Edgewood Farm
Eastfield Road in Northern Mecklenburg County is like many other rural, now increasingly suburban, two-lane roads in the Charlotte Area. A collection of entrances to subdivisions and corner shopping centers mixed in with rural ranch homes, and if you are lucky, a few remaining farms.
About one mile east of the intersection of NC 115 and Eastfield Road, the past, present, and future of the area intersect. Here, a new residential subdivision is sprouting up within feet of an old historic farmhouse called the Edgewood Farm.
The Edgewood Farmhouse is one of the last remaining intact antebellum plantation homes still standing in Mecklenburg County. The home, built around 1853 (or 1840), belonged to Robert Davidson Alexander and his wife, Abigail Bain Caldwell Alexander. The two were married in 1829.
The elder Alexander deeded 400 acres to the newlywed couple in 1830. They would call their land "Edgewood." The couple originally built and lived in a one-story log home, which still stands on the property. There is contention about when the house was built - locally, it is believed to have been built around 1840; other sources list 1853.
In 2016, Edgewood Farm was placed for sale. Over the next five years, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission reviewed development plans, intending to best preserve the Edgewood farmhouse. An 86-home subdivision, called Edgewood Preserve, would be built to the east and southeast of the farmhouse on approximately 20 acres. The Edgewood farmhouse and surrounding structures would be preserved, including roughly 2 acres of open grass field, as a "Historic Viewshed." Further, an additional 4.75 acres of land to the immediate west of the farmhouse would retain a historic designation.
 |
| While recent overgrowth has the Edgewood property look ragged. The home was painstakingly taken care of by the McLeod family. |
The Edgewood Farmhouse is one of the last remaining intact antebellum plantation homes still standing in Mecklenburg County. The home, built around 1853 (or 1840), belonged to Robert Davidson Alexander and his wife, Abigail Bain Caldwell Alexander. The two were married in 1829.
Alexander was the son of Willian Bain Alexander, who owned a 6,000-acre plantation called "Alexandriana."
 |
| The 1830 log home of the Alexander Family. |
The elder Alexander deeded 400 acres to the newlywed couple in 1830. They would call their land "Edgewood." The couple originally built and lived in a one-story log home, which still stands on the property. There is contention about when the house was built - locally, it is believed to have been built around 1840; other sources list 1853.
Alexander's plantation at Edgewood was home to an orchard, livestock, feed crops, and honeybees. The Alexanders were slaveholders. The number of enslaved persons at Edgewood ranged from eight in 1840 to fifteen at the time of his death in 1863. There were at least three slave dwellings at Edgewood.
Edgewood remained within the Alexander Family until 1934, when the former plantation was subdivided and sold. The home was designated as a local Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmark in 1985. The Edgewood farmhouse was occupied by the McLeod family until around 2016. Meg McLeod had raised sheep on the farm. She also took excellent care of preserving and maintaining the over 150-year-old home.
 |
| Development plan for Edgewood Preserve. The Edgewood Farm property is shown in green. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission) |
In 2016, Edgewood Farm was placed for sale. Over the next five years, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission reviewed development plans, intending to best preserve the Edgewood farmhouse. An 86-home subdivision, called Edgewood Preserve, would be built to the east and southeast of the farmhouse on approximately 20 acres. The Edgewood farmhouse and surrounding structures would be preserved, including roughly 2 acres of open grass field, as a "Historic Viewshed." Further, an additional 4.75 acres of land to the immediate west of the farmhouse would retain a historic designation.
All photos taken by the post author unless otherwise noted.
Sources & Links:
- Edgewood Farmhouse ---Personal Flickr Album
- Edgewood Farm ---Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission
- Gray, Stewart & Warlick, Tommy. "Slavery at Edgewood Farmhouse - Designation Report Addendum." Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. July 2021.
- Bell, July Reed & Walter, Roy. "UCity's Rural Escapes." Charlotte Observer. March 28, 2011.
How To Get There:
Comments