Ingleside
One of llie ino.sl beautiful of all
the historic olil homes still stanil-
int! in North Carolina. It was
built in 1017.
I*»/ IIAItIC V
I X Lincoln County, not fnr from
I ibo town of Denver, stands n pic-
■ turbine mansion of the Old South.
So persistently and lovingly Inis the
structure been preserved that one
quickly senses something of the at¬
mosphere of age-old gentility, and
wonders whose shadows fell across the
threshold, and what pages of unwrit¬
ten history were unrolled behind the
handsome doorway and curtained case¬
ments. Guarded by four magnificent
white pillars, and surrounded by a
grove of ancient trees, there i* not a
more imposing mansion to l-> found in
the Carolina*.
If was in 1752 that Jacob Korney
and his wife, Maria Berger, came
from Alsace to settle in the wilderness
of North Carolina. Since they were
members of wealthy Huguenot fami¬
lies, this cultured couple must have cx-
|« rienced great loneliness during their
lir>t years in Carolina; and often their
thoughts, in review, must have re¬
turned across the sea to sunny France,
a land which they had forsaken for
the
«аи^е
of religious principles.
It was not long after their settle-
"lent here before Jacob Forney found
himself involved in various Indian dis¬
turbances, and wars. The barbarous
way* of the pioneer settler# must have
been also distasteful to tbi# gently nur-
4
Z. TICKER
tnred pair from across the sea. but
they made the best of things and
1ю-
eamo lenders in the western wilderness.
A® they were always as kindly ns pos¬
sible to the Indians, the Fornev planta¬
tion was often the scene of Cherokee
and Catawba visitors.
Jacob Forney not only served in
the French am! Indian War. hut was
an ardent patriot in the American
Revolution. When Cornwallis pa<«cd
through Lincoln County, he camped at
Ingleside for three days ami four
nights, confiscating everything he
could find in the way of food for both
man and beast. It is said that the
home of Jacob Forney was left desti¬
tute; left without sufficient provisions
for the preparation of a single meal.
In August
Ш8
a marker was
erected on the old road which lead#
through this rolonial estate:
“In memory of Jacob Forney,
French Huguenot and pioneer,
born in Alsace in 1721, died in
North Carolina in 1806, and
his wife, Maria Berger.”
Although the pioneer home of Ja¬
cob Forney still stands, it is the hand¬
some house built by Major Daniel
Forney, a grandson, who had taken
the place of hi# father in Congress.
that causes so many favorable com¬
ment» from architects everywhere.
Built in 1817. Ingleside i- prob¬
ably the only house in the South de-
-igiied by Benjamin Henry La t robe,
who planned the national (’apitol. Ln-
Irobc came to Lincoln County to super¬
vise the construction of the house, im¬
porting beautiful mantels ami friezes
from France. Often called the show-
place of the Carolina», “Ingleside”
i» said to be one of the most |>orfeet
examples of architecture in the South¬
land.
The spacious drawing room at Tii-
glesido is in some respects a duplicate
of the celebrated East Room at the
White House. The ornamentations and
tracery used in the embellishment of
the mansion are very fine. Of notice¬
able effect is the arrangement of the
many mirrors. And the portrait of
one of the handsome Forney ladies,
painted on a panel of the drawingroom
wall, is a feature of rare and unusual
interest.
The famed spiral stairway in the
great hall, handwrought. is also a fea¬
ture of interest. It is said to have re¬
quired several months for comp'etion.
Self-sunporting. the stairway is the re¬
sult of deft and artistic workman¬
ship.
As one of the fine old brick man¬
sion* left standing in North Carolina,
Tneleaide pleases tlie mo.t exacting
visitor, who finds the house to ho one
of remarkable construction, arrange¬
ment. and beauty of lines.
Among the descendants of Jacob
and Maria Forney who reached na¬
tional recognition were: General Wil¬
liam H. Forney. Major John II. For¬
ney. and Captain Joseph Fornev John¬
son of the C onfederate Army; General
William II. Forney, who was later a
Congressman from Alabama, and was
appointed a member of the Gettys-
bnig Battlefield Commission by Presi-
dent Cleveland; Captain Joseph For¬
ney Johnson, n Senator from Ala¬
bama, who later become governor of
that state; Lieutenant William E.
Shipp, who lost his life in the battle
of San Juan, and Miss Kate Shipp,
who foiimlcd the famous school for
girl# at Hendersonville (Fassifern).
All were
1югп
in Lincoln County.
While the emigrant. Jacob Korney,
was a leader in Colonial and Revo¬
lutionary days and established the his¬
toric estate, bis descendants made the
name famous and they nlso grew enor¬
mously rich in land and slaves. They
allied themselves with the best fami¬
lies. and their descendants continue to
carry on the social and officinl tradi¬
tions of the Forney name.
