Quaker Meadows
Click picture to enlarge
Quaker Meadows was built in 1812 by
Captain Charles McDowell Jr.
and is believed to be the oldest surviving
brick structure in Burke County.
An outstanding
example of vernacular federal style architecture, Quaker Meadows was
constructed of plantation-made brick laid in the Flemish bond pattern of a
foundation of coursed granite rubble.
It features a corbelled brick cornice
and tall exterior end chimneys.
Window and door openings are topped
with the flat jack arches.
Built on the "Quaker" or
"Continental" floor plan, it has twin entries both front and back, one large
room on one side of an enclosed stairway, and two rooms on the other side.
The elaborate mantel and wainscoting
in the parlor are thought to have been brought from Charleston, S. C.
Wallpapers used in the house are
reproductions of patterns from the period 1810-1840.
Directions if you are going,
Drive Highway 181 north by K-Mart on the right, then turn right on Mt.
Mary's Church Road, go approximately 1/4 mile and house will be on left.
The home is open on Sunday afternoons from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Admission by donation.
The News Herald, Morganton, N. C., Thursday, September 18, 2003
Pictures by Dewey E. Fox