Cleghorn Mansion
Located in Rutherford County, it
was built well over 100 years ago
and is one of the most beautiful old
homes in that section of the state.
By CLARENCE W. GRIFFIN
ON September 16. 1764, the
Crown Governor of the Col¬
ony of North Carolina pat¬
ented to John McDowell a tract
of land on Cleghorn Creek, nine
miles west of the present location
of Forest City and six miles south
of Rutherfordton. in what was then
Mecklenburg County.
That is the first recorded his¬
tory of the domain of the Cleg-
horn farm, on Cleghorn Creek and
Broad River, now owned by Dr.
Ben E. Washburn. In the inter¬
vening years, this particular grant
of land has successively been in
Mecklenburg, Tryon and Ruther¬
ford counties.
Several Owners
Additional tracts were annexed
down through the years by John
Cleghorn. Robert McAfee. Thomas
McEntire, J. R. Washburn and Dr.
В.
E. Washburn, until today the
farm consists of about 1,100 acres.
Before the American Revolution,
John Cleghorn had settled on the
present Cleghorn farm and had
erected a substantial home and out¬
buildings. He developed the farm
to a high state of cultivation. Mc¬
Afee represented Rutherford Coun¬
ty in the House of Commons in
1830. He built a substantial resi¬
dence near the present site of
Cleghorn mansion. Later he
moved to Mississippi.
Thomas McEntire, along with
his brother, Dr. John, was born
in Ayrshire, Scotland: Thomas in
1782 and the doctor in 1787. Early
in life they went to Tryone. Ire¬
land. and later came to the United
States, settling briefly in Burke
County and later moving to Ruther¬
ford.
Dr. John took up his residence
in Rutherfordton and built the
magnificent McEntire mansion
there, later known as the Hicks
home. It was torn down a few
days ago. Thomas constructed the
present Cleghorn mansion on the
Cleghorn plantation. Both of the
houses were constructed of brick
manufactured on Cleghorn Creek.
From the best evidence available,
it appears that the Cleghorn home
was built about 1837, or perhaps
earlier.
At the death of Thomas Mc¬
Entire. who had no children. Cleg¬
horn was willed to his namesake,
a son of Dr. John. He married
Miss Clara Erwin, of Morganton,
and they lived on the plantation
until his death.
Purchased by Washburn
In 1889 the late J. R. Washburn
purchased the estate from Mrs.
McEntire. A half-century later, in
1939, Dr.
В.
E. Washburn, a son.
for many years connected with the
Rockefeller Foundation, came into
possession of the old plantation
and home.
Dr. Washburn’s long career as
a scientist with the Rockefeller
Foundation is as romantic as the
history connected with the old
home which he now occupies.
After a long trek that carried him
over South and Central America
and Europe from 1912 to 1939, he
is now back on the farm where
he played as a youth.
The large, two-storied mansion
sets on a hill near the center of the
lordly domain of the plantation,
and overlooks the fertile bottom¬
lands along Cleghorn Creek and
Broad River. The house com¬
mands a remarkable view of a
large portion of the rolling plant¬
ation. Lush, verdant pasture-land
with Herefords grazing thereon
stretch south from the home. To
the north is woodlands, and deep
within their recess is the old slave
burying ground. Most of the graves
today project from the forest beds,
with here and there a stone stand¬
ing which bears only the first name
of the slave interred beneath.
To the east, and on the road
leading to Forest City, is the old
water-powered corn mill. It was
built in 1873 by the late James
Miller, and has been in almost
constant operation since.
Historical Association
A great deal of the ante-bellum
history of Rutherford County
centered about this historic home.
It was here that Capt. Randolph
Shotwell was arrested by Federal
officers prior to his historic trial
in Raleigh during Reconstruction
days. The old home could tell
many stories of political discus¬
sions held within its walls, and
outline the history of the social
and economic development of
Rutherford County for a century
and more.
While Dr. and Mrs. Washburn
have extensively remodeled and
modernized the home since occu¬
pying it, they have left the origi¬
nal lines of the structure intact.
The huge wooden water pipes —
hollowed logs joined together —
which formerly brought water to
the house from a hillside spring
have given way to modernized
electric water pumps and plumb¬
ing.
Some other changes have been
made, but only with the view of
making the home more livable,
without altering its appearance.
North Carolina’s first represent¬
ative in the President’s Cabinet
was John Branch, appointed by
President Jackson as Secretary of
the Navy.
8
THE STATE. JUNE 22. 1946
