The Joseph McDowell House is a

historic house A historic house generally meets several criteria before being listed by an official body as "historic." Generally the building is at least a certain age, depending on the rules for the individual list. A second factor is that the building be in ...

and

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

located in

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

McDowell County, North Carolina McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,578. Its county seat is Marion. McDowell County comprises the Marion, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also inclu ...

. It was the home of Colonel Joseph "Pleasant Gardens" McDowell, the founder and namesake of McDowell County. It is currently undergoing extensive renovations, and is closed to the public.

History

The McDowell House was built in 1787, and is one of the oldest surviving frame houses in western North Carolina. Along with the nearby Carson House, it is an important piece of McDowell County history, and is currently in the process of major restoration. Built by Colonel Joseph McDowell, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

hero who fought at the

Battle of Kings Mountain The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took pla ...

. Joseph McDowell was a member of the Overmountain Men, traveling with Col. Charles McDowell’s regiment to the Watauga settlements in September, 1780 and on to Kings Mountain in pursuit of British Major Patrick Ferguson’s Loyalist regime. McDowell County is named in his honor. It is the last standing home place in North Carolina for which a county was named. In addition to fighting at the

, Colonel McDowell served in the 3rd U.S. Congress of 1793-95. He was a son of "Hunting" John McDowell, who received a Royal Land Grant from Governor Tryon on December 22, 1767 for on the

Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...

, a portion of which is the site of this home. The McDowell House was identified in the 1982 Comprehensive Management Plan for the

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVHT) is part of the U.S. National Trails System, and N.C. State Trail System. It recognizes the Revolutionary War Overmountain Men, Patriots from what is now East Tennessee who crossed the Un ...

as one of only 34 non-federal historical resources which are directly or indirectly related to the Trail. In early 2008, the home and grounds were purchased and steps are being taken to create a restoration and use plan. Also in 2008, the McDowell House was officially added to the Overmountain Victory Historic Trail. Upon completion of the home restoration, this historic home will continue to serve to interpret the McDowell family history, and the history of McDowell County.

Joseph McDowell Historical Catawba Greenway

Construction of the Joseph McDowell Historical Catawba Greenway was completed in Summer 2010 and Phase I opened to the public in September 2010. Phase I of the Greenway offers a one-mile recreational trail, picnic area, fishing pier, wildlife observation deck, and access to the Little Round Hill Trail. In 2014, the McDowell Trails Association completed the paving of the 0.5 mile Little Round Hill Loop Trail located off of Phase I of the Greenway. Phase II of the Greenway was completed in March 2015 and extends an additional 0.7 miles to the Joseph McDowell House on US Highway 70 West and beyond. Phase II includes a paved greenway trail, paved driveway and parking lot at the McDowell House property, an amphitheater, fitness stations and a canoe launch off of US Highway 221 North Business. If you start on one end of the Greenway, walk to the other end, walk once around the Round Hill Loop and come back to the beginning, you will have walked approximately 3.2 miles and have completed a 5K.

References

External links

McDowell Chamber of Commerce – Marion, North CarolinaCity of Marion, NC
Houses in McDowell County, North Carolina Proposed museums in the United States Plantation houses in North Carolina Houses completed in 1787 {{NorthCarolina-museum-stub