The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-08-23
OLD COLONIAL HOMES.
HISTORIC NOTES OF MECKLEN-
BURG'S FIRST FAMILIES.
Andrew Jackson's Sporting
Grounds-Points of History Wanted.

Andrew Jackson's Sporting
Grounds-Points of History Wanted.
Charlotte Chronicle.
A correspondent of the Richmond
Dispatbh describes an old stone house
in the neighborhood of Salisbury built
in 1766 by Michael Braun. Our
county has also some very interesting
old colonial houses, although none
actually known to be as old as this.
| Rowan county is an older county
than Mecklenburg, being formed in
1903, while our own county came into
existence in 1862. There are four old
stone houses in Mecklenburg, one
four miles from Charlotte bearing
date 1774, built by Hezekiah Alexan-
der. It is still in tolerable state of
preservation and has many interesting
colonial legends connected with it.
Another stands on the Lawyers
road six miles from Charlotte, and was
built by Ezekiel Wallis. These old
walls rang with merriment when Mar
shall Polk (the brother of Presi-
dent Polk, carried his bride there to
an Unfair" given by his grandmother.
1 w
whose daughter Jane married Samuel
Polk. Hence the Presidents name
James Knox Polk.
The old wilson house, built as most
of the colonial houses were, of logs, is
on the same road about FIVE miles
from Charlotte. 1t once had beau
tiful cedar avenue, but the cedars are
nearly all gone. Here General An
drew Jackson spent portion of his
boyhocd, and it was here that he was
seen with boyish energy and exclaim-
ing to himself: "Oh, when am a
man. This is the way will NOW
down the British troops" The child
ish boast was prophecy, for he GER
tainly moved down the British at the
battle of New Orleans.
The McIntire house is also of logs.
1t stands on the StatesviIe road seven
miles from this city. 1t was here
that about dozen rebels drove d par
ty of tour hundred English soldiers
from their stolen booty, back to head
| quarters to report TO Lord CORVALLIS
that there was rebel behind every
bush on the roadside" 1t was prob
ably the most daring feat t the Rev
olutionary war.
The brick house of Major john Da
wilson is quite old, hut only the walls
are standing the woodwork having
been destroyed by fire u few years ago.
1t cannot claim to be colonial house,
however, although hundred years
old, having been built soon after the
revolution Our country has noble
history, but very few persons seem
to care to preserve the relics of the
past The colonial grave yards are
fast disappearing. The one in which
Thomas Spratt is buried Is on the hill
east of Charlotte, near where Mr..
Shannonhouse now lives. There is
no stone to mark the patriarch g
grave. He was the1 first emigrant
| who crossed the Yadkin river on
wheels-that is, the first to bring his
household goods with him. His
daughter .Annie afterwards Mrs.
Jack Barnett was the hrst white
child born between the Yadkin and
Catawba rivers. The grave of this
ladv in the Barnett family burying
grounds. may be seen nine miles south
of Charlotte, near the Nation ford
road.
Another old grave yard near the
Pineville road contains the tombstone
of Mrs. Ezekiel Polk and also that OF
Ezra Alexander. If this is the Ezra
Alexander who signed the Mecklen
burg Declaration, the public would be
glad to know it. Can any of the old
citizens tell us? Also where he lived
and who are his defendants Charles
Alexander is another one of the sign
ers about whom 1 would like to have
some information. | have not been
able to learn where Neil Morrison liv-
ed, nor where he died, nor where he
is buried. These things are interest
ing now and will probably be far more
interesting in the future, when every
scrap of local history will be eagerly
sought after. ii. M. l,