1774 Alexander Rock House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hezekiah Alexander House
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Alexander Rock House, Fall of 2019
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3500 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina |
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| Area | 8.3 acres (3.4 ha) |
| Built | 1774 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000461 |
| Added to NRHP | April 17, 1970 |
The Alexander Rock House in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a super old and special home! Built way back in 1774, it's the oldest house in Mecklenburg County. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Today, The Charlotte Museum of History takes care of this amazing piece of history.
Contents
The Alexander Rock House Story
Building a New Home
The Alexander Rock House was built by a man named Hezekiah Alexander. He was born around 1728 and lived until 1801. Hezekiah bought a huge piece of land, over 600 acres, in 1767. He finished building the Rock House in 1774.
Hezekiah was a busy man! He worked as a blacksmith, making things out of metal, and also as a farmer. He was also involved in politics. He helped write North Carolina's first constitution, which is like the rulebook for the state. He also helped start Queens College, which is not the same as the college there today.
Passing Through Generations
After Hezekiah passed away, his wife, Mary Sample Alexander, took care of the home. She lived there until 1805 and never remarried. When she died, the land was split between her two youngest sons, Joel and Oswald. Oswald received the Rock House itself.
Oswald married Mary Moore in 1826, but he sadly died that same year. Since he didn't leave a will (a legal paper saying who gets what), Mary had to ask the court for the house. She finally got it in 1828.
Later that year, Mary married William Lucky. Because of the laws back then, the house then passed from Mary to William. This meant the house was no longer owned by the Alexander family.
New Owners and Changes
William and Mary Lucky had three children: Dorcus, William, and Catherine. When William Lucky died in 1845, the land was divided again. Dorcus received the Rock House.
Dorcus married and moved away in 1852. She left the property to her uncle, John W. Moore. He sold the house to Joseph W. Cadwell in 1858.
Dr. Joseph Cadwell lived in the Rock House for only two years. He died in 1861 when he was just 28 years old. His brother, Samuel Cadwell, then inherited the property. Samuel lived there for 22 years before selling it to Adam Yandle in 1883.
Adam Yandle had trouble paying for the house. He had to borrow money, and eventually, the house was sold at an auction in 1890 to Joseph Reid.
Joseph Reid and his wife, Rachel, made many changes to the house. They added a big front porch and replaced the floors. Joseph died in 1913 without children, so Rachel inherited the house. She died in 1928, and the house was put up for sale.
The House Becomes a Museum
In 1943, Eugene Cole gave the house to the Methodist Church. They planned to use it for a retirement community. However, in 1949, a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution leased the house. They wanted to save and fix up this important historic building.
A special group, the Hezekiah Alexander Home Foundation, was started in 1969. Their goal was to manage the property and raise money for more restoration work. Finally, in 1986, The Charlotte Museum of History became an independent organization. They have been taking care of the Alexander Rock House ever since, making sure its history is preserved for everyone to enjoy!
House Style
The Alexander Rock House is built in a style called Georgian architecture. This style was common for homes built by German settlers in Pennsylvania and Dutch settlers in the Hudson Valley. When Germans moved south to North Carolina, they brought this building style with them. The Alexander House is one of the few examples of this unique architecture that you can still see today.
Images for kids
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Alexander Rock House, 1936
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