Built by enslaved people, Mecklenburg County’s oldest home to be completely restored
Built by enslaved men and women, Mecklenburg County’s oldest home will undergo final restoration work thanks to a six-figure federal grant, Charlotte Museum of History officials said this week.
The 1774 Rock House was the former home of Hezekiah Alexander, a framer of North Carolina’s first constitution and bill of rights, museum officials said. The home at 3500 Shamrock Drive is the last one standing from Charlotte’s Revolutionary War era.
The $444,500 from the National Park Service represents one of the largest ever public grants to the museum, which is based at the historic home site. Officials have not said what the restoration will involve.
Small plantation had 17 enslaved people
Museum President and CEO Terri White said she and other museum officials are excited to now be able to preserve the home for future generations.
“Although we have expanded the stories we share with our programming and exhibits, we have always recognized that this house and all the histories connected to it are at the heart of our existence and mission,” White said in a statement.
Alexander lived in the 5,000-square-foot home until his death in 1801, according to a museum history of the site. The small plantation had tobacco and other crops, and livestock.
At least 17 enslaved people lived and worked there, while 12 Alexanders lived in the Rock House, plus boarders and visitors, museum officials said.
Indigenous people hunted, camped at site
The stone walls of the home are up to 2 feet thick, according to the museum. Stone came from a quarry on the property.
Stone projectile points, ceramic fragments and other artifacts unearthed during archaeological digs revealed that indigenous people hunted and camped on the land for thousands of years.
The last major renovation of the home occurred around America’s 200th birthday in 1976, officials said.
This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 1:40 PM.