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Historical Summaries of Significant Mecklenburg County Rural Resources
Ingleside (MK 1471), Bud Henderson Road. Tradition holds that this house was built for Dr. William Speight McLean Davidson immediately after the Civil War. Dr. Davidson was a prominent physician and planter as illustrated by this stylish house. The wide eaves, scrolled brackets, hipped roof, and classical columned porch are all indicative of the Italianate style. This makes the building fairly uncommon in Mecklenburg County where the traditional Folk Victorian I-house is more often found. This house is important architecturally, as well as for its well preserved rural setting. The property is a locally designated historic landmark.
Jordan House (MK 1289), Hus McGinnis Road. This simple I-house has six over six panes of glass in the first floor windows and four over four in the upper windows perhaps indicating that the second story might have been added at a later date. The porch is not original. The property retains a log barn encompassed by shed additions, a frame granary, and a wellhouse making this mid to late nineteenth century property a good example of a typical Mecklenburg County farmstead.
Kerr - Hinson House (MK 1171), Arlington Church Road. The beautiful farmland surrounding this house and Hinson Store is an excellent reminder of Mecklenburg County's past. The farm is still in operation. The original section of this house was built in 1786 by Colonel David Kerr, a veteran of the Revolutionary war. This two story side gable house is two rooms deep and has had many alterations. The front of the house was originally the rear and modern additions have seriously impacted its integrity. However, its age and association with Eli Hinson make it significant. Eli Hinson, in addition to owning the store across the street, founded Arlington Baptist Church which was built from brick made at the mill located behind the store.
James B. Kidd House (MK 1474), Jim Kidd Road. Believed to have been built by Jim Kidd in 1912, this house was likely only one story originally. It is presently two stories with a rear ell and shed addition. The Kidd family still farmed the property in 1988 although they did not own the house. Five or six tenant families grew cotton on the farm until W.W.II. After the war, the farm was used for corn, grain, and hay, until the Kidds turned to dairy farming. This switch indicates the changes that were occurring in Mecklenburg County agriculture during the 1930s and 1940s.
Latta Place (MK 4A), Sample Road. The house was built in 1799 by James Latta, a peddler who once traveled between Philadelphia and Charleston. This house was the centerpiece of Latta's plantation. The excellent location was near the Catawba River, but beyond the flood plain. The austere house design is thought to be inspired by Philadelphia townhouses since the entry is on the gable end rather than the long side of the house. The chimneys, however, are in their traditional southern place at the ends of the building. The reconstructed agricultural buildings of this house museum give a good understanding of an early Mecklenburg County farmstead. This property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a locally designated historic landmark.
James L. Lawing House (MK 1475), Neck Road. James Lafayette Lawing probably built this T-plan house in 1909 when he moved to Hopewell from Paw Creek. Although presently sheathed in vinyl siding, the decorative fishscale shingles may still be seen in the front facing gable. Such decorative shingles are related to the Folk Victorian interpretation of the Queen Anne and Shingle styles. The collection of outbuildings, including a large barn near the house, along with its rural setting make this property significant.
Lee House (MK 1205), Lawyers Road. Built circa 1915 by the Lee family, this house is one-story tall with a rectangular plan, three bays wide by two deep. It features a high-pitch hip roof that is penetrated by a gable roofed dormer on the front. There is also a one-story porch, with a pediment at the center bay, that spans the front of the house with replacement wrought iron columns. The roof form of this modest dwelling, similar to the irregular roofs found in Queen Anne architecture, indicates a transitional period around the first World War. Moving away from Folk Victorian or Queen Anne architecture, houses began to resemble the more modest tastes of the bungalow period, often found with Craftsman detailing. Several historic outbuildings survive to the rear of the house.
William Lee House (MK 1734), Gaywind Drive. This Federal style I-house was built in 1828 by William Lee, Jr overlooking Swan Run Branch. By the 1850s, Lee was one of Mecklenburg County's more prosperous planters. The present double height portico is not original. The house may have had a double porch similar to that of the Dinkins house. The house is significant as an example of an early Mecklenburg County plantation house. The property is a locally designated historic landmark.
Long Creek School Agricultural Building (MK 1507), Beatties Ford Road. Associated with the now destroyed Long Creek Consolidated School of 1923, this building is an important remnant of Mecklenburg County's rural past. The simple brick veneer building has a Craftsman style entry porch. The building's use for agricultural classes illustrates the changes occurring in agricultural practice during the 1920s and 1930s. This was a period of transition from small farms and traditional methods, to larger, more mechanized operations. This property is a locally designated historic landmark.
Luckey, R. S. house (MK 1508), Mt. Holly - Huntersville Road. This I-house is a significant part of the rural character of this area. The two story house has a shed roof front porch and is set well off the road. Several outbuildings exist to the rear of the house. Fields are also located to the rear making this a good example of a turn of the century farm.
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