single tree trunk. Most flooring in the house  is the original heart-pine. The moldings, weatherboards, visible mantels and the western chimney are also original. Hand-hewn pegs and hand-wrought, rosehead nails were used in the contruction.

Draper-Savage died on February 15, 1978 and is buried west of the house with his cats. Upon his death the house and remaining 84 acres were conveyed to the Effie Draper Savage-Nellie Draper Dick Foundation for the Preservation of Moorefields. Named after Draper-Savage’s mother and her sister, the foundation is administered by the trust department of Sun Trust Bank and is dedicated to maintaining the house and grounds in perpetuity.The Friends of Mooreftelds serve as an advisory board to the foundation.

HABS, LOC, 1965

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

Eighteenth-century Moorefields stands among the remains of an oak grove as old as the house itself. Its builder, Justice Alfred Moore, was a University of North Carolina founder, trustee, and early supporter. On one occasion, when work on the house was going forward under the hands of the [...] carpenters, Justice Moore came over to make a suggestion to the head carpenter, Uncle Ben. The old man listened patiently and then replied in a tone of gentleness and indulgence, "My dear sweet Master, go back and read your book, you don't know nothing 'bout cairpenter."

At the entrance to Moorefields a white sign hangs from a post, announcing that this place is "Moorefields Wildlife Refuge" and that the date of its completion was the barely post-Revolutionary year of 1785.

Alfred Moore Waddell, a direct descendant of Justice Alfred Moore, through his book entitled "Some Memories of my Life," has given us a glimpse of how the old place looked in its earlier days. The house itself was surrounded by huge oaks, part of the fifty planted when the house was built. Now only four of these oaks survive.

On the west side of the house were large flower beds, giving a riot of color from roses, dahlias, lilacs and peonies, while in the corner stood tall sunflowers. In spring the beds were colorful with jonquils, narcissus, hyacinths, anti lilies of the valley. Box bushes and a large mimosa tree, together with dogwood along the edges of the woods, added their charm to the garden.

On the east side was a well-kept kitchen garden, and along its fence stood the bee hives, their inhabitants constantly attending to their own affairs.

At the bottom of the hill, under the shady oaks, was a busy little spring-branch, hurrying and singing on its way over the stones and pools. A little farther downstream was a rock-built dairy, a cool place for pats of butter and pans of milk and cream.

From the west side of the house it was nearly a mile to the woods encircling all sides. On the way, lay fields of grain and Indian corn, as well as cherry trees and plum thickets.

South of the house, and at some little distance towards the woods, lies the little family graveyard, resting place of Moores, Waddells, and Camerons, and also "Mammy Sue," beloved nurse of the Moore and Waddell families. Miss Sallie Moore, daughter of Justice Alfred Moore, and called by the family, "Aunt," took charge of the little graveyard, and is said to have kept it like a little park, beautifully cared for. She worked there almost every day and spent long hours. But one day she came back very quickly. Those at the house were surprised and asked what was the matter. "I met a snake," she said, "and he gave me such a disagreeable look that I came right back to the house."

When Guion Williams Waddell died in 1911, the time had come for the passing of Moorefields from the family. The place being sold, it passed through several hands until, in 1949, most fortunately, Mr. Edward Thayer Draper-Savage bought the place, not knowing the surprise that awaited him. In conversation with former residents, he found that he could trace his own lineage back to the Moores through marriage. Thus, by the unwitting acquisition of "some land" which pleased him, the twentieth-century gentleman had restored ancestral property to the hands of kin. "Mr. Draper-Savage is responsible for rescuing Moorefields from degeneration, for saving this fine old home from the obscurity of use as an ordinary farm house, and the ultimate destiny of such occupation." The beautiful restoration Mr. Draper-Savage has accomplished, both inside and out, the formal gardens, the tall hedges, the lovely little Pet Cemetery, the interesting sculpture, and the beauty of the land itself, calls for happy thanks.

(Partially taken from an article about Moorefields by Betty Hodges published in the Durham Morning Herald, Sunday, March 18, 1962.)

09.19.15 (G. Kueber)

09.19.15 (G. Kueber)

February 1965 (HABS - LOC)

From the National Register nomination:

Twin Chimneys, so named for the paired chimneys in each gable end, is sited on a hill on West King Street, directly across from the Colonial Inn and the Parks-Richmond house, and is dominated to a full-width, two-story porch. The two-story, side-gabled frame house is three bays wide and double-pile with a one-story, shed-roofed wing that extends the full width of the rear elevation. The house has a stone foundation, weatherboards, two-over-two wood-sash windows with arched upper sashes on the first floor, nine-over-six windows on the second floor, and several six-over-one windows on the side elevations. Windows on the first- floor façade have peaked wood surrounds. The double-leaf one-light-over-one-panel entrance has a four-light transom. It is sheltered by a two-story, hip-roofed porch supported by chamfered posts with original railings at the first and second floor; this porch was installed around 1816 and replaced an earlier portico and original dormer windows [Bellinger]. The twin pairs of chimneys, for which the house is named, were constructed by Reverend John Knox Witherspoon between 1817 and 1832 and are laid in a Flemish bond. Exterior woodwork, including the pointed-arch window surrounds on the façade were added around 1900, when owner D. C. Parks hired Jules Körner to update the house to match the refurbishments to the Colonial Inn and the Parks-Richmond House across the street. A one-story, front-gabled wing, originally a separate kitchen structure, has been attached to the right rear (northeast) corner of the house; it has weatherboards, six-over-six wood-sash windows, a 5V metal roof, and an exterior brick chimney in the north gable. Important interior details include a central hall plan and wide pine planking. The chair railing in the central hall came from Moorefields and other materials from the Nash and Kollock School. A basement is also present under the house with an earthen floor. An iron gate from Stewart Iron Works in Cincinnati, Ohio, separates the house from the pedestrian traffic of the sidewalk.

Twin Chimneys is reputedly a pre-Revolutionary house, however the exact date of construction is not known. It is important to note that a house is sited at the exact location on the 1768 Sauthier Map of Hillsborough but it cannot be assumed that the houses are the same. The deeds show that on August 29, 1768, the Town Commissioners sold "Lots 21 and 31 to William Fanning who has built a Mansion House thereon." Although the property was transferred to new owners three times between 1768 and 1788, there is no mention of buildings or improvements until September 4, 1788 when it was purchased by Daniel Mallett. The property has had many owners since 1788 including William Duffy, Martha and William F. Strudwick, Reverend John Knox Witherspoon, Hugh Waddell, William F. and Harriet H. Strayhorn (postmistress, 1873-1881), D.C. Parks, and various members of the Forrest family.

February 1965 (HABS - LOC)

1966 (Hillsborough North Carolina General Development Plan, 1968-1988)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

This is a most delightful old house, with four huge chimneys and a second-floor balcony, from which a view of the busy thoroughfare, King Street, may have been enjoyed down through the years. The lot on which it stands was once owned by Edmund Fanning.

It is interesting to know that this house was the setting for the old romantic novel, "Jocelyn Cheshire." According to the story, the heroine concealed her lover in the attic to protect him from Cornwallis' army.

Pine wainscoting and mantels are a feature of the simple, but charming interior. The old kitchen, once separate from the house, is now connected with it. The house served at one time as Hillsborough's Post Office. The property was acquired about 1900 by Miss Margaret and Miss Josephine Forrest. The garden, always small and intimate, held old-fashioned flowers for picking. Hollyhocks in a row at the east side were a long-remembered feature. Of the old roses, only one remains, an ancient pink moss, which still blooms against the fence in the east front corner.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Williams are the [1971] owners of Twin Chimneys.

07.02.2016 (G. Kueber)

07.02.2016 (G. Kueber)

Front of the house, ~1900 (History of the Town of Hillsborough)

Back of the house, ~1900 (History of the Town of Hillsborough)

1940 (Library of Congress)

Circa 1940 (Library of Congress)

Circa 1940 (Library of Congress)

Outbuildings, circa 1940 (Library of Congress)

June 9, 1937 (HABS / Library of Congress)

1954 (Pauli Murray Collection at Harvard Schelsinger Library)

July 1971 (via News of Orange)

Outbuildings, July 1971 (via New of Orange)

In 1972, the house and property were acquired by the Town of Hillsborough and were renovated for use as the Town Hall and offices.

NC Congressman Lawrence H. Fountain and Lucius Cheshire discussing the conversion project, late 1960s (via Colonial Inn Cookbook)

The Ruffin-Roulhac House, also known historically by several names including "Francis C.P. Hill's House," "The old Ruffin place," "Little Hawfields," and the "Home of W.S. Roulhac," is one of the best preserved of the elegant small Federal houses surviving in Hillsborough, which include Heartsease and the Berry Brick House. Additionally, the property is one of a small number of houses in Hillsborough that has retained its large original lot and numerous outbuildings.

The Ruffin-Roulhac House, built about 1821 for Martin Hanks, consisted of the west three bays. In the 1830s Francis L. Hawks and Frances C. P. Blount Hill purchased the house and added the eastern part consisting of two rooms on the first floor and one above incorporating the earlier dwelling into a unified elegant residence. The house was sold to Thomas Ruffin in 1865 who named it "Little Hawfields." Ruffin died in the Northeast room of the house on January 15, 1870 and his wife Anne inherited the estate. Upon her death in 1875 the estate passed to her children and a grandchild. In 1904, the wife of William Sterling Roulhac acquired the estate and made several renovations to the property, including relocating the outbuildings to the rear of the house in a formal straight line.

The house is a one-and-a-half-story frame, Federal-style house that is five bays wide and double-pile with a brick foundation, beaded weatherboards, and nine-over-nine wood-sash windows with molded hoods. There is flush sheathing in the pedimented end gables and three gabled dormers each on the façade and rear (north) elevation have flush sheathing and fixed twelve-light windows. A window on the left (west) elevation has been covered with flush sheathing. The double-leaf three-panel door centered on the façade is flanked by two-over-two wood-sash windows over a fixed panel in lieu of sidelights and has a blind arched transom. The entrance is sheltered by a one-bay-wide, front-gabled porch supported by slender Tuscan columns with decorative, scalloped shingles in the gable and there is flush sheathing under the porch roof. There are two interior brick chimneys in the left (west) gable and an exterior brick chimney in the right (east) gable. A shed- roofed porch extends across the right three bays of the rear elevation. It is supported by round brick columns on low brick piers and there is flush sheathing under the porch roof.

08.08.2016 (G. Kueber)

07.23.2016 (G. Kueber

Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South (Library of Congress), 1938

From the National Register Nomination"

One of the most elegantly finished Federal style houses in Hillsborough, Sans Souci faces Caine Street to the south but has an East Corbin Street address. The main two-story block is three bays wide and has a side- hall plan. Federal details include a raised basement with Flemish-bond brick, molded weatherboards, and nine- over-nine wood-sash windows with molded surrounds and wide sills. The double-leaf three-panel front door has a five-light transom and is sheltered by a full-width hip-roofed porch supported by square decorative posts and turned balustrade, similar to that at Burnside. The house was enlarged in the mid-nineteenth century with a one- story gabled wing on the left (west) elevation, a one-and-a-half-story gabled wing on the right (east) elevation, and a one-and-a-half-story, shed-roofed wing across the rear (north), all with gabled dormers. The wings have nine-over-nine wood-sash windows on the first-floor level and six-over-six windows in the dormers. The right wing has twelve-over-twelve wood-sash windows in the gable end with six-over-six windows flanking the chimneystack on the east elevation. A basement-level entrance on the east elevation is sheltered by a small shed roof. An entrance on the rear elevation is accessed by an uncovered stair with a Chippendale-style railing. One exterior end chimney stands on the west side of the main block, one stands on the east end of the east wing, and one interior chimney stands between the main block and rear shed addition. There are boxed eaves (except on the dormers) and flush gable ends throughout, brackets at the sides of the front dormers, and operable wood shutters at most of the windows.

The original acreage of Sans Souci was owned by James Hogg and then passed through several owners. Although no registration of title is available, Dr. William Cain evidently built the house circa 1813 for his bride Mary Ruffin. Dr. William Cain’s country house, Hardscrabble, still stands near Hillsborough. The original tract consisted of 30 acres. Dr. Pride Jones, who inherited the estate from Dr. William Cain in 1857, was responsible for the extensive renovations performed by John Berry.

The central block is largely unaltered, with fine early finish. The entrance hall and parlor have elegant mantels with raised paneled overmantels and raised panel wainscot. The dining room has plain wainscot. Interior doors are either six raised panels or five horizontal panel doors. A transom is seen over one of the upstairs doors. The west upstairs bedroom is wallpapered with a blue and white pattern dating from the 1860s.

According to Mrs. Engstrom, local builder John Berry added the rear dining room, rear stairwell, full- width front porch and front 1-story wings in the mid-19th century. The simple Federal style rear staircase, similar to the stairs at the Ruffin-Roulhac house, is characteristic of Berry. Sans Souci is fortunate to have retained many of its outbuildings, including an office, kitchen, and servant’s quarters.

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971

Charming Sans Souci, built about 1801 by William Cain and his wife, Mary, a sister of Thomas Ruffin, stands on a high spot overlooking the town and surrounding countryside. Of typical Colonial North Carolina architecture, it has a high flight of steps leading to the entrance doorway. At the left of the house stands the old kitchen with its enormous chimney. At the time the first floor bedroom wa added, a tree trunk was used to make a stud for the northeast corner. Much beautiful detail in wainscoting and mantles is found throughout the interior of Sans Souci.

The garden is of interest for its magnificent beeches, hack berries, .cucumber trees, and a large Kentucky Coffee Tree. There is a typical shrubbery of Tree Box, oak leaf hydrangea, and Japonica, and a fine James Grape arbor. The only flowers originally planted bordered the front walk, which was edged with white stones. These were Jacob's Ladder, old purple iris, peonies, white daffodils, snowdrops, and masses of lily-of-the valley. Traces of these plantings can still be seen along the woodland path, which replaced the original walkway.

The Cain family divided its time between the country plantation, "Hard Scrabble," and the Hillsborough home, "Sans Souci," the names representing the difference between life in these two spots. William Cain, Sr. eventually retired to his country plantation, while his son, Dr. William Cain, continued to live at Sans Souci, until his death in 1857. The house then passed to Dr. and Mrs. Pride Jones. Later owners were Bishop Theodore Lyman and Sterling Ruffin. The present owners are Mr. and Mrs. Samuel T. Latta.

From the National Register nomination:

Sited high on a hill overlooking St. Mary's Road, St. Matthews Episcopal Church is an outstanding example of the early Gothic Revival in North Carolina and is listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places. The three-bay-wide, front-gabled, Flemish-bond brick building has a slate roof and fine lancet windows. The brick detailing includes recessed gothic-arched panels as well as rectangular recessed panels to frame the gothic-arched stained-glass windows. A pyramidal-roofed entrance tower on the west elevation contains an arched entrance with double doors with intricate flat paneling and a molded surround encased in a double row of brick headers. The tower, which was reworked and the spire added in 1875, has a blind gothic- arched panel on the façade and diamond-shaped vents in the slate roof. The chancel, at the east end of the building, is apparently a later addition also. It has a three-part arched window on the rear elevation and six- panel doors with gothic-arched transoms on the side elevations. Modern stone and slate steps access the front entrance and the churchyard is enclosed by a brick wall that extends to St. Mary's Road following the boundaries of the property.

The land on which St. Matthew’s was built was conveyed verbally by Thomas Ruffin around 1820. His deed, dated April 10, 1854, conveyed 1 1/3 acres, but this has been progressively enlarged to accommodate the church, parish house, and a brick-walled cemetery. The church, built between 1825 and 1826, was designed by William Nichols in the Gothic Revival style. He specified the building to be 35' by 45', because "a less width would not be proportionate with the length." The building was constructed by local masons John Berry and Samuel Hancock. Today it stands as a tribute to these fine designers and builders. The church replaced an earlier structure at the northwest corner of North Churton and West Tryon streets that burned in 1793.

07.23.2016 (G. Kueber)

1870s (North Carolina Collection via UNC; sourced from http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/places/hm...)

1870s (North Carolina Collection via UNC; sourced from http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/places/hm...)

Rear of the barracks building, 1870s (North Carolina Collection via UNC; sourced from http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/places/hm...)

Rear of the barracks building, 1870s (North Carolina Collection via UNC; sourced from http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/places/hm...)

Rendering of the Barracks and Commandant's House, 1867 (North Carolina Collection via UNC; sourced from http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/places/hm...)

A too-fuzzy and too-small picture taken from Occoneechee Mountain, looking northwest, c. 1910. The train is going by and the barracks building is visible in the background

(North Carolina Collection via UNC; sourced from http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/places/hm...)

Historic American Buildings Survey, Archie A. Biggs, Photographer June 29, 1937 FRONT ELEVATION. - The Barracks, Barracks Road, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC (Library of Congress)

Location of the barracks building (the grove of trees,) 07.02.2016 (G. Kueber)

Heartsease, ~1890-1900 (History of the Town of Hillsborough)

The main, one-and-a-half-story, Federal-style section of this house is four bays wide and double-pile with beaded weatherboards, three narrow gabled dormers on the façade, and a rubble-stone foundation. Constructed in 1786, the left (west) three bays feature a recessed porch and nine-over-nine wood-sash windows. The right (east) bay, constructed around 1810, has six-over-six wood-sash windows and an exterior, Flemish- bond brick chimney in the gable end. The gabled dormers have plain weatherboards, installed diagonally, and four-over-four wood-sash windows. The six-panel door is sheltered by an inset porch that extends across the original three bays of the façade. There is flush wood sheathing on the façade under the porch, which is supported by Tuscan columns. A two-story, Greek Revival-style wing on the left elevation has a pedimented front-gabled roof with flush sheathing in the gable and a single tripartite, multi-pane window in each story of the narrow façade. Elsewhere in the double-pile wing are nine-over-nine wood-sash windows on the first story and nine-over-six windows on the second. There is a one-to-five common-bond exterior chimney on the left elevation. A shed-roofed wing at the right rear (northeast) has an inset, screened porch. A shed-roofed, screened porch at the rear of the west wing is supported by square posts. There is later stone terracing in the front yard.

The core of the house was constructed about 1786 by Sterling Harris. In 1810, it was purchased by Miss Mary W. Burke, who constructed the right bay. In 1837 the house was sold to the family of Dennis Heartt, who named the house Hearttsease and built the 2-story Greek Revival-style wing about 1840. The Hillsborough Recorder, which Heartt published from 1820 to 1869, was one of the most respected and influential newspapers in the state.

1933 - (Library of Congress / HABS)

1965 (Library of Congress / HABS)

1965 (Library of Congress / HABS)

(Hillsborough, North Carolina General Development Plan, 1968-1988)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

Heartease was built in the late 1700s, tradition says by Governor Thomas Burke for a summer home. It was here that he was captured, early on the morning of September 12, 1781, by the 'Tory Bandit', David Fanning.

The box bushes at the entrance are well over one-hundred years old. Miss Polly Burke, the Governor's daughter, kept school for many years in a little house in the garden. The Seven Sisters Rose growing there has been named "The Polly Burke Rose" in her memory. There is a charming flagstone terrace at the rear, built from foundation stones of the old coach house at Burnside, and a long avenue of boxwood separates the garden areas. Miss Polly finally went to live in Alabama, and sold her home in 1837.

A later owner was Dennis Heartt, editor of the "Hillsborough Recorder," and it was he who gave the place its name. Miss Alice Heartt also had a school in the garden, but there was still room for many flowers, and a small greenhouse under the big elm. Miss Rebecca Wall is the present owner of Heartsease.

2016 (TMLS)

2016 (TMLS)

(UNC postcard collection)

From the National Register Nomination:

Designated a National Historic Landmark, the Nash-Hooper house is a two-story, side-gabled frame house that is three bays wide and double-pile. The majority of its exterior finishes are from the later, Greek Revival period including the exterior end brick chimneys, nine-over-nine wood-sash windows on the first floor and six-over-six windows on the second floor. The six-panel door, centered on the façade, has leaded glass sidelights and a leaded-glass transom. The near-full-width, hip-roofed porch is supported by octagonal columns and has a turned railing. A one-story, gabled wing projects from the right rear (northeast). The interior features a center hall, flanked by one room at each level, with a lateral stair hall at the rear on both floors. In addition to the original mantel, a variety of Federal, Greek Revival, and late 19th and early 20th century features exist inside. A hyphen at the rear (north) of the sitting room addition connects to a one-story gabled wing from which a one-and-a-half-story, gabled garage is attached. The garage has plain weatherboards, six-over-six windows, three overhead doors on the west elevation, and a cupola on the ridgeline. The addition and garage, not visible from the street, were constructed in 1999 [HDC].

Francis Nash purchased this property in 1772 and built the main two-story block of this house on lot 96 for his bride, Sally Moore of the Cape Fear region. After Nash's death at the Battle of Germantown in 1777, the property passed through several hands before acquisition in 1782 by William Hooper, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who had moved with his family from their home near Wilmington to Hillsborough in the late 1770s. At his death in 1790 the house passed to his widow and then to his daughter, Elizabeth Hooper Walters, who added a sitting room on the rear, which is the present kitchen. After her death in 1844, the house was eventually passed to Dr. William Hooper, grandson of the signer. About 1870, William A. Graham, who had been governor of North Carolina in the 1840s, purchased the property and the family owned it until 1906. Since that time it has been owned by a number of families. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark because it is the only surviving home of any of North Carolina's three signers of the Declaration of Independence.

1965 (HABS)

1966 (Hillsborough, North Carolina General Development Plan, 1968-1988)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

The Nash-Hooper House was built in 1772 by the Revolutionary patriot, General Francis Nash, on land formerly belonging to Isaac Edwards, secretary to Governor Tryon. William Hooper, signer of the Declaration of Independence, purchased it in 1782. It is the only home of a Signer now remaining in North Carolina. The house was later owned by Governor William A. Graham.

The garden is outstanding for its fine trees, boxwood, and old roses. It was lovingly restored by Dr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Engstrom. The boxwood plantings contain particularly interesting specimens of the variegated tree box.

The many old climbing roses make a superb background for the garden and are at their most colorful in mid-May. Among the oldest roses are the Eglantine, or Sweet Briar, and Rosa alba, the White Rose of England. Many old shrub roses add their charm, especially the Crested Moss Rose, Old Black Moss, Maiden's Blush, and the Gallica, Belle des Jard ins. Early spring is a delightful time in this garden, when old daffodils literally carpet the ground.

08.14.2016 (G. Kueber)

February 1965 (Library of Congress / HABS)

From the National Register nomination:

Simple in form, but rich in history, the Nash Law Office is a one-story, three-bay-wide, side-gabled Federal-style building. It has plain weatherboards, nine-over-nine wood-sash windows, a six-panel door centered on the façade, a replacement metal roof, and an exterior end common-bond brick chimney in the right (west) gable. A c. 1863 addition to the right obscures the base of the chimney. This one-story, side-gabled wing is three bays wide and single-pile with plain weatherboards, six-over-six wood-sash windows, and a replacement metal roof. A two-light-over-two-panel door is centered on this wing and is sheltered by a full- width, shed-roofed porch supported by square posts on square bases with a wood railing. There is an exterior brick chimney in the right gable end of the c. 1863 wing.

The Nash Law Office was built between 1801 and 1807 by Duncan Lane Cameron, a young Virginia lawyer, who later became one of the wealthiest and most influential men in North Carolina. He purchased Lots 10 and 13 from James Webb and resold the property and lots 11, 14, and 15 to Frederick Nash, another young lawyer in 1807. The property included a dwelling house, law office, kitchen, washhouse, barn, and several other outbuildings. Frederick Nash was the son of Abner Nash, governor of North Carolina from 1780 to 1781, and nephew of Francis Nash, a revolutionary patriot. Frederick Nash graduated from Princeton in 1799, and represented both New Bern and Hillsborough in the North Carolina General Assembly. He also served as Judge of the Superior Court (1818-1826, 1836-1844), as Justice of the Supreme Court (1844-1852), and as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1852 until his death in 1858. Throughout his career, the Nash Law Office was used as a law school where notable men, such as Whig congressman Abner Rencher, read law under Judge Nash. After Nash's death his daughters, Sally and Maria, and their cousin Sara Kollock, opened the Nash and Kollock School for young ladies. In 1859, the former law office became the site for music lessons connected with the school. The one-story addition on the west was added around 1863 for additional practice rooms and a home for Sara Kollock. The Nash Law Office was used as a music studio until 1907 when Sarah Kollock died. The property then had several owners until the Hillsborough Historical Society purchased it in 1970. The Nash Law Office is the oldest law office in Hillsborough. A rear addition was approved by the Hillsborough Historic Districts Commission in 1999 and several outbuildings were approved in 2000, but they could not be recorded as none are visible from the street.

07.02.2016 (G. Kueber)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

This small house is the only surviving portion of the Nash and Kollock School. The east wing is almost certainly a law office, following the traditional Hillsborough pattern. Built about 1801 by Duncan Cameron, who owned the property from 1801 to 1807, it was from 1807 to 1858 the law office of Chief Justice Frederick Nash. It has long been associated with one of the royal governors, perhaps Josiah Martin, but it seems more likely that the oldest, or east wing of Chief Justice Nash's house was the structure used by the official visitor. After the Chief Justice's death in 1859, the law office was called the "Studio," and music lessons were given there.

The two rooms to the west, added about 1863, are of simple construction, with a chimney in the west end.

Sauthier's map of Hillsborough, dated October 1768, shows on lot 10 a rectangular house, Rush with Margaret Lane, a barn, and a garden of four beds, all enclosed. The law office is not shown. A hedge row separates lot IO from lot 8. The house on the Sauthier map is of the precise shape and size, and in the exact spot where the east wing of Chief .Justice Nash's house stood and may be presumed to have been that wing.

The garden of the Nash and Kollock School ( 1859-1920) is described in Mrs. Frank Nash's "Ladies in the Making." When Francis Nash bought the lot from the Town Commissioners on May 3, 1776, a narrow lane on the south side of the lot led from Churton Street to the Mills, and was called Mill Lane. Lot 10 was on the south side of Spring Lane.

Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Lloyd bought the house in 1942. At that time no trace of the garden remained, and they developed, behind the house, a particularly charming secluded area. Several interesting old roses have survived the years. The Seven Sisters Rose is said to be over one hundred fifty years old.

Mr. Alexander Shepherd occupies the house at present [1971] and has continued restoration of both house and garden. The Nash Law office is now [1971] the property of the Hillsborough Historical Society.

HABS - 1965

From HABS:

"The Patterson-Palmer house, built before 1800, architecturally resembles the Williamsburg houses. Its interior is spacious and elegant with an unusual lateral wall. The lot, located at 173 W. Margaret Lane, was originally purchased by Francis Nash. It is believed that Peter Mallett and William Watters, later owners, contributed to the house much of its present form. The house, which appears to be of a single period, was restored in 1960-61. However, the front and back porches may differ from the originals."

From the National Regsiter nomination:

"Together with Ayr Mount, this Federal-style house is one of only two houses in Hillsborough with a lateral hall plan. The one-and-a-half-story, side-gabled house is five bays wide and double-pile with four gabled dormers on the façade and four on the rear (south) elevation. The building has a tall brick basement with raised eight-light windows, an interior brick chimney, an exterior brick chimney in the right (west) gable that is laid in a one-to-five common bond, and a slender exterior brick chimney at the left rear (southeast). The house has plain weatherboards, vinyl siding on the dormers, nine-over-nine wood-sash windows, and six-over-six windows in the gables and dormers, all with molded surrounds. The double-leaf entrance is flanked by three- over-three double-hung window that act as sidelights and has a four-light transom. The entrance is sheltered by a shed-roofed porch supported by tapered wood posts. A shed-roofed porch at the left rear (southeast) is supported by square posts.

The first evidence of a structure on Lot 19 appears in 1823 when the Peter Mallett heirs deeded their interests to their sister, Caroline Mary Mallett Walker, wife of Carleton Walker of the Cape Fear area. Apparently the present house was built for this couple in 1823. Caroline Mary Walker sold the property by way of a deed of trust to James M. Palmer in 1846. Palmer, who was bankrupt, gave up the house in 1863. A succession of owners followed, one of whom was Tom Haise, or Hayes, who kept a shoemaker's shop at the house. In 1960-1961, Mrs. Erle Hill restored the house with the help of architect Archie Royal Davis. The restoration included replacing the roof and eight dormers, rebuilding the front portico, and replacing the shutters and weatherboarding, as well as restoring the interior to its original configuration. A one-and-a-half- story, dwelling with near-full-width porch appears on the 1894 Sanborn map, the earliest map to record this section of town, but there is no above-ground evidence of it today. Two mills, a mill-seat, and a mill-race once stood behind the house on the Eno River."

07.02.2016 (G. Kueber)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

This charming property has had many owners. General Francis Nash originally bought the lot in 1768, and agreed to build a "Mansion House" on it. Ten years later, after his death, James Patterson purchased it. Mr. Patterson had fought in the Revolution, and was one of nine men, members of the Orange Horse Company, who guarded the Treasury when it was moved from Hillsborough to Fayetteville in 1789. After passing through several hands, the property was purchased by James Palmer, Postmaster of Hillsborough. It included the mills on the Eno River nearby.

Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Lloyd, who became owners about a hundred years ago, had much to do with the development of the garden. Mrs. Lloyd took special delight in her vegetables. The garden was on the east side at the back, where a southern exposure and good soil brought them to perfection.

The front of the garden was beautiful in spring with flowering apples and dogwoods. Later, the Roses of Sharon came into bloom. There was a row of them on each side of the garden.

The front path was of flagstones, wide enough to allow two people to walk together, with a flourishing boxwood on each side. Some years later, the flagstones had disappeared completely, and the triumphant boxwoods had joined forces to make one huge box bush in the center, with walkways on each side.

The flower borders on the west were bright with color. Poppies, iris, English cowslips (both yellow and reel) tulips, forget-me-nots, sweet Williams, oxalis, chrysanthemums, morning-glories, and many -other flowers bloomed there. Near the walnut tree was the rock garden of stones taken from the bed of the Eno River. Two beautiful old apple trees ("sweet apples" and "horse apples") formed a background here.

On the east side, at the front, were borders gay with flowers, blooming shrubs, and old roses.

Mrs. Lloyd was "Queen of the Garden" and there were always many friends "coming by" to enjoy it.

The house, charmingly restored in 1960 by Mrs. Erle G. Hill, is in 1971 the property of Miss Audrey Koch.

Thomas Ruffin Law Office, 1955 (NCSU Historic Architecture Research)

February 1965 (HABS / Library of Congress)

From the National Register nomination:

The one-story, side-gabled, frame structure is located on its original site on the front lawn of Burnside. The intact Federal style building is 18'8" by 14'2" with a rubble stone foundation, beaded weatherboards, nine-over-nine wood-sash windows, and a rubble stone exterior end chimney with a brick stack. The asphalt-shingled roof has flush eaves and there are six-panel doors centered on the north and south elevations. Inside the one-room office the focal point is the simple Federal-style mantel. The interior walls are sheathed in flush beaded wallboards and a door is secured by H and L hinges. The room is finished with molded crown and chair rail. A small garden enclosed with a picket fence has been constructed on the north side of the building and a row of low boxwoods has been added to mark the path from the house to the law office. Thomas Ruffin (1787-1870) was a prominent lawyer and served as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1833-1852 and again from 1858- 1860.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/201-S-Cameron-St-Hillsborough-NC-27278...

~1900 (History of the Town of Hillsborough)

Via HABS:

The Dr. R.J. Murphy House: The Murphy house is an example of early Piedmont architecture. The main central block of the house was built before 1800, possibly by Barnaby Cabe. The lot belonged to William Reed, high sherifff of Orange and first keeper of the weights and measures. A still house existed on the lower side of the lot in addition to other buildings sited behind the main house. The house itself was twice used as a tavern. An existing west wing of 1 1/2 stories was added before 1820, and a north wing of 2 stories added sometime between 1877 and 1925. The house [was restored] by Dr. and Mrs. Murphy [during the 1960s.]

Addl'l information via the Pelican Guide:

Seven Hearths, a house built on five levels, is an excellent example of Piedmont Architecture. [...] Interesting features include its huge chimneys, reeded mantels, and seven fireplaces. Africa Parker, a freedman, once operated a still house near the western boundary of the lot. The property is sometimes referred to as the 'Stillhouse Lott,' and the stream is called the 'Stillhouse Branch.' A large specimen magnolia now stands near the still house.

1965 (HABS - via LOC)

From the National Register Listing:

This important early landmark is an example of the Federal style, though the core may be a Georgian-era structure. The two-story, side-gabled house is three bays wide and single-pile with beaded weatherboards, boxed eaves, nine-over-nine wood-sash windows on the first floor, and nine-over-six windows on the second floor. The six-panel door is centered on the façade and sheltered by a full-width, shed-roofed porch supported by slender Tuscan columns with a turned railing between the columns. Exterior end brick chimneys flank the main block of the house. The east chimney is laid in a Flemish bond with glazed headers. The west chimney is partially obscured by a c. 1830 1-story side-gabled wing addition which itself has an exterior end chimney laid in one-to-six common bond. The one-story wing has nine-over-nine wood-sash windows with six-light windows flanking the chimney. There is a two-story gabled ell at the right rear (northeast) with an interior brick chimney and an eight-over-eight wood-sash window flanked by four-over-four windows on the right (east) elevation of the first-floor. There is a one-story, shed-roofed porch on the left (west) side of the rear ell and on the rear (north) elevation of the side-gabled wing, each supported by slender square columns.

The main, two-story portion of the house was likely constructed around 1754, with the one-story wing to the west added around 1830 and the two-story rear wing, probably a separate early house, added after 1877. Early owners operated a tavern in the basement rooms with fireplaces and a separate entrance. The attached full width Doric porch is a replacement. The original owner of the lot was William Reed, a town official and tavern keeper, other owners include J.E. Laws (nationally known Register of Deeds) and the writer, Peter Taylor. County tax records date the building to 1754 and a sign in the front yard reads “Wm Reed’s Ordinary c. 1754”. The house is also known as 'Seven Hearths'

1965 (HABS - via LOC)

1965 (HABS - via LOC)

1965 (HABS - via LOC)

From Gardens of Old Hillsborough, 1971:

Mrs. William Hayes had a large flower garden here from 1877 to 1919. At that time, the gate was to the right of the present one, and rock steps led to a porch and east entrance. Under the porch there was a greenhouse, heated by an oilburning stove and lamps, Potted plants stood on the retaining rock wall, and many of these were held over winter in a brick flower pit in the front yard. Sun shining through the glass cover, kept the pit warm in winter. Violets and geraniums bloomed inside and, after Christmas, fragrant freesias.

There is still a branch running through the garden and continuing across the open land in front of the house. This stream, The Still House Branch, formerly serviced a tanyard. The lines of the ditches they used can still be traced.

There was formerly a small house in the garden, which was used by Rev. Mr. Donnely, who was at St. Matthews between 1848 and 1855, while Moses Curtis was in Society Hill.

During the Civil War, the main house was used as a hospital for convalescent soldiers.

Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Murphy began the work of restoration in 1954, and have developed a particularly colorful and charming terraced garden. There are many interesting old roses, remaining from plantings of long ago.

1966 (Hillsborough, North Carolina General Development Plan, 1968-1988)

1960s - "postcard" retrieved from eBay listing; no original attribution.

06.29.2016 (G. Kueber)

From the National Register nomination:

Located near the northwest corner of West Tryon and North Churton streets, the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church was constructed on Lot 98, a lot reserved in 1757 for "church, school, and graveyard." The front-gabled building faces the Old Town Cemetery to the west. It is of Flemish-bond brick construction, though it has been covered with scored stucco. The hip-roofed entrance tower on the left (west) elevation has paired four-panel doors beneath a pointed arch multi-light transom. The tower is sheathed with wood shingles and there are unpainted scalloped wood shingles in the front gable and on the upper two-thirds of the tower. There are paired arched vents on each elevation of the tower, which has a flared hipped roof and a spire. The side elevations are four bays deep and have ten-over-ten Victorian multi-light wood-sash windows with pointed arch transoms.

(UNC Postcard Collection)

A c. 1892 two-story side-gabled, wing at the rear (east) is six bays wide and three bays deep. It extends beyond the width of the church and there is a small, two-story, gabled tower entrance on each side where it intersects the front-gabled church. It is covered with stucco and has six-over-six wood-sash windows. A one- story hyphen on the north elevation connects to a gabled education wing on the north.

St. Matthew's Church of England, the first church in Hillsborough, was built on the site about 1769 and burned about 1797. In 1815-1816 the present building was constructed near the site of the earlier church using funds from a state-authorized lottery. John Berry and Samuel Hancock are credited with the work. Over the years, the building has gradually been updated so that no original fabric is visible on the exterior. The stuccoed exterior, pointed-arch Gothic windows, gabled roof, and shingled entrance tower and steeple were added in 1892 and the two-story, side-gabled rear wing was likely added at this time. In 1948, the large, one-story educational wing was added to the north side of the 1892 wing. On the interior, the original pews are still in place and the slave gallery remains, although it may have been altered. This may be the oldest Presbyterian church building in North Carolina in which services have been continuously held.