Harmony Hall Plantation, located in

White Oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...

, is one of the oldest residences in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

History

Harmony Hall was built by Col. James Richardson prior to 1768. The 12,000 to plot it originally occupied on the banks of the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

was partially a grant from

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

for Col. Richardson's gallant service with General

James Wolfe James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a Major-general (United Kingdom), major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the Kingdom of France, French ...

in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. The Colonel became interested in the land after he and his brother were shipwrecked off of

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shape ...

and had to spend several months making repairs in

Bladen County, NC Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolin ...

before they could return to their home in

Stonington, Connecticut The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington (borough), Connecticut, Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Pawcatuck, Lords Point, and W ...

. Col. James fell in the love with the land and, after receiving a large tract of land their for his service, he built his home there, from

Elizabethtown, NC Elizabethtown is a town in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,583 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil par ...

and from the river. The building is frame built in a two-story

Gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d style with two-story galleries, an unusually tall foundation with ventilation holes, and exterior stairs leading from the second story to a full attic. The interior is partially paneled with wide pine boards, some with chair-rails and some plastered above a paneled dado. The mantels are modeled after the Adam design. Shortly after completing the construction, Col. James was captured by the

British army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the Revolutionary War and

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

d. However, after learning of many British soldiers breaking their parole, he too broke his and re-enlisted in the American Army. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1972.

Cornwallis legend

In a local legend associated with the home,

General Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

used Harmony Hall as his headquarters for a time during his march to

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

. According to the legend, one night he and his staff were planning their campaign against General Greene in an upstairs bedroom when Mrs. Richardson crept up the exterior stairwell and eavesdropped through a hole in the ceiling, overhearing their plans. After creeping back down, she dispatched the plantation overseer to warn General Greene, allowing him to defeat Cornwallis. However, careful historical analysis has shown that although General Cornwallis marched within several miles of Harmony Hall, he was always on the opposite side of the

. There is no historical evidence to suggest that he crossed the river at any time. The legend may have some truth, as there is a chance that the Richardson ladies relocated during the war and had contact with General Cornwallis at some different location, but there is no way to determine this.

After the Revolutionary War

Harmony Hall remained in the hands of the Richardson family until Col. James' grandson, Captain Edmund Richardson, moved to Texas and sold it to unknown parties in 1865. In 1874 it passed into the hands of the Layton family, who owned it from that point until 1962, when the property was given to the

Bladen County Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

Historical Society by N. Arthur Layton Jr., of

Winter Haven, Florida Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is fifty-one miles east of Tampa. The population was 49,219 at the 2020 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 estimates, this city had a population of 44,955, making i ...

as a memorial to his parents and Col. James A. Richardson.

Property and grounds

In addition to the home itself, there are several other buildings on the property. There is a schoolhouse, two restored country stores, a chapel, corn-crib, external kitchen, log cabin, and a gatehouse, most of which were not originally on the property and were relocated and restored. There is also a small cottage, used as a caretaker's cabin. A short way across the river is located the Purdie-Richardson family cemetery, although the property no longer belongs to the home.

References

External links