August 26, 2019 – Local History – The Ledbetter
House with its connection to the current location of The Pie Safe.
Below is a required researched paper for a Rutherford County History class that I attended several years ago at ICC.
The instructor was Robin Lattimore,
local historian with many published books under his belt. He is a fabulous lecturer and all round great guy.
Each student in the class was given
the task of picking a historical biulding in the county to research, prepare a paper, and
talk for the class.
I chose The Ledbetter House as it is
the closest historical sight to where I live.
Anyone who travels on US Business 74 from Spindale East to Forest City can’t
help but admire it.
Below is the full transcript – a little
bit of local Southern history. Please note it was written in 2008 - current owner is not updated.
James Dexter Ledbetter House
Colonial
Revival Style
Added to the
National Historical Register in 1982
#82003511
Location:
1436 W. Main
Street, Forest City, North Carolina, 28043
Rutherford
County
Historic
Significance:
|
Person,
Architecture/Engineering
|
Architect,
builder, or engineer:
|
Baynard,
James Andrew, Ledbetter, James Dexter
|
Architectural
Style:
|
Other,
Classical Revival, Colonial Revival
|
Historic
Person:
|
Ledbetter,
James Dexter
|
Significant
Year:
|
1914
|
Area of
Significance:
|
Architecture,
Commerce
|
Period of
Significance:
|
1900-1924
|
Owner:
|
Private
|
Historic
Function:
|
Domestic
|
Historic
Sub-function:
|
Single
Dwelling
|
Current
Function:
|
Domestic
|
Current
Sub-function:
|
Camp,
Single Dwelling
|
Source:
“National Register of Historic Places”, North Carolina, Rutherford County, 19
Sept 2008 <http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com
/NC/Rutherford/State.html.
“James Andrew “Andy” Baynard, a well-known
local builder, constructed this Colonial Revival style house for James D.
Ledbetter in 1914. The fine interior
woodwork in the two-and-a-half story, central-hall plan frame house is
representative of the excellent craftsmanship for which Mr. Baynard was known.”
(Merkel, Kimberly, 56)
“The house
features an elaborate portico, stained glass, and other embellishments, and is
one of the finest early twentieth century homes in the county.” (Merkel,
Kimberly, 56)
LEDBETTER HOUSE – PRIOR SITE OF THE RED TAVERN INN
“
. . . The Red Tavern, which stood directly in front of the present residence of
Mrs. J. D. Ledbetter, took its name from the huge, sprawling building, which at
some time during its existence had been painted a deep red. Just when the building was erected or when it
was torn down is a matter of conjecture.” (Griffin, Clarence 174)
“The
Ledbetter home stands on almost the identical spot where the old Salisbury-Lincolnton-Asheville
turnpike connected with the Charlotte-Asheville high road. And almost on the identical spot stood for
generations the famous, or infamous Red Tavern, where stage coach passengers
would stop for a sip of brandy or rum, a meal or a nights lodging.” (Griffin,
Clarence 174)
“Generations
of Negroes studiously avoided the spot after nightfall. Like Washington Irving’s ‘Legend of Sleepy
Hollow,’ the ghost of the ownerless horse roamed the premises of the Red
Tavern, searching for his master who was murdered in a Tavern brawl.” (Griffin, Clarence 174)
“The
Red Tavern was one of several which existed and made money during the 19th
century in Rutherford County. . . . Frequently brawls and fights occurred,
which taxed the ingenuity and patience of the innkeeper. One night according to tradition, a young
soldier, fresh from the Mexican War, tied his horse to a tree in the tavern
yard and entered the tavern for a drink of Madeira rum. As the night wore on he became intoxicated
and at length became involved in an argument with another guest, who invited
him into the tavern yard to settle their difference of opinion. The young soldier was shot by the unknown
guest, who then took off his sword and stabbed the horse to death. For years thereafter, the horse searched
nightly for his soldier-master, and Negro slaves for miles around studiously
avoided that area after nightfall.” (Griffin, Clarence 176)
J. D. Ledbetter
J. D. (James Dexter) Ledbetter was a savvy
businessman and co-founder of The First National Bank in Forest City when it
opened in 1923. He was the president and
chief founder of and first and only president who served until his death in the
spring of 1926.
The National Bank of Forest City had
“Capital of $100,000 and Resources of $400,000” in 1926. (Knight, Herbert L.)
“Although in the list of Rutherford
County banks there is none that enjoys any more prestige than does The National
Bank of Forest City, which although one of the county’s youngest institutions,
is its only national bank and one of the fastest growing banks within its
borders.” (Knight, Herbert L.)
Starting November 15, 1923 with an
initial capital of $65,000 and as of December 1, 1925, just two years later, it
reached $100,000 in capital and deposits of over a quarter million. (Knight,
Herbert L.)
The
key to the Banks’ success.
“
. . . the career of this bank has been featured by an unselfish service towards
the up building of Forest City and all of Rutherford County, as well as all the
other territory it serves.” (Knight, Herbert L.)
“Civically
it has been equally as active during the two years of its operation there has
been no other institution nor agency in the county that has contributed any
more nor played any larger part in the general progress and welfare of the
county than has this bank.” (Knight, Herbert L.)
Banks’
ingenuity.
“Special
attention has been given by the bank to the agricultural and kindred interest
of the county and the local farmers have always found this bank to be their
friend in every particular.” (Knight, Herbert L.)
“As a means of promoting better poultry
raising opportunities in the county, The National Bank of Forest City, in the
spring of 1925 distributed about 300 settings of eggs from pure bred
stock. This distribution was made free
of cost to the poultry raisers and resulted most favorably.” (Knight, Herbert
L.)
Modern
Banking brought to area:
Elevator
and State-of-the-art Vault
“The banking house” [currently the Mountain Bank at the corner
of Cherry Mountain Street and W. Main Street, Forest City] “is three
stories in height and is built of Pennsylvania iron slag brick, with interior
walls of re-enforced concrete and hollow tile.
This with its steel frame makes it absolutely fireproof.” (Knight,
Herbert L.)
“The bank itself uses the entire front
part of the first floor, while in the rear of the first floor are 4 modern
store rooms. The second and third floor
of the building are used for offices, an electric
elevator serving the second and third floors.” (Knight, Herbert L.)
[emphasis added]
“The banking room is equipped with
Roseal marble and its floors are of terrazzo.
Directly in the center, to the rear, is the large vault, which is the
largest and most modern and best of anywhere between Asheville and Charlotte.”
(Knight, Herbert L.)
“The vault is equipped with a door
weighing 18 tons, having a modern time-locking system, and is truly one of the
most attractive features of the interior of the banking rooms.” (Knight,
Herbert L.)
“The work began on July 31, 1925 and
The First National Bank moved in in March, 1926.” (Knight, Herbert L.)
NOTES:
Additional facts obtained from Margaret Butcher, only living heir of J.
D. Ledbetter who died of pneumonia in the spring of 1926.
J. D. Ledbetter had his banking office
in a building west of The First National Bank building. J. D.’s office was in the building that
currently houses The Daily Grind and is owned by Margaret Butcher.
Currently, Mountain Bank is utilizing the
site of The First National Bank building and the vault is clearly still the
focal point of the banking institution.
Commentary by Teri St. John:
J. D.
Ledbetter . . . “was a big, broad gauged citizen endowed with an unselfish
desire to co-operate in any movement designed for the common good and welfare
of the community and county.” (Forest City)
When the
depression hit Forest City in the 1930s, most
banks suspended business. The
National Bank of Forest City merged with Farmer Bank and they retained the bank
building. (Forest City). I speculate that if J. D. Ledbetter had been
living at the time of the depression his savvy business skills might have made
a marked difference in the financial recovery history of Forest City. I gleaned from Margaret Butcher, that J. D.
Ledbetter’s widow, Affie Ledbetter, was left in excellent financial condition
and she survived the depression with little ill-effect other than Affie remembering
having to use coupons for food.
Genealogy
J. D. Ledbetter and Affie Ledbetter
DOD 1926 –
DOD 1962
At age 55 –
at age 81
|
|||
Doris
Ledbetter Butcher
[married
Alfred Butcher]
One child:
Margaret
Born 1914
Died 2003
|
Frances Ledbetter
Born 1915
Died 1971
|
||
Leaving no
children
|
|||
Margaret Butcher, current living
heir to The Ledbetter house
She is the granddaughter of J.D. and
Affie Ledbetter.
|
|||
Interview
of Margaret Butcher
October
13, 2008 by
Teri
St. John
Questions
in italics
1.
I understand
it is a 2 ½ story house. Tell me about
the ½ story – is that the attic?
Yes, it is a full attic – standing up
attic. The full width and breadth of the
house. It is 2000 square feet. [Note: I estimate less than 1,212 sq. ft. – see property card dimensions.]
Is
there a way to the “Widow’s walk?”
YES – up a small steep stair case from
the attic.
Is
there a basement? Cement or Dirt
Yes, Dirt
2.
Write-ups
about the house indicate stained glass features. Where are they located?
Around the front door – on both sides
of the door and above the door.
Additionally – on the second story there are two round windows.
Those windows are actually in the only
two very small closets in the house.
3.
How many
rooms? Is it a central Hall, 4 over 4?
Downstairs has two living rooms. One is formal and the other is a day room
also a kitchen and another common area room. The rooms are very large.
The stair case leads from the center
of the house to the back then to the left then up to the second floor.
Does
the stair case have a wide landing with possibly a window seat?
The landing is wide, but no window
seat.
The ceilings are 10 feet. The kitchen is at the back left of the
house. There is also a full bath
downstairs.
Upstairs are three bedrooms and one
full bath. Additionally there is a
screened in sleeping room that has double doors out onto a screened in porch.
Out buildings include a brick house
that houses the lawn furniture and a two story barn. Also a wood shed – it had to hold the wood
that was used to heat the house and for cooking and heat hot water. Part of it was for tools.
And there is a garage – it was added
on or enlarged so that as the vehicles got bigger they would fit.
4.
The lower
portico or lower outside area – is it wood or stone?
The front steps are wood as well as
the entire lower porch. In fact, the
entire house is wood. The foundation is
brick.
Are
the ceilings of the balconies painted blue to help ward off the insects?
Yes they are, but not for the insects
for warding off evil spirits. It is a
difficult blue color to find. I’ve
forgotten the name of it.
5.
To the right
of the front portico, was that meant for a car to drive up and pick up
passengers?
Yes, only a small car will fit there
now – a sports car will fit. It was
designed for the automobiles at the time which were much smaller than today’s
cars.
6.
Are the
interior walls plastered?
Yes, they are. There is a waist high or maybe higher wood
paneling throughout the house. The
picture in that book shows it going up the stair case. Then the plastered walls and then the crown
molding at the ceiling is 1 ½ to 2 feet deep.
The woodwork is all dark wood. This is some of the beaded ceiling board that
was removed from the kitchen when we remolded.
[NOTE:
The color was a dark pecan.] [Some of it
was used to remodel The Daily Grind.]
When we were remodeling the house –
the kitchen and bathrooms, we found a tag on the back of the kitchen paneling
that indicated it had been ordered for J. D. and was shipped in. I was told that most of the lumber to build
the house was taken from the land surrounding the house.
7.
I understand
that the house is listed on the National Historic Register. [added in 1982 –
Building #82003511] What does that restrict you from doing?
We can’t change the outside. The exterior of the house has to remain the
way it was built.
But, when we moved back here in 1997
and 1998 there was no heating. The house
had been heated by only wood. They
cooked on a wood stove and they heated their water for the bath in a wood stove
in the bath. There was no hot water.
When we remodeled we put in heating,
cooling, upgraded the wiring, remodeled the bath rooms and completely re-did
the kitchen.
I couldn’t live here with no heat or
hot water. It was so cold when we moved
back and we started it in the fall of the year.
When we were fixing it up a rumor was
around that we were re-doing it for Andy Griffin.
8.
That’s
funny. When I moved to this area in 1985
and asked the locals about the house, I was told by so many in the area that it
was the “Governor’s house”, but that is not true is it?
Not true. And this house doesn’t have ghosts either.
[NOTE:
- See The Red Tavern history – re: Ghosts]
9.
There are
brick posts with metal pipe fencing that come from the corner of Smith Grove
Road and along to the right side of the driveway. Yet, there are none to the left of the
driveway. Do you know anything about
that? Did they move the road or
something?
No, that was because of the
Gypsies. Grandfather said the Gypsies
would camp in the woods and start fires and he didn’t want his forest or house to
catch on fire – so to stop the Gypsies – he fenced it in to keep them off his
property.
10.
So, this house
was continuously lived in only by descendants?
Yes, grandmother and grandfather, my
Aunt Frances and my mother Doris when they were children. When Frances and Doris grew up they went off
to Converse College and then on to study at Julliard School of Music in New
York. My mother, Doris, eventually
settled in Charlotte and taught music for a living. Frances went on to be
concert pianist {sic}.[1]
I was born and raised in Charlotte most of my life.
11.
What is your
fondest memory?
Minnie, the daughter of my
grandmother’s maid. Minnie was 17 or 18
when she took over from her mother. She
had been raised to take over and she
cooked everything on the wood stove and made the best biscuits.
They say the housemaid [Minnie’s mother] was the oldest freed slave
in North Carolina. J. D. Ledbetter built
the maid a house west of the Ledbetter house up near where the gas station used
to be. She would walk to and from work. She cooked and cleaned and took care of
the house and then Minnie took her place after a time.
My favorite memory is putting my feet
in the cook stove to keep them warm. I
was about 10 or 11 at the time.
Oh, there was also a buzzer under the
dinning room table so that if the master wanted anything, he’d press it with
his foot and it would buzz in the kitchen and they would come out to attend to
him.
12.
Is the house
comfortable to live in? Other than being
a fishbowl to people slowing down and taking pictures?
Yes, when we redid the heating and air
and hot water – it is very comfortable.
13.
Comparing the
Ledbetter house to a house built in 2008, does it have functionality?
Yes, because we remolded the kitchen.
14.
What is your
favorite feature of the house?
The architecture – the wainscoting and
woodwork, inside and out, the architecture.
15.
What is your
least favorite?
Not much closet space, hardly any at
all. Those stained glass windows on the
second story – that is where the very small closets are. Those windows are in
the back of the closets.
16.
The
advertisement for builders that is framed at the back entrance of The Daily
Grind - is that the Ledbetter house? I
don’t happen to see Baynard listed?
Yes it is the Ledbetter house. No it was an advertisement for building
suppliers.
17.
I understand
that Andy Baynard, the architect for the Ledbetter house may have also done the
Washburn house, yet I have been told that may be false.
He didn’t build the Washburn
house. J. D. Ledbetter liked a house in
Spartanburg and he took some of that design and worked it into the house.
18.
The articles
on the wall – that was the bank – on the corner where your grandfather J. D.
Ledbetter worked?
Yes, this building was J. D.’s office
when he worked at the bank. Did you know
that they made their own money back then?
J. D. Ledbetter and W. N. _________ signed it.
19.
So you have
some money with your grandfather’s signature on it?
Yes, in the vault.
Additional
comments made by Ms. Margaret Butcher – not answers to anything – just bits of
history.
Minnie used to feed Frances and Doris
to the point where they would get sick.
It was not fashionable to be skinny and I’ve been told that they would
wear extra clothes to look fatter. If
you were thin back then it was due to lack of nutrition and it was not a
fashion statement like today. It also
was questionable if the cook’s skills were up to par if the inhabitants were
thin.
Also, Affie Ledbetter home schooled both
Frances and Doris. Later they went on to
public school. There is a school room
certificate for Frances when she was in the fourth grade. [Framed on the wall of The Daily Grind.]
You may also want to look at the
article that Virginia Rucker did. It has
a picture of my grandmother, my aunt and my mother. There is a picture of me with my
grandmother. [It is framed and in the original section of The Daily Grind. The Sunday Courier, dated August 19,
2001. Section 1C.]
Verbatim excerpts
from August 19, 2001
The Sunday Courier
“Restoring Family Roots” by Virginia Rucker
[parentheses
added for note or clarity by T. St. John]
. . . the Ledbetter house was begun in
1912, and completed in 1914 . . .[Note: Deed indicates land purchased 1913.]
The Ledbetter house has a distinction
that possibly no other Rutherford home can claim, it’s been owned and occupied
by one family since it was built.
Doris was born 1914
Frances was born 1915
J. C. Ledbetter died in 1926 at age
55.
He was a shrewd businessman and
co-founder of The First National Bank in Forest City when it opened in 1923.
The money he accumulated he invested
in property mostly on the town square and still owned by daughter, Doris. [Doris
has since died.]
After Mrs. Ledbetter’s death in 1962
at the age of 81, the two daughters continued to return to the home and kept it
in excellent condition.
Both girls graduated with degrees in
music from Converse College in 1936, then Julliard School of Music in New York
City. After completing their educations,
Doris came back to Charlotte to teach music in the Mecklenburg school system
and Frances remained in New York where she was a concert pianist.
During World War II, Doris met Alfred
Butcher of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, while playing for a dance at a USO
club. They married in 1946 at St.
Francis Episcopal Church in Rutherfordton, but continued living in Charlotte.
Her (Doris) life was filled happily
with work, their child Margaret, and travel.
Trips for Doris were frequent and out-of-the-ordinary. One included a camping trip to Siberia,
another on the Queen Mary, with Margaret, sailing to England.
She’s (Doris) still active in the
D.A.R., Opera Guild, a music club and her flower garden.
After Frances’ death in 1971, she
[Doris] had to assume full responsibility of the Ledbetter property here. She
realized that it was becoming a daunting task for her and her husband and four
years ago they suggested to Margaret that she live in the family home and manage
the Forest City property.
The Ledbetter house had been
Margaret’s other home since early childhood and, after some soul-searching, she
agreed.
That changed her life drastically, but
it seemed to have fallen gracefully in place.
Margaret had graduated from Charlotte’s County Day School then pursuing
her love of horses went to Kentucky to Morehead State University majoring in
education.
Golf is another favorite sport and she
had met another golfer, Jill Thorne, while playing Golf in Charlotte. Jill was
a Mapping Supervisor and involved in historical sites in Chester, S.C. at that
time, living in a renovated house built in 1860.
Knowing Jill’s love of old houses,
Margaret asked if she’d be willing to come and help renovate the Ledbetter
home. She accepted and four years of
hard work has made a vast difference, now the house still needs only a few
finishing touches.
Thorne had grown up in Ohio, attended
the University of Ohio; attended the University of Michigan and the University
of West Virginia majoring in civil and mechanical engineering with emphasis on
architecture. That background was
valuable in the renovations.
The house presented a formidable task.
There was no heat, no hot water, a
woodstove in the kitchen, some rooms with only one electrical outlet and
limited plumbing.
“The renovation had to be functional,”
Thorne said, “but ((with its historical background)) it had to have integrity.”
They started with replacement of
wiring, plumbing and added heat and hot water.
“When we first moved in we had only a wood cook stove so we brought a
hot plate and a microwave, but because of the limited electricity could use
only one at a time,” Thorne said.
Often families and guests gather in
the kitchen so the women began with that room, removing a window and door to
add light, replaced the cabinets, restored the hardwood floors, used stainless
steel for the countertops and installed a Chinese red commercial stove.
“We have combined the old and the
new,” Butcher said, “and it was priceless to see my mother’s face when she
walked into the remodeled kitchen.”
Some family pieces have been retained
– a grand and square piano, the beds Doris and Frances slept in, and other
pieces that have sentimental value.
They found old pictures, newspapers,
some dating back to the 100-room Mabree Hotel on the square, which was built in
1904 and destroyed by fire in 1918, along with pictures of Ledbetter family
members.
The house beginning to be comfortable,
the two women could foresee enough leisure to set themselves up in business,
But what kind?
After deliberation, they decided on
something new to Forest City, an espresso serving various types of coffee and
tea, along with baked Danish, muffins, fresh breads, cakes and sundaes. After a month or two they planned to serve lunches
that date is settled now, the first of September.
. . . .
Crown moldings came from the Ledbetter
house when it was built and boards used as facings on the counters were found
in the Ledbetter home’s two-stall barn.
Some bear the inscription “J.D. Ledbetter, Forest City, N.C.,” on the
back.
They opened The Daily Grind July 21,
(2001).
. . . .
ABOUT AFFIE LEDBETTER:
[heading
added]
Butcher hears many tales about her
grandmother Ledbetter known locally as a “character”. She was always erect, dignified, wore
ankle-length dresses, often black, and the same small, round black hat atop her
pinned-up hair.
According to legend, she was allowed
to have the same parking space on the square and the tale goes, that once she
forgot how to stop her 1938 Buick and continued circling the square until a
policeman recognized the dilemma, jumped in and braked.
When she continued hearing a whining
noise in her car and she took it to a mechanic for a check-up, he told her to
change the three gears. She replied she
didn’t know it had three, that she had always driven in second gear.
. . . .
NOTE: The Daily Grind sold out to another entity a
few years after I prepared this paper.
ABSTRACT – PUBLIC RECORDS
1.
Deed
from T. C. McBrayer to J. D. Ledbetter, dated March 31, 1913 and recorded March
31, 1913 in Book 97, page 357, for the original 11 144/100 acre tract where the
Ledbetter house was built. Consideration
for the land was $1,500.
2.
Deed
Sheet sketch showing dimensions of lot in1913.
3.
Deed
from Mrs. Affie Ledbetter, widow, to Frances Rucker Ledbetter of Rutherford
County and Doris Ledbetter Butcher of Mecklenburg County, dated and recorded
August 4, 1961, in Deed Book 259, Page 128.
Note, additional property has been added increasing the acreage to 15.7.
4.
Deed
Sheet sketch showing dimensions of lot with additional acreage.
5.
Frances
Rucker Ledbetter deceased – break in deed chain
6.
Deed
from Alfred Butcher, Jr. and wife, Doris L. Butcher to Doris L. Butcher and
Margaret H. Butcher, Trustees of their successors in trust under The Doris
Ledbetter Butcher Living Trust dated August 5, 2002, and any amendment thereto,
dated August 15, 2002 and recorded August 21, 2002 in Deed Book 804, page
006. Tract Three is Ledbetter home site:
15.7 acres.
7.
Deed
from Margaret H. Butcher, Trustee under The Doris Ledbetter Butcher Living
Trust dated August 5, 2002, to Margaret H. Butcher, unmarried, dated May 19,
2003, and recorded May 23, 2003 in Deed Book 821, Page 50. 15.7 acres.
8.
Deed
from Margaret H. Butcher, Trustee, or her successors in trust under the Doris
Ledbetter Butcher Living Trust dated August 5, 2002, and any amendments thereto
to Margaret H. Butcher and Jill Ann Thorne Trustees, of their successors in
trust, under the Butcher Living Trust dated May 16, 2006, deed dated December
8, 2006, and recorded December 13, 2006 in Deed Book 920, Page 869, and
re-recorded in Deed Book in Book 924, Page 196. 15.7 acres
9.
GIS
currently – shows all of property annexed into Forest City (Margaret Butcher
mentioned this when I asked if the house was in Spindale or Forest City.)
10.
Tax
Map outlined in yellow. NOTE: Forest City limits recently moved west to
annex entire acreage into city.
11.
Property Sheets page 1: A) year built 1913; B) shows square footage
and layout of the house; C) indicates recent remodeling upgrades of Gas forced
heat; heat pump. D) 4 bedrooms, 1 ½ baths. E) Very Good quality grade and
EXCELLENT condition; F) shows outbuilding all built in 1913. [Note this is different than the National
Register date.]
12.
Property
Sheet: page 3 – square foot layout of house.
Resources:
Butcher, Margaret, Personal Interview.
October 13, 2008.
Forest City,
1930 [newspaper advertisement – framed and located on west wall of The Daily
Grind]
Griffin,
Clarence, W., Essays on North Carolina, 1951, Forest City, N.C., Forest City
Courier
Knight,
Herbert, L., The Rutherford County News,
1926, “Progress & Publicity Edition”
Merkel,
Kimberly I., The Historic Architecture of Rutherford County published by
Rutherford County Arts Council, Inc., Forest City, NC, 1983.
“National Register
of Historic Places”, North Carolina – Rutherford County, 19 September 2008.
<http://www.nationalregisterof historic places.com/NC/Rutherford/State.html
Rutherford
County Public Records, public access
records; Court House, Rutherfordton, NC [includes Deed Book 97, page 357;
GIS property card - 2 pages; Tax Map; and sketches from Deed Sheets
Rucker, Virginia, The Sunday Courier, 08/19/1991, SUNDAY: 1C
