Hoyle Historic Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hoyle House
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | South side of NC 275, 1,400 feet (430 m) southwest of the south fork of the Catawba River |
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| Nearest city | Dallas, North Carolina |
| Area | 8.95 acres (3.62 ha) |
| Built | 1794 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001140 |
| Added to NRHP | October 21, 1993 |
The Hoyle Historic Homestead is a very old house in Gaston County, North Carolina. It is also known as the Hoyle Family Homestead or Peter Hoyle House. This two-story house was built in the mid-to-late 1700s. It shows special building styles from German-American settlers. The house has been changed and updated over time. Around 1810, it got a new look with Georgian and Federal designs. It also had front and back porches added. Nearby, there is an old brick well house and a wooden smokehouse. These buildings are from the 1800s. The house sits on almost nine acres of land. There are also several large walnut trees around the buildings.
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The Hoyle Family History
The Hoyle family started their journey in America with Pieter Heyl. He was a miller from a town called Adenbach in Germany. Pieter, his wife Catharine, and their children came to America on a ship in 1738. They first settled in Pennsylvania. Later, the family moved to Maryland. By 1753, they had moved to what is now Gaston County, North Carolina. The family's name, Heyl, was later changed to Hoyle. Pieter Hoyle passed away before 1761.
Who Built the Hoyle House?
No one knows the exact year the Hoyle House was built. Some people think it was built between 1750 and 1758. After Pieter Hoyle and his oldest son Jacob died, Jacob's young son Martin inherited the land. Martin later gave the property to his uncle John. In 1794, the land went to another grandson of Peter Hoyle, named Andrew. Andrew was a farmer and a businessman. He was known as "Rich Andrew." He might have bought the property with the house already standing. Then, he might have improved it with new finishes in the early 1800s. It is also possible that Andrew built the house himself.
Where is the Hoyle House Located?
The Hoyle House sits on a hill. From this spot, you can see the South Fork of the Catawba River. The house faces south toward an old dirt road that is now overgrown. Today, visitors can reach the property from the Dallas-Stanley Highway on the north side.
How the Hoyle House is Built
The oldest part of the house has a foundation made of small stones. You can still see some of these stones today. The house shows German-American building styles. It has a very strong wooden frame. This frame uses large timbers with logs tightly fitted in between them. The original roof structure is still there, but it is now covered with tin from the early 1900s. Much of the special original siding, added around 1810, is still under newer wood. This old siding shows that the outside of the house was once uncovered. Some of the early windows are also still in place. They were probably small and may have only had shutters at first.
Inside the House: First Floor
The first floor of the main part of the house has four rooms. There are two larger rooms on the east side. These rooms share a chimney with fireplaces in the corners. There are also two smaller rooms on the west side. All the rooms connect to each other. The original staircase was in the southeast corner of the larger front room. It was removed in the late 1960s.
The inside of the first floor is carefully finished. Much of the newer wall material has been taken off. This shows the old board ceilings and wood-paneled walls. Some of these interior parts probably date back to the first time the house was remodeled.
Inside the House: Second Floor
The second floor has three rooms. There is one large room on the east side. This room takes up about two-thirds of the space. There are also two smaller rooms on the west side. The wooden wall between the rooms is like the one on the first floor. This basic three-room layout is probably how the house was first built. However, this wall has been moved at least twice. Old marks on the walls show that the wall was moved east by about three feet. The outer walls were originally exposed logs. They were covered with plaster, probably in the early 1800s. A door in the large east room leads to the attic stairs. In the stairwell, you can clearly see how the house was built. The corner posts and log fillings have never been covered.
Other Buildings on the Property
There are two other old buildings on the property. They are from the early to mid-1800s. Near the main house, there is a well house. This is a one-story brick building. It has holes for air on the ends. Its tin roof extends out to cover the well, acting like a small porch. East of the well house is a smokehouse. This building has wooden siding and a metal roof.
Why the Hoyle House is Important
The Hoyle House is a very important landmark. It shows a unique style of traditional German-American architecture in North Carolina. The house is unusually large for its time. It uses a special building method: a heavy timber frame with logs filling the spaces. This method has been seen in other German settlement areas in the mid-Atlantic. But it was not known to be in North Carolina until this house was studied.
We don't know the exact date the house was built. So, we can't be sure who the first owner was. We also don't know the exact order of all its changes. It's not clear if the house was built by 1761. If more research is done, like studying the ground or the wood, we could learn more. This would help us understand the Hoyle House's place in German-American architecture in the Piedmont region.
See also
