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McDowell House now part of national historic trail

Mike Conley/nconley@mcdowellnews.com

Local officials, historians and members of the McDowell Trails Association were on hand for Sunday’s dedication ceremony at the McDowell House. Mayor Everette Clark and Commission Chairman Andy Webb hold the certificate that signifies that the house is part of the Overmountain Victory Trail.

By Mike Conley | The McDowell News

Published: September 28, 2008

The home of Joseph McDowell, one of the leaders of the Overmountain Men and the county's namesake, is now part of the Overmountain Victory Historic Trail and will be preserved so future generations can learn about his legacy.
At a Sunday dedication ceremony, the historic home, which is more than 200 years old, officially became a part of the 330-mile trail that is run by the National Park Service. Local and state officials, historians, McDowell descendants and Revolutionary War re-enactors were on hand for the dedication.
Paul Carson, superintendent of the trail, said Congress authorized the historic trail in 1980 and since that time communities and other organizations have partnered with the National Park Service to preserve and tell the story of the 1780 Overmountain Men. The original patriot route taken by patriot militia includes four states and 330 miles of trail.
Mayor Everette Clark and Commission Chairman Andy Webb unveiled a marker in front of the house, designating it as part of the national historic trail. Carson presented the local leaders with a certificate.
"It will be restored and open to the public," said Carson.
"What a beautiful day to recognize our past and look at its future possibilities here at the Joseph McDowell House," said Webb.
Born in 1758, Joseph McDowell was a leader of the Overmountain Men who defeated the Loyalist forces at the Battle of Kings Mountain.
In the fall of 1780, the Overmountain Men left their homes in the Southern Appalachians to fight the forces loyal to King George III. They defeated the Loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain and killed the British commander Maj. Patrick Ferguson. Thomas Jefferson and others considered the patriot victory at Kings Mountain to be a turning point in the American Revolution.
As a result of the victory, McDowell was promoted to colonel and also became a doctor. He was a member of the North Carolina Convention, which decided whether or not to adopt the U.S. Constitution. McDowell argued that the Constitution shouldn't be adopted unless certain rights were guaranteed. He was also one of the first trustees of the newly formed University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, according to historian Anne Swann.
"He was a visionary," said Swann. "He had a lot of courage. And he had to be a little bit reckless."
In her speech, Swann said all of the people gathered for Sunday's dedication could be considered McDowells, too.
"There are many ways to be a McDowell," she said. "The spirit is what matters. The spirit is what we are trying to preserve."
However, that history was almost lost. McDowell's home still stands along U.S. 70, although it is surrounded by modern development. For a long time, the old house was on the market and local leaders feared it would be demolished to make way for yet another fast-food restaurant or a similar business.
"I had a mental image of a photo in The McDowell News of a bulldozer going through this house," said County Manager Chuck Abernathy.
Rod Birdsong, executive director of the McDowell Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber, local officials and historians worked to find a way to preserve the house. It is also believed to be the only surviving home of a county's namesake in North Carolina.
Birdsong also recognized the efforts of former owners Richard Buchanan and Jerry Pritchard who held onto the house and made sure its future was secured. The county has purchased the site and approved an increase in the occupancy tax to help pay for its preservation. Now, local leaders are looking to find a new use for the house as a museum.
"The hardest part, really, remains to be done," said Birdsong.
Clark said he also appreciated the efforts of the McDowell Trails Association. The MTA is a volunteer organization working with the city to build a greenway park along the Catawba River. The first part of this greenway will run for 1.2 miles along the south side of the river behind the shopping center. It will include nearby Round Hill, where the McDowell and Carson families are buried. The second phase will include the McDowell House.
"The City Council is committed to making the second phase of the greenway possible as soon as funding will allow," said Clark.
The re-enactors who portray the Overmountain Men fired a salute with their replica muskets.
After the ceremony, a van took some of the McDowell descendants to Round Hill. Bill Hendley of the trails association showed how the burial site, the river and the McDowell House will someday be a part of the greenway park.