NC governor’s house is a 213-year-old beauty

Explore two fine examples of early N.C. architecture at Hope Plantation, four miles west of Windsor in Bertie County (between Rocky Mount and Elizabeth City). Hope Plantation, built circa 1803, is the splendidly-restored home of N.C. Gov. David Stone; also on the grounds is the King-Bazemore House, built four decades earlier; it’s a striking survivor from the late colonial period.

Distance

Windsor is about 260 miles from Charlotte. Plan on a five-hour drive.

To see and do

David Stone, born in 1770, was quite a renaissance man: He graduated first in his class from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and gave his valedictory address in Latin. Trained to be a physician, Stone forsook a medical career to practice law. At age 19, Stone served as a delegate to the 1789 state convention in Fayetteville and cast his vote in favor of ratifying the U.S. Constitution. Thereafter, he served as a superior court judge, a member of the N. C. General Assembly, a University of North Carolina trustee, a member of both houses of the U. S. Congress, and as N.C. governor from 1808 to 1810. Stone’s public career came to an unexpectedly early end when he died in 1818 at the age of 48.

Along with his many other talents and accomplishments, Stone also had an interest in architecture and, in his early 30s designed his own house from ideas culled from numerous sources. Hope Plantation is a two-story structure built over an above-ground basement and features distinctive double porticos front and back and a hipped roof topped by a “widow’s walk.” Basically Georgian in style, a number of neoclassical features popular during the Federal period are readily apparent, including large windowpanes, Federal mantels, delicately turned columns, and the dominating arch that bisects the first floor hallway. Rooms are filled with many Stone family possessions and fine period furnishings.

The King-Bazemore house, a second house on the property open for tours, was moved to Hope Plantation from its original location some four miles away. The 1763 two-story structure is a rare example of a gambrel-roof house with brick end walls. The Flemish-bond brick sides, T-shaped chimneys, and arches over windows and fireplaces reflect medieval architectural influences. The interior follows a basic “hall and parlor” floor plan, with modifications showing touches of both Georgian and Federal styles. Outbuildings include an original meat house and a reconstructed kitchen.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 1:24 AM with the headline "NC governor’s house is a 213-year-old beauty."