Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Someone else asked about a concrete structure in the Asheville area. That got me to thinking about another structure that I've seen. It looks like the ruins of a stone house, but I would like to know more about it. Here's a picture of it from Google Earth:
http://www.rvhighway.com/unk1.jpg (broken link)
This place is on Weston, just off of Mills Gap. It's in South Asheville. I've looked at the property info from Buncombe County, which shows that it's part of a parcel belonging to a neighborhing house. It's under private ownership and the owner has placed a No Trespassing sign in front of the stone structure, although someone did build a bench in front of the building for viewing the structure.
Just down the street at Weston & Mills Gap is a sign that announces the neighborhood - Brookwood. In some newer "upscale" type communities I've seen the developer build some strange things at the entrance their developments, but I don't think that is the case here. The Brookwood houses don't lend themselves to that type of neighborhood, and they're certainly not "new," so I can't imagine some developer spending the money to build a stone "ruins."
Because of the No Trespassing sign I haven't approached the "ruins." However, from the street it appears completely made from stone and has an interior room. It's certainly in disrepair, but it appears that at one time it was a substantial structure.
Does anyone know what this thing is or what history it's hiding? Is it some kind of civil war era home or building that was destroyed in the war, or is there some other story attached to it? My mind can wander all over the place on this one.
If it does turn out to be an old historical building, I would give kudos to the original developer of the tract. He could have tried to tear it down, further divide the lot instead of giving it to the neighboring house, and built another home. However, he didn't and he preserved it. I like that.
I'll try to drive by later and take a better picture with my cell phone. In the meantime, TIA for any history you may have on it.
ROFL, wow, okay, so I just found the post again, but I made another realization: I graduated from college with the guy who wrote the article that she posted. Not only were we majoring in the same subject, he wrote it as part of an assignment for a class we were both in, haha.
Anyway, the original story has been removed from the Citizen-Times' webpage, but his blog post is still up, from where he chronicled all his news stories.
Historical markers concealed from the road indicate these are the ruins of Rock Hall, an antebellum plantation and mountain summer home built in 1847 by Col. Joshua John Ward. Ward, a Georgetown, S.C. native, was the largest American slaveholder and 44th lieutenant governor of South Carolina from 1850 to 1852, serving as a Democrat under Gov. John Hugh Means.
“I’ve used a metal detector over here, and I’ve found stuff everywhere,” said Bob Robeson, owner of the ruins, which are attached to his property at 905 Weston Road. “I have window weights, a piece of a churn and an iron, among many other things.”
Robeson, who acquired the property in 1986, constructed paths to Rock Hill using bricks he uncovered from the surrounding area.
“These bricks may have come from the kitchen,” he said. “In those days, the kitchen was usually separated from the rest of the house in order to prevent disastrous fires.”
He also owns a couple of bricks bearing imprints of children’s hands.
“These handprints probably belonged to slave children,” said the 81-year-old.
According to Robeson, Col. Ward owned more than 1,100 slaves who produced more than 4.4 million pounds of rice, grossing more than $141,000 in 1850. This earned Ward the title, “king of the rice planters.”
Thirteen years after the Civil War and the collapse of slavery, Buncombe County sold Rock Hall and its 400 acres on the courthouse steps for $3,000 because of unpaid taxes. After a wealthy Charleston native purchased the plantation, it sold again six years later for $6,000. The 22 room, two-story manor eventually ended up in the hands of Thomas A. Weston, a noted inventor from Birmingham, England and the road’s namesake. Weston, who died in 1909, is credited with the invention of disc brakes, cranes, hoists and naval gun carriages.
A solitary, granite bench sits in front of Rock Hill, fulfilling a different purpose than it served long ago.
“This is one of 10 steps that lead up to the plantation,” Robeson said, running his hand along the side of the stone. “This thing has to weigh about 2,000 pounds.”
Robeson, a native of Canton, said the original road to the plantation started at the present intersection of Mills Gap Road and Weston Road, running through both he and his neighbor’s front yards.
“Just imagine none of this being here except for the house and this road,” said Robeson, pointing to an almost hidden, stretched path. “If you look closely, you can still see it.”
A mysterious fire in 1912 destroyed the house except for the skeletal framework, which now remains draped in a lush carpet of ivy.
“I brought my ladder over there once so I could have a closer look,” said Robeson. “I found pieces of melted glass left by the fire. Someone recently asked me if I was going to clear the ivy off, but I think that’s the only thing holding it together. Besides, I think it looks good that way.”
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It looks like the ruins of a stone house, but I would like to know more about it. Here's a picture of it from Google Earth:
Couple more photos
