Poplar Hill (Hillsborough, North Carolina) facts for kids

Poplar Hill is a historic house in Hillsborough, North Carolina. It was once the main house of a very large farm. This farm was first called Occoneechee Farm and later Banks of the Eno. The land was originally used by the Occaneechi and Saponi people for farming and hunting. An English colonist named Francis Corbin was given the land and started a working farm there. Later, the Hogg family owned the farm. In 1891, a rich tobacco businessman named Julian Carr bought the property. He and his wife changed the house from a simple farmhouse to a grand home in the Greek Revival style. After Carr passed away, the house was moved to a new spot in the Hillsborough Historic District. Poplar Hill has been rented out over the years. Some people who have lived there, like musician Tom Maxwell, have left early because they reported strange happenings, believing the house might be haunted.

A Look Back at Poplar Hill's Past

Early Days and First Owners

The land where Poplar Hill stands was once important farming and hunting grounds. It was used by the Occaneechi and Saponi people. In the 1700s, an English land grant gave this land to Francis Corbin. Over time, different families farmed the land. In 1794, a farmer named James Hogg named it Banks of the Eno. This was because it was very close to the Eno River. The Poplar Hill house itself was finished in 1794.

Julian Carr's Grand Vision

On April 25, 1891, a wealthy tobacco businessman named Julian Carr bought the large 663-acre property. He paid $10,000 to James Hogg and his sister, Margaret. Carr and his wife, Nannie Graham Parrish Carr, named the main house Poplar Hill. The Carrs hired Jules Gilmer Körner to redecorate Poplar Hill. It had been a simple farmhouse before. Körner redesigned the house to look like a classic Greek Revival mansion. It got a widow's walk (a platform on the roof), a big front porch with many columns, and a small balcony. He also added French windows downstairs. He created two fancy entrances along the porch.

Poplar Hill was a second home for the Carr family. Their main house was Somerset Villa in downtown Durham. Julian Carr was very rich from his successful businesses. These included the W. T. Blackwell and Company and the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company. He wanted to live like a gentleman farmer. Carr turned the farm into a full working farm. It had a large sheep barn and a big piggery. There were also breeding pens and a full dairy barn for fifty-six cows. Five poultry houses held over 1,500 chickens. A three-story barn had thirty-six stalls for horses and a basement for mules. Carr also built a half-mile horse track. It was on the southern bank of the Eno River.

Changes and New Beginnings

A tornado caused a lot of damage to the farm in 1919. The house itself was mostly fine. However, the farming business never fully recovered. Julian Carr's health was also getting worse. He sold the property in the early 1920s. Poplar Hill was advertised for sale in newspapers in 1923. Shortly before Carr passed away in 1924, the property was divided. It was sold off in smaller pieces.

In the 1940s, NASCAR founder William France bought the horse track Carr had built. He then started the Occoneechee Speedway there. In the 1950s, smaller farms that were once part of the plantation were sold. They were developed into new neighborhoods.

In 1980, Poplar Hill was moved from its original spot. It went to the other side of the Eno River. It is now on the southern end of Cameron Street in the Hillsborough Historic District. James Freeland moved the house. He had planned to open a restaurant there. But he changed his mind after people in Hillsborough disagreed. Poplar Hill's new location is close to where six people were executed in 1771. These people were part of the Regulator Movement. Poplar Hill then became a house for rent.

Reported Hauntings at Poplar Hill

The house is reportedly haunted. Many people have said strange things happen there. In the 1980s, a person renting the house was accused of causing trouble. Later, a Native American historical site was found on the property. Musician and writer Tom Maxwell rented the house. But he ended his lease early because of the reported hauntings.