Poplar Grove Plantation

In 1795, James Foy, Jr., son of Captain James Foy, Sr. purchased 628 acres of land from Francis Clayton, who had purchased the land in 1784 from the recently widowed, Mary Harnett, wife of Cornelius Harnett. The acreage is located on Topsail Sound in New Hanover County, including the northern banks of Figure Eight Island.

 

James Foy, Jr., newly married to Henrietta Rhodes, daughter of Colonel Henry Rhodes, built the couple’s home close to the sound to more easily transport goods via boats and water barges to the port of Wilmington, since the arduous trip by road took about twelve hours round trip.

 

Ownership passed to James’ son, Joseph Mumford Foy, in 1838. After a  fire destroyed the homestead, Joseph M. Foy selected this current location because of its proximity to the Old New Bern Road. Construction began circa 1850. The Manor House was designed by Joseph, an amateur architect, in the popular Greek-Revival Style, mixing earlier Federal Style flourishes. The home is 4,284 square feet, with twelve fireplaces, two pairs of corbelled interior chimneys, eight principle rooms, and a full basement.

 

Here's the formal living room:

Formal dining room:

The Winter bedroom which was used in the film The Wedding, starring Oprah Winfrey and Halle Berry.

The Foy family:

The children's bedroom:

Poplar Grove was a self-sustaining peanut plantation, including a sawmill, brickyard, grist mill, salt works, turpentine still, a blacksmith’s forge and skilled slave artisans. Today, the Manor House and grounds echo the cultural and economic structure of the planter class and the beginning of the New South in the form of tenant farming and emancipation.

Here's the exterior:

The gazebo:

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse of history!

I'm sharing with 'Share Your Cup Thursday #81'

Southern Coastal Homes On Topsail Beach, North Carolina

 

I found this poem the other day, and thought it was so true. Your life is what you make of it, day by day. It also reminded me of the beautiful beach.

 

We have been staying in Topsail Beach for a few weeks now. It's an island off the southern coast of North Carolina. The homes here are an array of hues, some blend in with the landscape, while others have can be seen from a distance. Many homes on the island are raised as the Atlantic coastline is on one side, and the wetlands on the other side.

 

Many of the homes I photographed, were on wetlands side, enjoy the tour:

 

 

The birds were on the electrical lines, and flying really low. My Nana used to say that was a sign that it was going to rain, and it did.

 

Hope you enjoyed looking at some homes on Topsail Beach.



Grateful and a Look Back at this Year

Hello lovelies,

 

we've been in Georgia for about two weeks, and have one more week here until we travel to Topsail, NC. I'm especially looking forward to our next rental; for it's on the island and is a hop skip and a jump from the beach. I do adore that fresh salty beach air, don't you?

 

It brings me so much gratefulness.

pinterest

 

We've been traveling around the US since April for my hubby's job as an art director/graphic designer and it has brought us lots of adventures.

 

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Driving Across America

 

Dollywood

 

Strawberry Pie, Lemonade and a Picnic by the Pond

 

Virginia Beach

 

Flying into Florida

 

Edison Park Historic District

 

Then we got married while we were in Florida

 

Married My Sweetheart

 

Miami

 

The Carolinas

 

A Historic Tour of Valdosta Georgia

 

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We've definitely seen a lot of the Americas this year. By the end of the year we will have lived in 5 states, and traveled countless miles. But in hopes we'll be able to settle in North Carolina between Wilmington and Charlotte.