State

Belvidere Manor It nas оно of I he most spacious ivsJalos in western North Caro¬ lina anil was built by Col. W . W . Erwin in 1802. Папу notable so¬ ciable functions took place there. lip IIAIKIIY Z. TllCKi: It Although western North Carolina was a province sub¬ ordinate to eastern North Carolina in 1800, the houses of the wealthy men of the mountains were not always of lesser caliber. Since pre-Revolutionary days homes of individual and refined character had been erected among the en¬ circling blue hills until good archi¬ tecture was a definite stylish achievement. In the Catawba River Valley, as in other river %-alleys of North Carolina, the people living on the old estates today seem to be living in isolation. Since such a life was the preference of their forefathers, the present generations carry on in much the same way as practiced by the pioneer settlers. A number of the early landed estates remain much as they were in the day of their pristine glory. Descendants of the original builders would have it so. A search through the early records reveals, among others, the name of F.rwin. a pioneer family of Burke County whose spacious estate was known as "Belvidere Manor." Col. W. W. Erwin, the son of Arthur, the son of Nathaniel — the first of the Erwins to come to America in 1740— built Belvi- derc. an old brick house overlook¬ ing John’s River Valley in 1802. It is said that Nathaniel Erwin, whose will is recorded in York, South Carolina, advanced the money to build this house. Beautiful location Beautiful for location, for unique charm, this ancestral home com¬ manded a superb view of both val¬ ley and mountain, and is worthy of graphic description. Dignified and unostentatious, yet pervaded by an atmosphere both cultured and intellectual, the old English manor house is as definitely an ex¬ ponent of the builder. Col. W. W. Erwin, as is Byron’s poetic tribute: "The forest-born Demosthenes, Whose thunder shook the Philip of the Seas." It was in 1788 that Colonel Er¬ win married Matilda Sharp, daugh¬ ter of Col. William Sharp of Ire¬ dell County, bringing together two of the foremost families in the Blue Ridge foothills. But fourteen years passed before William Zachery completed the house Colonel Erwin had promised his bride. More than brick and mortar was used in building this house in the wilderness, for a high spirit also cemented its walls: a mighty love lent strength to its roof. Here were born sixteen children, and fifteen of them lived to maturity. Twelve married and had families, one daughter being the mother of six¬ teen children herself. Number of Additions As the happy days passed at Belviderc, it was found necessary to build individual guest-houses near the main house. The manor was not only the abode of eight sons and eight daughters, but other members of the family were al¬ ways sure of a welcome at the old hall. Young and old congregated here. Colonel Erwin's mother, the artistic Margaret Brandon, who prided herself on the fact that she was a descendant of Mary Tudor, came to make her home here; and Catherine Reese, the wee little mother of Mrs Erwin, came to live after the death of her prominent husband. Colonel William Sharp. Delightful stories of the long, long past have been told of these two mothers who spent their last days at Belvidere Manor, talking and knitting together. Contrary to the modern belief, two mothers-in- law lived in |>eace and love. They enjoyed such harmony of life, side by side, they were buried thus in the family cemetery, on top of the hill. In another small wooden room, erected to accommodate the over¬ flow of guests, lived Mary Erwin, a daughter of the manor who never married. She was known in the family as "Little Aunt Mary," and spent most of her time in medita¬ tion and prayer. A gala day at Belvidere was June 27, 1815. On this happy occasion Harriett Eloise, the eldest daugh¬ ter of Colonel and Mrs. Erwin, was married to Isaac T. Avery, only son of the prominent Waitstill Avery of a neighboring plantation. The wedding brought together a large group of fashionable people froi as far east as New Bern and froi as far west as Tennessee. Colonel Waitstill Avery wi there, dressed in fashionable km pants and the traditional wij General William Lenoir was ther ( Continued on page 20)