Nonprofits offer tours of historic homes in Lincoln, Mecklenburg
The event is cooperative effort of Preservation North Carolina (PNC) and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission (CMHLC), with help from the Lincoln County Historical Association (LCHA) and the Olde Huntersville Historical Society.
Ingleside I in Iron Station was built in 1817 by Daniel Forney, a planter, congressman and Major in the War of 1812. The Forney family was prominent in Lincoln County’s iron industry, building the Madison-Derr iron furnace in 1809.
The future of Ingleside I was uncertain earlier this year as the surrounding land was approved for development as the Ingleside Farm subdivision. Then owner, Caroline Clark, worked with developers, county officials and the LCHA on a plan for the home’s preservation. Ultimately, the Clark family donated the house and about six surrounding acres to PNC. Ingleside I, to date, was the highest-value property donation the organization has ever received.
PNC Director of Resource Development Shannon Phillips said donations are an important source of revenue, allowing the organization to continue preservation efforts across the state. The properties are sold with protective covenants. The organization works with new buyers who are sensitive to the property’s historic character.
PNC’s Western Regional Director, Ted Alexander, calls Ingleside I stand-out property in all of North Carolina architecture and credits the Clark family in their efforts to have it preserved in perpetuity. Alexander said Ingleside I is a “truly and outstanding and astounding house.”
Suburban development in Huntersville was the main concern for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmark Commission to preserve one of the county’s largest surviving Antebellum structures. Built in 1850 and at almost 6,000 square feet, Ingleside II is an early example of the Italianate style of architecture. The commission works similarly to PNC in looking for new uses and owners for historic structures. The commission’s senior preservation planner, Stewart Gray, said the organization doesn’t want to keep it.
“We want to find a good adaptive reuse for the property,” Gray said. “If they’re not used they’re very hard to save.”
Ingleside in Lincoln County is located at 214 S. Ingleside Farm Road in Iron Station.
Ingleside in Mecklenburg County is located at 7225 Bud Henderson Road in Huntersville.
(Lincoln Times-News, 11/30/18)