Cherry Hill Plantation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cherry Hill
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | SE of Warrenton on NC 58, near Inez, Warren County, North Carolina |
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| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | c. 1850 |
| Built by | Jacob W. Holt |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001384 |
| Added to NRHP | November 5, 1974 |
Cherry Hill Plantation is a beautiful old house from the mid-1800s. It is located in Inez, a community near Warrenton, North Carolina in Warren County, North Carolina. The house has a simple but elegant style. It shows off the popular tastes of the Victorian era.
Today, the Cherry Hill Historical Foundation takes care of the plantation. They use it for concerts, shows, weddings, and other fun events. The house is about an hour away from Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital.
History of Cherry Hill
The story of Cherry Hill Plantation begins with George Washington Alston (1801–1849) and his wife, Marina Williams Alston (1810–1897). They first lived in an older home called Old Cherry Hill. This house was a few hundred yards behind where the current house stands.
Their three sons, William, Philip, and George, were all born at Old Cherry Hill. George and Marina had plans to build a new, bigger home. However, George Washington Alston passed away before they could start. His friend, John Buxton Williams, became the guardian of the boys. He decided to continue with the plans to build the new house.
The main Cherry Hill Plantation house was built in 1858. John Waddell was the master builder for the project. He was chosen by Jacob Holt, a well-known builder. After George Washington Alston died, he left the plantation to his wife, Marina. Marina Priscilla Williams was the one who officially asked for the new building to be constructed.
The Alston family was connected to other large estates in the area. These included Myrtle Lawn and Tusculum in Warren County. They also had ties to Linwood Farms, Rocky Hill, and Vine Hill Plantations in Franklin County, North Carolina.
At the time the house was built, Cherry Hill was a very large estate. It covered about 500 acres of developed land. There were also 1500 acres of undeveloped land, used for timber and animal grazing. Many people lived and worked on the estate. There were also fourteen houses for the workers.
Amazing Architecture and Design
Cherry Hill Plantation has some unique features. There is a low fence around the house. In the front yard, you can see two octagonal (eight-sided) gazebos. There's also an ice-house and a well house with pretty lattice walls.
John A. Waddell, the builder, used skills he learned from the Holt school of design. He mixed different styles in the house. You can see elements of the new and fancy Italianate and Gothic Revival styles. These are blended with the more traditional Greek Revival style.
The porch has a special design called a trefoil theme. This creates a cool arched shape. Inside, some doors are painted to look like different kinds of wood, such as rosewood. The baseboards look like gray or black marble. The inside of the house was simple but very elegant. It showed off the Victorian love for beautiful, sometimes artificial, details.
A piano was placed in the front hall. This was the first thing visitors would see when they entered. The front hall was designed with a central hallway. There were two equal-sized rooms on each side. These rooms were used for extra seating when concerts were held.
The house has two staircases. The staircase on the north side was built wide enough for women wearing large hooped dresses. It also served as extra seating during concerts. The second staircase is on the south side. This one was mostly used by men. Guest composers would often stay overnight in the north bedroom upstairs. The south-end bedroom was mainly for the children. Marina Alston, the owner, slept in the master bedroom downstairs. This room had two closets, which was very unusual for homes back then!
The entire building was designed to show off the famous Southern hospitality.
Concerts at Cherry Hill
Concerts did not happen at Cherry Hill until Edgar Thorne came along. In the 1960s, Edgar Thorne started buying parts of the property. In 1982, he gave the house and 14 acres to the Cherry Hill Historical Foundation. He continued to live there with his sister until she passed away in 1998. Edgar started the Cherry Hill Concert Series and took great care of the house.
The plantation soon became famous for its amazing concerts. They held three concerts in the fall and three in the spring. This schedule was because the house did not have central heating or air conditioning. Guests could sit in the same room as the musician. They could also sit in the two rooms nearby. Many guests even sat on the first stairwell. If there were many people, they would use the opposite stairwell too.
The musicians were usually pianists and violinists. The grand piano you see in the front hall today was placed there in 2001. It replaced an older Steinway Grand piano. Edgar Thorne passed away in 2004. It was his dream that the Cherry Hill Historical Foundation would continue the classical concert series. He and his sister started these concerts in the 1970s.
Today, Cherry Hill still holds concerts throughout the year. They only take a break during the summer, unless it's a special event. Each concert usually has between 35 and 60 guests. The ideas and design that Edgar Thorne had are still followed. They try to keep everything as original as possible.
