Lipscomb House facts for kids
The Lipscomb House is a historic home in Durham, North Carolina, United States. It was built in the Federal style, a popular building design from the late 1700s to early 1800s. This house was once part of the Lipscomb Plantation, a very large cotton farm. The plantation covered about 2,000 acres of land between the Eno River and the Little River. Many enslaved people were forced to work on this farm.
The plantation was also located along the Trading Path. This was an important route used by Catawba and Waxhaw Native American tribes. They used the path for trading goods between Petersburg, Virginia, and Hillsborough, North Carolina. Today, the Lipscomb House is a bed and breakfast, a place where people can stay overnight and have breakfast.
Contents
The Story of Lipscomb House
Early Days and Owners
The story of the Lipscomb House began in 1755. A man named Joseph Brittain received a large piece of land, over a thousand acres. This land was given to him by John Carteret, who was a powerful Earl. The land was located between the Eno River and the Little River.
A two-story house was built on this property in 1775. Over time, the land changed hands. It went from Joseph Brittain to William Cain, and then to Edward Davis and his wife.
John Lipscomb's Ownership
In 1834, John D. Lipscomb bought the plantation from Edward Davis. John Lipscomb was a very wealthy man. He owned many farms and was also involved in the textile business, making cloth.
Around 1835, John Lipscomb built a new, large house in the Federal style. This new house was connected to the older house from 1775, which then became a back part of the new home. More parts were added to the main house in the early and mid-1900s. In 1838, there was even a post office on the plantation, probably inside a store.
A Major Cotton Farm
The Lipscomb Plantation was one of the biggest cotton farms in Durham County. It stretched across 2,000 acres. John Lipscomb, along with two other large farm owners, Paul Cameron and Fendal Southerland, grew most of the cotton in the county. They produced 90 percent of all the cotton grown there.
The House Today
Today, the Lipscomb House is known as the Arrowhead Bed and Breakfast Inn. Its name comes from a large stone arrowhead monument on the property. This monument is located at the corner of Roxboro and Mason Roads.
The arrowhead monument was built in 1931. It marks the path of the historic Trading Path. It also honors the role of the plantation in the trading routes used by the Catawba and Waxhaw tribes. These tribes traded between Petersburg, Virginia, and Hillsborough, North Carolina.
In 2007, a special family reunion took place at the house. This reunion was for the descendants, or family members, of the people who were enslaved on the Lipscomb plantation. A woman named Gwendolyn Olson, whose own ancestors were enslaved there, wrote a short history about the enslaved people. This history is shared with guests who stay at the Arrowhead Inn.
