Tenant House Moving to Huntersville Farm
By Dave Vieser — The tenant house located at the northeast corner of West Catawba Avenue and Westmoreland Road in Cornelius will be moved to a farm in Huntersville this week, according to town and Alexander Farms officials.
“The tenant house is in the process of being shored up as it will be relocated off-site to a permanent home on a farm in Huntersville,” said Cornelius Planning Director Rox Burhans. “River Rock and their partners have been coordinating with the group Preserve Mecklenburg and others on this relocation initiative.”
Preserve Mecklenburg is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving properties of historical and cultural significance throughout Mecklenburg County.
Officials with River Rock Capital Partners, owners of the Alexander Farms site, also confirmed the move and said its permanent home will be announced at a later date.
Tenant house on Alexander Farm in 2022 / Photo by Jason Benavides
“The tenant house is being relocated the week of June 22 to a working farm that is home to several similar historic structures,” said River Rock spokeswoman Lexi Keegan. “In this manner, we can ensure the house will be properly restored, stabilized and preserved by the farm’s owners for future generations.”
Keegan said the relocation has been coordinated in partnership with the town and members of Preserve Mecklenburg Inc.
The tenant house was a key part of the cotton farm that occupied the area for generations. J. Wilson Alexander belonged to a family that had farmed in North Mecklenburg since the American Revolution. In addition to being a successful cotton farmer, Alexander was a community leader in the Cornelius area and beyond.
In an interview with Cornelius Today, retired UNC Charlotte history professor Dan Morrill said cotton production dominated Alexander’s life and work.
“It was the growing of cotton that took most of J. Wilson Alexander’s time and energy,” Morrill said. “Intelligent and resourceful, J.W. Alexander improved the economic standing of his family by harvesting large quantities of cotton and hauling it to Cornelius to be ginned. The Alexander Farm tenant house had several tenants over the years. However, cotton harvests declined steadily in Mecklenburg County during the 1950s and never recovered.”
Burhans said no further action is required by the Cornelius Town Board because the relocation already has been approved administratively.
Meanwhile, Keegan said a display highlighting the site’s history will eventually be installed at Alexander Farms.
“As development of the commercial parcels at Alexander Farms progresses and new tenants are introduced, a permanent exhibit and commemorative monument will be installed to celebrate the property’s rich history and educate visitors about the farm’s legacy and the story of the relocated tenant house,” she said.
Photos from the original move in 2022 of the tenant house on Alexander Farm making its way to the corner of Westmoreland and West Catawba / Photos by Jason Benavides
