Friday, August 11, 2023

Finally Friday - NC Finale - Mount Ayr

You have hung in for quite a lot of the NC adventure week.   I shall finish in Hillsborough  NC with Ayr Mount.  This lovely home was the largest at the time in 1815.  William Kirkland was a Scottish lad who came to America as an apprentice merchant. Obviously smart and ambitious, he soon ran a store and bought a lot of land in the area. He and his wife had fourteen children (holy crap), twenty some enslaved workers, and enjoyed the prosperity of the time. 

 The home was ultimately bought by Richard Jenrette, a wealthy man interested in preserving  history. We are fortunate he formed a trust and included this home as a property to be seen and appreciated. It's truly lovely with a  lot of the original furniture. There is a cemetery on the grounds  for the Kirkland family.  There's also a lush walking area (The Poet's Walk) that has paths to the Eno River. 

I enjoyed the tour and history for this region in suburban Raleigh.  Well Done. 

4 comments:

  1. We'll have to go see Mount Ayr sometime. And that is a scary amount of kids.

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    1. What is amazing is that the majority lived. Back in the day, most barely made it to age two.

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  2. Hi Joanne - interesting history ... it's much bigger than your photo appears. 14 kids - amazing most lived ... and he had the land to feed them, and fresh air to help them grow etc ... Cheers Hilary

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    1. For that time period, it was a unique family story. The immigrant had good sense and timing.

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