The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-28
Constitution House At
Halifax To Have Official
Opening On Friday

SllSuL near the OLD Colon
ial Church on Constitution Hill, at
the foot of which is Magazine
Spring. Two theories are held of
this spring-one that the Indians
placed the rocks which enclose it,
the other that it was the work of
early Scotch settlers who used it
to store powder and ammunition.
The latter theory seems more
plausible as it is unlikely that the
iron gates across the front were
the work of Indians. So famous is
the excellent water locally, one Of
ten hears the saying, "Once drink
Of the waters of Magazine Spring
and o are certain to return to
Halifax"
The ownership of Constitution
committee as a meeting place or
how it came to be used is unknown.
1t is supposed to have been a law
yer's office, but this opinion can
not be verified. The house and
lot changed hands several times,
the town built farther from the
river and it seemed that nothing
would save the historic building
from ultimate destruction. Final
ly it came into the possession of a
colored man. Uncle Shade johnson,
and after persistent efforts and
careful ~maneuvering the crumbling
ruins were bought by the Elizabeth
Montford Ashe Chapter for the sum
of forty dollars. Unable to pur-
chase the ground upon which the
house stood, the next step was to
obtain a lot for it's removal. A
beautiful wooded site ON the high
way known as CORVALLIS Road
near the remains of the once state
ly mansion, "The Groves, home OF
the patriot and stateman, Willie
Jones, was bought and piece by
piece the building was removed. In
rebuilding the treasured house
every timber and every brick Of
the original structure that could be
used was put into it. The unfit
material was burned on the lot
that the ashes might forever re.
main near the reconstructed build.
ing. Each new piece is an exact
reproduction of the original, max.
ing the house as it stands today a
complete reproduction.
Money For Restoration
Through the efforts of Miss Dan.
iels, the State Of North Carolina
appropriated $1,000 for the purpose
of restoration. Halifax County
contributed $4,000, the state or
ganization of D. A. R., $3.50, and
there were many gifts from indi.
viduals and Daughters of the Am.
erican Revolution who felt that it
was not a relic merely for Halifax,
but a monument for the entire state.
Upon its completion, it was pre-.
scented to the North Carolina D. A.
r. by the Elizabeth Montford Ashe
Chapter at a meeting of the fourth
district of the Daughters which was
held at Halifax with the request
that the chapter be allowed to act
as custodian and use it for chapter
purposes.
AS North Carolina had no colon
ial capital. all the old towns of the
state served as the seat of govern
ment at one time or another, the
plan of varying the place of meet
ing done in order to acquaint the
members with conditions in differ
ent parts of the state and also to
avoid partially to any section.
Created a borough in 1850, Hall
fax, the home of wealthy planters,
social and business leaders, was re-
presented in the Colonial Assem-
bly, by a long list of distinguished
men among them Joseph Montford,
Willie Jones, Francis Nash. William
R. Davis, John Baptista Ashe, Hut
chins G.. Burton.
When the delegates to the
Fourth Provincial Congress ar
rived in Halifax in April, 1776,
they found the little village
greatly excited over the con-
vening of congress on t h e
fourth. Spirited discussions of
the situation existing between
the colony and England brought
forth vigorous expressions of
hostility to the British Empire
and a desire for complete sepa-
ration. The $50 delegates Or
ganized themselves into a con-
gress and a committee was ap-
pointed to consider what steps
should be taken % Illustrate
Great Britain's depredations.
The result was the Halifax
Resolution which the congress
unanimously adopted on April
IL, 1776, declaring the common
wealth to be no longer t h e
colony of Great Britain, but a
Republic, the first established
on this continent.
When the Continental Con-
gress me at Philadelphia in