Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1954-11-10

-. $4,000 S.arIIe Ryan
A house that had known much
gracious living even before the
American colonies Won their in
dependence still stands serenely
on Village Point, overlooking
Shalotte River, in Brunswick
county. Colse around it are the
battered ruins of homes that were
wrecked by Hurricane Hazel-but
there it stands, in about the same
state of disrepair and neglect into
which is had fallen before Hazel
threw her might against its stall
wart frame.
There seems to be little or no
documentary history of the anci-
ent structure. OldsterS on the
Point say that their grandfathers
couldn't remember when it wasn't
already an old, old house. There
is general agreement on the Point
that it was already one of the long
established Carolina homes when
General George Washington made
his memorable tour of the North
Carolina coast.
NOW UNOCCUPIED
The house is at present unoccu-
pied. 1t stands on the 72-acre
"home place" that is part of the
estate of the late William Edgar
Trip, who died last spring. He
and his wife lived in the old
house for more than 80 years.
Their four children were born
and reared there, before they
built a modern home across the
highway.
AT various times in its long his
tory, the house has been known
as the old Russ place." 'the old
Chadwick place." 1.-The old Pigott
place." the old McNeill place."
and twice it has been known as
the old Trip place"
One thing about the landmark
is certain, however: 1t is the old
est prefabricated building in A
merica. Its timbers were cut lin
England; brought over piece by
piece, each piece chiseled with
Roman numerals TO designate how
they were TO be put together.
Where the studs, for instance, are
mortised into the stills, CORES
bonding numerals on stud and
sill are aligned. The same is true
of joistS and rafters. Skilled Brit
ish artisans cut each piece exactly
according TO plan-So that even
bungling American colonists could
erect it to withstand the rigors Of
wild shore.
1t isn't a big or pretentious
home, but it was a lot of house
to be brought in its entirety &C
cross the Atlantic. Much of its
charm lies in its cozy simplicity.
Compared to a modern suburban
home, the rooms are commodlous
but not large in the snse that
the plantation manor houses Oh
a somewhat later day had big
rooms.
BUILT WITHOUT NAILS
There is not a single nail in
the supcrstructure or framework.
The Joints are all mortised and
begged. The clapboards, flooring
and paneling are, Of course, nall
ed. The original wide board floors
are still in good. sound condition,
as is the wainscoating and wide
paneling. These and the original
hand-cut laths are all secured
with the original hand-cut nails.
Huge chimneyS at each end oil
the house are made Of bricks that
were brought from England III
sailing vessels. The two chimneys
provide four open fircplaces -
two in the upstairs bedrooms; one
in the kitchen and one in the liv-
ing room, which was perhaps
more likely called the front
parlor."
Paneled Railways upstairs ana
down from the front to the PACK
of the house. The upper floor con-
tains two bedrooms, one on eacn
side of the hall and both running
the full width Of the second story.
Below one Is the kitchen; below
the other, the front parlor. An
extension provides a smaller room
behind the kitchen; q similar