Historic Sites
in the Hickory Metro Area

(Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties)

Alexander County

Burke County

Caldwell County

Catawba County

Alexander County

Alexander County Railroad Company (June Bug Special)

Began operating in 1887 as part of the Statesville Westerner Railroad Company.  The Alexander County Railroad Company was established in 1946 when service was to be discontinued, and the railroad has operated continuously since.

All Healing Springs

On State Road 1318 northwest of Taylorsville. A popular sulphur springs resort from 1911 to 1932-33. The site is currently abandoned and in substantial disrepair.

Green Barnes Cabin

On State Road 1338 north of Taylorsville. Reportedly the oldest standing structure in Alexander County. Although the date of construction is not known, citizens believe it was built around the time of the Revolutionary War. An addition to the hewn log construction seems to have been made in the middle to late part of the nineteenth century.

Hiddenite Gem Mines

One of the few sites in the world where the emerald variety of hiddenite may be found. In 1969, North America's largest emerald, named the Carolina, was discovered near the site of the Hiddenite Gem Mine.

Jim Lucas House

Located in Hiddenite, the house was built in the early 1900's, and is a three story Queen Anne Victorian. The house is now the home of the Hiddenite Center.

Mock House

One mile from State Road 1624. Built in 1836, this two-story structure is the oldest brick house in Alexander County.

Burke County

Bellevue

State Road 1419. A distinctive plantation house set on a hill, it is a Federal period brick house distinguished by its excellent brickwork, interesting variations of the Quaker plan, and unusual full-height rear porch. It has local significance because of its long association with the Erwin family who settled the area.  Bellevue is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Broughton Hospital

Morganton. The main building was authorized by the General Assembly in 1875 with construction completed in 1886. The Second Empire style of architecture was designed by Samuel Sloan who designed the Governor's Mansion in Raleigh.

Burgess Gaither House

North Anderson St., Morganton. A good example of Greek Revival architecture, and owned by Burgess Gaither, a prominent lawyer and member of the Confederate Congress.

Old Burke County Courthouse

The Historic Burke Foundation offices are included in this restored building constructed in 1835-37. Also in the building is the Heritage Museum, which includes a turn-of-the-century law office and other exhibits. The Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cedar Grove

State Road 1440. Built in 1825 by Jacob Forney, an example of the Federal style, with window frames made from solid walnut. The exterior is illustrative of Flemish bond laid brick with molded cornices.

Creekside

Located at the intersection of U.S. 70 and 70A, this is one of the largest houses of its age in western North Carolina. Built in 1836, Creekside is a truly monumental example of the early Greek Revival influence.  On the National Register of Historic Places.

Henry River Mill Village

N.C. 1803. An excellent example of a late nineteenth century mill village. Includes the company homes, company story, owner's and overseer's homes, and the mill itself.

Magnolia Place

At the junction of I-40 and U.S. 64, an impressive Greek Revival temple form house incorporating an earlier Federal structure. On the National Register of Historic Places.

North Carolina School for the Deaf  (Main building)

Morganton. Authorized by the General Assembly in 1875 and built in 1891. The significance of this building is the Queen Anne architecture and its being one of the earliest schools for the deaf.

Old Rock School

Now a civic auditorium.

Pleasant Valley

Gate at junction of State Roads 1423, 1439, and 1438. This brick plantation house is described as an "excellent example of the fine brick dwellings of the Catawba Valley". This house is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Quaker Meadows

Northeast of N. C. 181, Quaker Meadows is historically significant because of its association with the Revolution War figure, Charles McDowell. It was also in this house that Zebulon B. Vance (Governor during the Civil War) married Charles McDowell's niece, Harriet N. Espy. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Quaker Meadows Cemetery

Across from Freedom High School in Morganton, the cemetery is located on part of the encampment area for Rutherford's Cherokee expedition and for the King Mountain encampment in late Sept., 1780. The cemetery includes the final resting place for many prominent and influential Whigs of Burke County.

Swan Ponds

On State Road 1222, this Greek Revival brick house was built in 1848. It was the family seat of the Avery family, including Waightsill Avery, who was active in the upper echelons of North Carolina politics from 1768 until his death in 1821.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Cedars (Tate House)

South King Street in Morganton. An adaptation of a large house of Greek Revival style into Second Empire style. The house is a monument to Colonel Samuel McDowell Tate, who influenced the location of two large State institutions in Morganton (Broughton Hospital and North Carolina School for the Deaf). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Valdese Cotton Mill

St. Germaine and Columbo St., Valdese. The cotton mill started operation in 1906 and was the first cotton mill owned by the Waldensians.

Valdese Manufacturing Company

St. Germaine and Colombo St., Valdese. The first knitting mill owned and operated by the Waldensians. The mill started operating around 1913.

Waldensian Presbyterian Church

Corner of Main and Roderet St., Valdese. The first religious structure built by the Waldensians in 1899, and its Romanesque style of architecture was duplicated from the churches in the Waldensian communities in the Cottian Alps of Italy. The Waldensians are the oldest Protestant sect predating John Huss and Martin Luther by several centuries.

Caldwell County

Baird Home

In Granite Falls was built in 1792.

Beech Hill

On the Tom Dooley Road in the Grandin area, it was built in 1830, and is also known as the William Hagler house.

Berea Advent Christian Church

N.C. Hwy. 90 in Collettsville. The church was built in 1875, and was the first Advent Christian congregation to organize in North Carolina.

The Blowing Rock

In extreme northern Caldwell County, the Blowing Rock was written up in Ripley's Believe It or Not as an aerodynamic phenomenon. This was one of the area's earliest scenic and tourist attractions, and is linked with a well-known Indian legend.

Boone Fork Park

Mrs. Anna Boone Coffey, a grand-niece of Daniel Boone, is buried near the entrance.

Caldwell County Heritage Museum

Photographs and historical relics from area history. On the site of the former Davenport Female College.

Calico

Once called Walnut Grove, this is a brick house built in 1856 on the Calico Road by John Eli Corpening.

Central Hotel

North Main St., Lenoir. Built in 1842 by Lucius Tuttle, this is the oldest brick building in the City of Lenoir. It has been remodeled and is one of the few early commercial buildings still standing in the area.

Chapel of Rest

On Hwy. 268 north of Lenoir, the first edifice was built in 1889 and burned in 1917, but rebuilt the following year. No longer an active congregation, the building has been repaired and restored. A large cemetery adjoining pre-dates the organization of the church.

Cherry Hill

A frame house on North Main Street of Lenoir, built for T. J. Dula in 1858. C. A. Cilley, Lenoir's first mayor of record, lived there later.

Clover Hill

A brick house in Happy Valley built for Edmund W. Jones in 1845. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Corpening House

State Road 1142. An example of a Piedmont Plantation house, with French influence in construction with the typical two story porch. The house was built by 1856 by slaves owned by Mr. John Corpening.

Elm Grove

A frame house built in 1848 in the Lower Creek section by Nelson Powell.

Fairfield

A brick house on West Harper Ave., Lenoir, the oldest portions built about 1829 by James Harper and enlarged by various later additions.

First Dental Office in Lenoir

Owned by Dr. J. M. Spainhour, this stood originally on South Main Street near its intersection with Harper Avenue. It has been moved to the Beech Hill property.

First Presbyterian Church and Cemetery

Presbyterians have had church buildings on this site since 1859.

Fort Defiance

A frame house on Hwy. 268 north of Lenoir, this was built by General William Lenoir sometime between 1788 and 1792 on the site where a frontier fort once stood. Restored by the Caldwell County Historical Society, the home is one of the most interesting historic places in the state.

Gaither House

On East Avenue, Lenoir, built by Wiley Gaither as one of the first houses in the original boundaries of Lenoir.

Harper Furniture Company

Prospect St., Lenoir. This establishment was the first furniture company built inside the original boundaries of Lenoir. Although it has been sold and remodeled several times, the factory is still in operation today.

Henry Donahue's Grave

Oldest marked grave in Caldwell County, he died in 1775. The grave is on Hwy. 268 north of Lenoir.

Kirkwood

Built for Rev. Jesse Rankin in 1858, now the home of Hospice of Caldwell County.

Laura Foster's Grave

Made famous by the Kingston Trio's hit song, Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley, Laura's grave is on Hwy. 268 north of Lenoir. Tom Dooley was said to have murdered Laura in nearby Wilkes County.

Littlejohn's Church

In Gamewell, this is one of the oldest church organizations in the county. This church was built on land given by Thomas Littlejohn in the late 1700's. Bishop Francis Asbury and the Rev. Robert Johnstone Miller preached there. The grave of the first Revolutionary soldier buried in the county is located there.

McCaleb Coffey House

Built in the 1830's, on highway 321 north of Lenoir.

Mariah's Chapel United Methodist Church

Mortimer's Mill and town site

Where Ritter Lumber Company operated. Most of the town washed away in the flood of 1916.

Patterson School for Boys

Established in 1909 on land which was once the Palmyra Plantation, the School is located on Highway 268 north of Lenoir

Rankin House

Built in 1845 as a rental property by James Harper. Rev. and Mrs. Jesse Rankin lived there in 1856-58 while Kirkwood was being built, and their name is still associated with the structure. The house is now the home of RSVP.

Riverside

A brick house on the Grandin Road, built for John L. Jones in 1860-62. Later the home of Colonel George N. Folk, who conducted a law school for boarding students.

St. James Episcopal Church

In Lenoir, built in 1851-52, stucco over frame, used during the War Between the States as a prison for Confederate and local men captured when Federal troops, under Gen. George Stoneman, occupied Lenoir in April of 1865. The church has been remodeled extensively during the ensuing years.

Summers House

Built in 1834, one of the oldest houses in the county. The original log house was incorporated into improvements and additions. The house is located in the Granite Falls area.

Sunnyvale

A frame house on the Wilkesboro Road, built by Thomas Hoover after the Civil War.

Throneburg House

A frame home in Hudson built about 1880.

Tucker's Barn

Site on Norwood Street which was used as a community gathering place in the late 18th century. The old capped well is still at the site.

Twin Poplars

Located near Warrior about five miles north of Lenoir off Hwy. 321.  The trees, according to legend, were tied together as a symbol of peace after a battle between the Cherokees and the Catawba Indians at Warrior Gap.

Walnut Fountain

A frame house in Happy Valley, built for William Davenport in 1807.

Walnut Grove

A large frame house built along Mulberry Creek for William Dickson and his wife Peggy McDowell Dickson in 1833. This home is still owned by their descendants.

Yadkin Baptist Church

Established in the late 1770's and located in Patterson. The minute book dates to 1787, and one of the clerks was Jonathan Boone, Daniel Boone's great-nephew. The current edifice was erected in 1956, and expanded in more recent years.

Catawba County

(Also see Hickory's Historic Districts)

Ball's Creek Campground

State Road 1003. Formed by the Methodist Church community in 1853, chartered by the General Assembly, Ball's Creek Campground has been used continuously for religious camp meetings since that time.

Bickett House

South College Street, Newton. Significant features are its brick columns, enclosed front porch, and box-like architecture.

Bolick Buggy Shop

Conover. Built before 1886 and owned by Jerome Bolick, this structure is significant in that buggy and wagon production was one of the earliest industries in Catawba County. Prior to the fading away of the buggy, this shop produced about 28 per week.

Bunker Hill Covered Bridge

Located one mile east of Claremont, off Hwy. 70. Built in 1894, it is one of the two remaining covered bridges in North Carolina. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1924 Courthouse

Home of the Catawba Museum of History, it was built in 1924. The grounds contain the Confederate Monument, War Memorial and other interesting markers. The museum features permanent and changing exhibits on the history of the Catawba Valley. Museum collections include a large Civil War collection, handcrafted furniture and a 1930's race car.

Dr. Fred T. Long's Office

Hwy. 10, Catawba. A small two-room frame structure, its significance lies in being one of the few remaining doctor's office, and is an excellent example of an early 20th century rural doctor's office.

Dr. John Foil House (Lamar Cline House)

South Main St., Newton. Built around 1873 by Dr. John Foil, the house is styled in Queen Anne architecture with bay windows, hand-carved porch trim and gable ends, and rounded double doors. The house was also used as a library for Catawba College when it was located in Newton.

George Hoffman House

near Conover. Built between 1801 and 1805 by George Hoffman. First house to be constructed with sawed lumber in the upper Catawba area. The logs were sawed by mounting them on scaffolds and sawing them with an "up and down" saw.

Hart Square

A collection of log buildings that were disassembled, moved and reconstructed exactly as they originally stood.  Privately owned and open to the public only one day per year.

Hickory Railroad Depot

Second St. Pl., SW and Main Ave. Pl., SW., Hickory. Built in 1904 in no particular style, the significance lies in the importance of the railroad to the area.

J. D. Elliott House

4th St. and 2nd Ave., Hickory. A two-story Queen Anne style Victorian structure subdivided in the 1940's into eleven efficiency apartments. The structure was built by J. D. Elliott, one of the most noted persons in the history of the City of Hickory, having served fourteen terms as mayor, chairman of the county commissioners, and twice as a State Senator from the district.

J. Y. Killian House

West 7th St., Newton. A fine example of the style of an upper-class dwelling of the 1880's in the Piedmont.

John Fulenwider House

Providence Mill Road. Built during the 1820's by John Fulenwider who was a wealthy landowner and proprietor of the Jenny Lind Iron Forge prior to the War Between the States. The "White House" as it was referred to by some, was the social center of the Providence Mill Community.

Mott's Grove Campground

South of Sherrill's Ford. Organized by the Black Methodist community and incorporated by the General Assembly around 1865 for religious meetings. Today the campground is very seldom used but is a distinct reminder of the separate but equal status during the days of segregation.

Murray's Mill

Turn of the century working gristmill museum powered by a huge overshot waterwheel. Also has an 1890's country store and 1880's Wheathouse Folk Art Gallery. Located two miles west of Catawba off Highway 10.

Perkins House

Oxford School Rd. Probably built for "Gentleman" John Perkins, a mid-eighteenth century guide for the Moravians and later a prominent citizen of western North Carolina, this is among the more important early dwellings in the Piedmont and features vernacular Adamsesque and Georgian styles. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Peter Wagner Log Farm

Off Section House Road. Built in 1871, the site is a good example of a log farm house, along with a log smokehouse and a log corn crib. One of the last log farms built in the region.

Powell-Trollinger Lime Kilns

Maiden area. Part of a lime producing operation begun shortly after the War Between the States by Dr. Avery M. Powell. The kilns, bought in 1877 by Moses Trollinger, continued to operate until the 20th century. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Propst House

Shuford Memorial Gardens, Hickory. A Handsome Second Empire style cottage embellished by elaborate wooden ornament executed by its first owner, a carpenter. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rudisill-Wilson House

South of Startown. Built c. 1820, this is one of the earliest houses in Catawba County. Remarkable for its retention of original fabric including hardware and interior Federal trim. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

On Old Conover-Startown Hwy near Newton, this church was founded in 1757. The building is said to have been constructed over a five month period during 1808. History has it that the principal carpenter, Henry Cline, included the sound timbers from an older log church known as the Dutch Meeting House, which was standing in the churchyard when the present Old St. Paul's Church was built to replace it. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shuford House

Second St., NE, Hickory. Built around 1875, the house stands as a memorial to the late Wade H. Shuford. It is highlighted by a well-ornamented porch that stretches the full length of the facade. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

W. A. Williams House

West C St., Newton. Built in the 1870's by W. A. Williams who was a colonel in the War Between the States and one of Catawba County's early industrialists. This is one of the oldest houses standing in Newton.

Weidner Rock House

State Road 1142. Although stone construction is commonly associated with German settlers from the Pennsylvania area, this is one of the few surviving examples in North Carolina. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

If there are other sites that should be included, please e-mail me.  Thanks!