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 1774 Alexander Rock House in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a very old and special home. It's the oldest house in Mecklenburg County and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. The Alexander family built this stone house, finishing it in 1774. Over the years, many different people have owned it. Today, The Charlotte Museum of History takes care of this amazing piece of history.
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History of the Rock House
Hezekiah Alexander, born around 1728, bought more than 600 acres of land in 1767. He finished building the Rock House in 1774. Hezekiah moved to North Carolina from Maryland, after living in Pennsylvania and Delaware. He worked as a blacksmith, making things from metal, and also as a farmer.
Hezekiah was an important person in his community. He was part of the Fifth Provincial Congress, a group that helped write North Carolina's first constitution. He also helped start Queens College, which was a school at the time. This college is not the same as the Queens University of Charlotte we know today.
Passing Down the House
After Hezekiah Alexander passed away, his wife, Mary Sample Alexander, became the owner of the home. She lived until 1805 and never remarried. When she died, the land was divided between her two youngest sons, Joel and Oswald. Oswald received the Rock House and its other buildings.
In 1826, Oswald married Mary Moore. Sadly, Oswald died suddenly that same year, and he did not leave a will. Mary then asked the court to give her the estate, including the Rock House. She received it in 1828. Later that year, Mary married William Lucky. Because of the property laws at that time, the house then passed from Mary to William, and it was no longer owned by the Alexander family.
William and Mary Lucky had three children: Dorcus, William, and Catherine. When William Lucky died in 1845, he also did not leave a will. His children each received parts of the land. Mary, his wife, also received some land, but the house went to their daughter, Dorcus.
New Owners and Changes
Dorcus married and moved to South Carolina in 1852. She left the property to her uncle, John W. Moore. He sold the house to Joseph W. Cadwell in late 1858.
Dr. Joseph Cadwell lived in the Rock House for two years. He passed away at age 28 in 1861. His brother, Samuel Cadwell, inherited the property. Samuel moved into the house with his parents and younger sister. After living there for 22 years, Samuel sold the property to Adam Yandle in March 1883.
Adam Yandle bought the house, paying most of the money upfront. He promised to pay the rest later. To make the final payment, he borrowed money from Victor Barringer. However, Yandle could not pay back this second loan either. So, in 1888, Barringer took the property and sold it at an auction to Joseph Reid in 1890.
Joseph Reid and his wife Rachel made several changes to the house. They added a large front porch and replaced the floors on the ground level. Joseph died in 1913 and did not have any children. So, the house went to Rachel. She passed away 15 years later in 1928 and never remarried. After her death, the house was put up for sale by their estate.
The House Becomes a Museum
In 1943, a person named Eugene Cole gave the house to the Methodist Church. They had plans to use the site as a retirement community. However, in 1949, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution leased the home and some of the land around it. Their goal was to protect and fix up this important historic building.
To help manage the property and raise money for more work, the Hezekiah Alexander Home Foundation was created in 1969. After being cared for by different groups, The Charlotte Museum of History became an independent organization in 1986. They continue to take care of the Alexander Rock House to this day, making sure its history is preserved for everyone to learn from.
Architecture of the Rock House
The Alexander Rock House was built in a style called Georgian style. This style was common for homes built by Germans who settled in Pennsylvania and by the Dutch people 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 still exists today. It shows us how people built homes a long time ago.
Images for kids
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Alexander Rock House, 1936
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