Historic homes of Fayetteville that are still lived in

Rachael Riley, The Fayetteville Observer

July 3, 2023 at 5:04 AM·4 min read

Cumberland County has dozens of homes that appear on the National Historical Register list, with some dating back to the early 19^th Century.

Some homes, like the 1897 E.A. Poe House on Bradford Avenue, and the 1800s Sanford House and 1907 McDiarmid home, both on Dick Street, have been turned into museums or private businesses.

Some homes, however, still have residential occupants.

Here’s a look at some of the historical homes in the city, according to Cumberland County property records and deeds.

Taylor-Utley House

According to documents filed with the North Carolina Division of Archives and History, the Taylor-Utley House was built about 1848 in the village of Belmont, a small settlement of Haymount that was a mile from Fayetteville city limits.

The property was purchased by Capt. James A.J. Bradford, commander of the nearby U.S. Arsenal in Fayetteville, and sold to local merchant William Taylor, who built the two-and-one-half story frame dwelling for his family. According to records, Taylor’s home and property were placed in a trust in 1857 to cover his debts, and he defaulted on the house and lot the following year.

The Taylor-Utley House on Hay Street was built about 1848 and was most recently a behavioral health center. It is now for sale, according to realtor sign outside the home.

Joseph Utley, a local merchant, then purchased the land. After Utley’s death in 1877, the property was transferred to his four unmarried daughters. Neil McQueen, who became sheriff of Cumberland County in 1885, was a later owner.

The Greek Revival-style home is at 916 Hay St.

Stedman house

The two-story Stedman House was built about 1925 and is the only existing example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style within the city, according to historical records.

The house was built for Frank Haywood Stedman, a Fayetteville native and successful businessman who helped organize the Cross Creek Building and Loan Association in Fayetteville in 1905. He also organized and served as president of the Cumberland Savings and Trust Co. and the Caledonian Savings and Trust Co. Stedman was a delegate to the 1924 Democratic National Convention and served for several years on the North Carolina State Board of Conservation and Development.

After his banks failed, Stedman was “forced” to sell his home in May 1936. It was deeded to Elizabeth Gilbert, the wife of J. Warren Pate, who was president of Cumberland Savings & Loan. The Stedman House remained in the Pate family until March 1979

The Rufus C. Brown House known as Brownlea was built in 1939.

Brownlea or Rufus C. Brown House

In 1939, a new home was built for local business owner Rufus C. Brown, who was a partner for a local plywood manufacturing company known as Rankin and Brown Co., according to historical records. Brown was also vice president of the Home Federal Savings and Loan Association, a local bank.

The two-story Colonial Revival-style house became known as Brownlea by April 1940. After Brown’s death in 1973, the property was passed on to his wife and six daughters.

Verdery

A two-story Colonial Revival style home was built in 1936 for Dr. William C. Verdery, who came to Fayetteville in 1919 shortly after the establishment of Camp Bragg, according to historical records.

During his brief tenure in public health, Verdery also established a baby clinic in one of the city’s villages and treated patients during the influenza epidemic at Camp Bragg and in Fayetteville.

Fort Bragg spouse opens bed and breakfast near downtown Fayetteville

After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1920, Verdery joined the staff at Cumberland Hospital, where he practiced until 1925. He later practiced at Pitman Hospital in Fayetteville, specializing in obstetrics and pediatrics.

According to records, Verdery’s daughter, Stuart Verdery-Kerr, his only child, later occupied the home at 1428 Raeford Road.

McMillian Rankin House

The McMillian Rankin House was added to the National Historic Register in 2007 when the Haymount Historic District’s boundaries were increased.

The one-story gable home is the second oldest in the district and was built about 1851 for John Waddell Jr. and purchased in 1872 by Daniel McMillan. It remained in the McMillan family until 1920 when Claude Rankin, a cashier at Cumberland Savings & Trust Co. and assistant treasurer of the Cape Fear Fair Association purchased it. Rankin was later the owner of Claude Rankin and Son Insurance Co.

Century-old Fayetteville home closer to preservation

Colton-Clark-Monoghan House

The Colton-Clark-Monoghan home was built about 1835 for the Rev. Simeon Colton, the first principal of the Donaldson Academy, according to historical records.

It was purchased in 1889 by Edward Lee Clark. In 1907, Clark’s daughter Etta Bell Monaghan moved into her childhood home with her husband Edward J. Monaghan. The home remained in the Clark and Monaghan families until it was sold in 1955.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville, NC historic homes that are privately owned

AFP
Trump's mass deportation plan could end up hurting economic growth
President-elect Donald Trump's hardline immigration proposals -- including a controversial mass deportation plan -- could prove economically damaging, analysts say, with US sectors that rely heavily on foreign workers like agriculture and construction especially hard hit."The construction and agriculture industries would lose at least one in eight workers, while in hospitality, about one in 14 workers would be deported due to their undocumented status," the non-profit American Immigration Counci
AFP
US consumers to bargain hunt in annual 'Black Friday' spree
US shoppers are coming out in force this holiday season, but the festiveness is being tempered by inflationary pressures that have abated but not completely faded."Holiday shoppers are likely to increase their budgets this year versus last year but remain selective and are looking for discounts," said a note from Morgan Stanley.
AFP
Cheers, angst as US nuclear plant Three Mile Island to reopen
The planned reopening of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant is praised as a boon for Pennsylvania and a boost for AI, but it is loathed by residents still haunted by a near-catastrophic meltdown there in 1979.Maria Frisby, who was a teenager in 1979, insists that "until the (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) acknowledges that the partial meltdown at Three Mile was much worse, there is no way I'm going to agree" that reopening the plant is a good idea.
AFP
Scientists seek miracle pill to stop methane cow burps
A scientist guides a long tube into the mouth and down to the stomach of Thing 1, a two-month-old calf that is part of a research project aiming to prevent cows from burping methane, a potent greenhouse gas.Filho uses the tube to extract liquid from Thing 1's rumen -- the first stomach compartment containing partially digested food.
Associated Press
Fred Harris, former US senator from Oklahoma and presidential hopeful, dies at 94
Fred Harris, a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, presidential hopeful and populist who championed Democratic Party reforms in the turbulent 1960s, died Saturday. Harris’ wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. Harris served eight years in the Senate, first winning in 1964 to fill a vacancy, and made unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1976.
AFP
Australia ditches plans to fine tech giants for misinformation
Australia has ditched plans to fine social media companies if they fail to stem the spread of misinformation, the country's communications minister said Sunday. Social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail to keep children off their platforms, under separate laws tabled before Australia's parliament on Thursday. sft/fox
Politico
Climate deal: ‘It isn’t nearly enough, but it’s a start’
Developing nations got a promise of at least $300 billion in climate finance from rich countries such as the U.S. and the EU’s members. They wanted far more.
CNN
Venezuelan security forces have surrounded the Argentine embassy, opposition leaders say
Six members of the opposition are taking refuge in the embassy, having fled there to escape a crackdown by Venezuelan authorities in the run-up to July’s presidential elections.
AFP
Developing nations slam 'paltry' $300 bn climate deal
The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low.The final deal commits developed nations to pay at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries green their economies and prepare for worse disasters.
NBC News
Republican senator blocks promotion of general involved in Afghanistan withdrawal
A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw troops in Kabul during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a Senate aide.
NBC News
General's promotion blocked in first sign of Trump retaliation for Afghanistan pullout
A GOP senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw troops in Kabul in the first sign of Trump retaliating against officers involved in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Associated Press
Japan will hold Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott amid lingering historical tensions
Japan will go ahead with a memorial ceremony on Sunday near the Sado Island Gold Mines, despite South Korea’s last-minute boycott of the event that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the issue of Korean forced laborers at the site before and during World War II. The Sado mines were listed in July as a UNESCO World Heritage site after Japan moved past years of disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines’ dark history, promising to hold an annual memorial service for all victims, including hundreds of Koreans who were mobilized to work in the mines. On Saturday, South Korea announced it would not attend the event, saying it was impossible to settle unspecified disagreements between the two governments in time.
CNN
World agrees to climate deal on financial aid for developing countries after summit nearly implodes
Wealthy countries pledged to provide $300 billion a year by 2035 to poorer countries to help them cope with the increasingly catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis — a figure many developing countries criticized as vastly insufficient.
NBC News
Dartmouth sorority, 2 fraternity members charged in death of student found in river
A Dartmouth College sorority and two members of a fraternity were charged in connection with the drowning death of Won Jang, whose body was found over the summer in the Connecticut River following an off-campus party, police said.
AFP
Trump's top team: firebrands and stalwarts
US President-elect Donald Trump is handing top roles in his future administration to a mix of loyalists, provocateurs and a few relatively conventional figures.McMahon is a major Trump donor and led the Small Business Administration during his first term.
AFP
World reaches $300 bn climate finance deal at COP29
The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low.The final deal commits developed nations to pay at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developed countries green their economies and prepare for worse disasters.
Associated Press
Here's what to know about the new funding deal that countries agreed to at UN climate talks
In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.” Here's how they got there: What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks?
NBC News
Hyundai announce recall of more than 42,000 vehicles due to wiring issue that can cause them to roll
Hyundai Motor North America announced it will recall more than 42,000 vehicles due to a wiring issue that can cause the automobiles to roll away, according to a notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Wednesday.
CNN
National security officials meet with US telecom execs to share intel on Chinese cyber-espionage campaign, White House says
Top telecom executives met with US national security officials at the White House on Friday as concerns mount over a long-running Chinese cyber-espionage campaign that has targeted some of the most senior US political figures in the country.
USA TODAY
51 men were charged with raping her: Gisele Pelicot gives closing statement in shocking French trial
Gisele Pelicot, whose husband Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men are on trial for raping her, gave her final courtroom statement in the shocking case.