The Old McCurdy Ho
e
II is I he oldest house in Cabarrus County
and, although in dilapidated condition to¬
day, still contains many relics that were in
use more than 160 years ago.
I N a secluded spot of ihe most pic-
I turwqoe section of Cabarrus
I County the log home of Captain
Archibald McCurdy, of Kcvolution-
ary War fame, may be seen. I t is the
oldest house still standing in Ca¬
barrus. The drive, after leaving the
Monroe highway, winds through a
forest of pines and other native trees,
up-hill, down-hill, through valleys
surrounded by beautiful scenery.
When one examines the log- of
which Captain McCurdy built this
house more than one hundred and
sixty years ago, it is not surprising
that it is still intact. Although the
cabin is now dilapidated, visitors can
readily imagine tliat it must have
been an outstanding home during
that in-riod of history. The huge logs
used in the house were hewn by hand,
and wooden pegs were used instead
of nails. The hinges which fasten
the doors were made in a most artis¬
tic design, carefully and delicately
wrought. The nails which tit them
to the wood were also made by hand,
and I was keenly interested to see
that small pieces of leather had been
placed under each nail bead to make
it lit more securely.
Two Story Structure
There are two rooms on the lirsl
door.
Л
double chimney is made of
massive pieces of native stone. The
large lireplaees are surrounded by
many of the pots, pans, skillets, and
quaint utensils used to cook the corn
pone, hoocako, and roast pig long ago.
Again and again as we wandered
through the musty old place, I was
impressed with the ingeniousness of
its first owner. Archibald McCurdy
was not only a great soldier, but a
builder, smith, and inventor as well.
A most unusual iron implement
which I inquired about turned out
to be a gadget used to catch a hog!
lie designed a pair of iron el amps
which must have been most helpful
in the days when there were no stock
laws. With this device he could
eatch the leg of the pig and by pull-
«!/
KOSA E. CALDWELL
ing the string, fasten it so tightly
that any hog would call for mercy!
Thu stairway leading to the up|»er
floor of the McCurdy home is unique.
It. reminds one of the stairs in that
quaint old house in historic St. Augus¬
tine. The tloor plan of thu upper
story is identical to that of the lower.
Thu logs were chinked with mud, and
when 1 spoke of it being cold, the
present owner, Mr. Walter McCurdy,
recalled a story of the good old days
when he and his twin brother, Willie,
slept in that room and waked up
many mornings with tlio snow two
inches deep over their blankets I Vet
he is oilU of the hardiest looking men
1 ha vo seen.
Many Antiques
If you love things that are old, you
will marvel at the treasures lying
around among the corn husks, debris,
und cobwebs. Spinning wheels,
looms, und reels were piled in a
corner. On the tloor was a lingo
wooden bread tray, and nearby was
the largest pewter platter I havo ever
seen. In another part of the house
1 saw two handmade bedsteads,
chairs, chests, a desk, a bookcase, and
stacks of old papers and books. 1 n
one corner a grandfather clock stood
without the works, and somewhere
else we saw two clocks without their
cases. Both of these contained wooden
works, and the face of one had Ma¬
sonic symbol- designed in gold leaf.
The locks on all the boxes and
chests were of intricate design. On
the mantel, candle molds, snuffers,
and hand wrought lanterns vied with
the dirt daubers. From the hearth
wo picked up a shoe made Is-foro tucks
were invented. Tiny pegs fastened
the heel and sole. In one chest we
discovered hoopskirts, high top lints,
and a pair of original blue jeans. Mr.
McCurdy says they've
1юсп
there for
sixty years, and they look just as
good today as they did the fir»t time
he remembers seeing them !
I was told that this place was one
of unusual activities during and after
the light for independence. It served
not only for a meeting place to make
doth, but as a trysting place for
many of the young mu ids und swains
of the community. If walls could
speak what a wealth of interesting
and historic happenings the old Mc¬
Curdy House would relate! They
would tell us of the days Archibald
McCurdy and his wife, Margaret
Sellars McCurdy, xjH-nt there. They
were days filled with hardships and
few comforts, but satisfying years
to these hardy pioneers. These same
walls doubtless rang out with the
liberty-or-dcatli kind of resentment
when the king demanded exorbitant
taxes and heaped injustices upon the
colonists. They would recall the
memorable day when Archibald Mc¬
Curdy heard Thomas Polk read the
immortal Mecklenburg Declaration
of Independence on May 20, 1775.
from the steps of the log courthouse
iu Charlotte; for with his passion
for liberty lie undoubtedly hurried
home to tell Maggie the news.
Courageous Woman
This same Maggie is one of Cabar¬
rus County's Revolutionary heroines.
A romantic story is told of this cour¬
ageous woman who. at a neighborhood
quilting party, heard plans of a sur¬
prise attack which was to take place.
All the patriots, including her hus¬
band, were in the Colonial army; so
Maggie, dressed in men’s clothing,
rode her horse, l.iberty, through the
enemy's camp and warned General
Greene in time for bis men to break
camp and gain safety.
As 1 looked at Maggie McCurdy’s
old saddle hanging on the wall of her
old home I was grateful for the rich
heritage such valiant pioneers as
these have left us.
The charm of this old house does
not lie in its interesting architecture
or its beauty, but in its ago and gen¬
uineness. and we of Cabarrus are
proud tlint it stands today a veritable
museum of pre- Revolutionary crafts¬
manship.
