Agenda - 08-26-1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. . . . 037 . . .. ' • . . • . . . . . . • R.N.-m.0u 1Rev-10441 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTER IOR FOR NPS USE ONLY : . -...... - . -- ---. ...-.• . NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECEIVED';..:.!.';:-- '-'.''..::-:: ::-..: '-' . .-.-- :*--•''':?:.-"*. OVTIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ... . •. : - . - -,• INVENTORY...NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED .:. . • ' - -. • . . - CONTI NUATION SHEET -- ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE 2 -------„„„----------...----,,,------- ,---------------...---------------..—........„„,„......,-,---- , had the commanding presence of a soldier, and every boy instinctively felt his influence.'' Each principal thereafter was given the rank and title of Colonel by the sate. William became headmaster in 1865, and his famous father died in February, 1866. ''' The move of the school to Mebanesville came in December, 1864. The war had made it increasingly. difficult to obtain provisions at Oaks, which was ten miles from the railroad at Hillsborough. The school was moved to a site which lay ona spur of the Southern Railroad at Mebansesville station, in the northwestern corner of Orange County. Old William James Bingham was violently opposed to the move ayg ordered the family slaves to disregard his son's requests to prepare for the move. His will, written in August, 1864, stipulated that if his sons did not continue the school at Oaks, the academy buildings and grounds should becomelpe sole possessions of his widow and not be jointly owned by William and Robert. Nevertheless, the'Binghan School was moved from Oaks and .prospered _at its new Allocation. In 1873, the principalship of the school passed to Robert Bingham upon the ath of his brother William. In 1891, Robert decided to move the school to Asheville following two destructive fires that swept the Mebanesville buildings in 188i0and 1890. The school continued in Asheville until 1928, one year after Robert's death. 1' _ . • After the removal of the Bingham School to the Mebanesville location, William James' 'widow Eliza Alves -Bingham continued, to live at the house at Oaks and maintain the lands surrounding it. She also inherited other property in the county, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough which William James Bingham had acquired during his long and prosperous life. She made several sales of land over the years 1871 to 1881. Included , in these transactions were two parcels that had been part of the original tract which Bingham purchased from Alexander Morrow in 1844. The first parcel of 46 acres directly in front of the Bingham house was sold to D. F. Morrow in 1874 for twelve hundred 1 and fifty dollars ($1250). The second parcel was sold to S. S. Webb in 1880 in a complicated exchange that included. a third party, Abner Conklin, to wham Eliza A. Bingham had promised to sell 20 and 1/2 acres during his lifetime. This parcel wa9 bordered by Caterpillar Creek and the lands of Lizzie Morrow and Sarah Crawford. I i • i _ Eliza Bingham died in 1885 and her will, written in 1877, stipulated that all of her property was to go to her daughter Mary Bingham with bequests of books to be made to her other daughters Mrs. J. W. Montgomery, Mrs. P. T. Penick,. their husbands — and children. There is a local tradition that Nary Bingham maintained a school in the old home until the 1880s, however, this is not substantiated by any existing records. There are deed transactions by Mary which show herAelling land just north of the Eingham.house to William G. Stafford as late as 1888. One written statement ir4ilige.in 1954 by Mrs. Emma Harward Monk gives the history that her cousin Lucy thersbee "who had conducted a private school in Chapel Hill for some years, moved . ' 1 Oaks, N. C. and opened a school in theeld Bingham home." She further states that . 4une Webb was' farming the Bingham land. ' . . , . . .