Ancient home near the location of Job's Lot in need of repair.
Unusual shaped buildings line Old and Hay Streets
I love the Market square roundabout
I crossed the Cape Fear River on Thursday, but no less beautiful than the Catawba, which I crossed on Friday, or the Yadkin-PeeDee, which I cross everyday. I had ventured into Cumberland County to do research in Fayetteville and to plot out an 1825 deed detailing the purchase of a house and land on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville of my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather and the namesake of this blog: Job Davis.
The Edgar Allen Poe House
The deed was fairly clear in its description, and I had hopes, that even now, 188 years later, I might be able to acertain a reasonable estimate of where the house had been located, although I had no actual hopes that the house still stood.
View heading into town.
near the foot of HayMount, where Job's lot would have been located is Davis Street. A Coincidence? I would like to think not.
Liberty Point is still recognizable from old pictures.
The description read that the house was brick and located on the "South side of Hay Street near the foot of HayMount" and that one corner was at the "intersection of Hay St with the Orchard Alley in the new brick buildings on the south side of Hay street running with arched alley south 70 and a half feet east and 20 feet to a stake and partition of the Brick house beginning being Lot # 4". It also mentions the property having been a deed from William Moore to Abel Turner, Abel Turner being the gentleman from whom Job had purchased the property.
The Huske family was one of Fayetteville's Oldest and Most inflluential
The Arts Building, an old Courthouse, I believe
The library in Fayetteville is an impressive, modern, high tech building. Well-staffed and very organized, it was a delight to explore. The History Room is one of the better ones I've visited, and the librarian reigns there is one of the best, most professional and helpful I've ever encountered. It is easy to see that Ms. Arletha Campbell loves what she does and I loved meeting her.
The Lawyers Building
Hay Street
In 1844, Job Davis, then 71 years old, would sell the house and lot to his stepson, John Winfield Howell, as he and his wife Sarah were presumably getting too old to make the 93 mile trip from their plantation in Stanly County to Fayetteville.
I found Fayetteville to be enchanting. I had been there several times before, but never to her historic heart and center and what a treat I was missing.
Downtown Fayetteville reeks of history. A large number of historic retail buildings and historic homes have been lovingly maintained and restored. Beauty abound. A trip to the library allowed me to copy off a collection of historic maps. Although much has changed, the general layout of the streets and the location of the creeks from which the town gained its original name of Cross Creek were still there and traceable. HayMount Hill rises clearly from where Hay street crosses Rowan and an Inn on the side of the hill stills stands and is marked as such.
The last thing I was looking for on my trip was the old Crosscreek Cemetery where I know from an old cemetery book, holds the grave of my (several greats) Uncle John Winfield Howell, and most likely his wife Clarrisa Harlow Phelps Pearce Howell as well, and probably his brother Jordan Howell whose obituary in the Fayetteville Observer noted that he had been interred in "the usual place", which one could assume would be the Cross Creek Cemetery.
It was getting dark as I arrived at Cross Creek Cemetery and the first grave I encountered was that of a Mr. John L. Kennedy, which makes me want to look into who he was.
Cumberland County now makes the Nineteenth County in which I've traveled for Genealogical Research. Begining with Stanly, Anson, Cabarrus, Rowan, Davie, Davidson, Montgomery, Union, Richmond, Moore, Hoke, Guilford, Forsyth, Burke, Iredell Counties in North Carolina and Marlboro, Chesterfield and Lancaster Counties in South Carolina. I feel like I am forgetting a few.
I had only known by information on the telephone that my four-great grandparents had belonged to and attended Hay Street Methodist Church during the 1820-1850's time period, which was information I had found astounding, considering they owned a large farm on the Rocky River bordering Stanly and Anson Counties in North Carolina and the church is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, some 93 miles away. Its a two plus hour drive today. What a trip it must have been in horse and buggy days.
I did not discover that they had purchased a home there until I began researching Jordan and John W Howell who had moved there after reaching adulthood. John and Jordan were two of Sarah's children by her first marriage to Richard Howell and half-brothers of my third great grandfather, Henry Davis.
When I discovered deeds regarding Job Davis, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Could it be the same Job Davis? When I saw that Jordan Howell witnessed the purchase and that later, when it was sold, it was to John W Howell, I knew it WAS my Job Davis. He was 71 when he sold it, so the every summer trip must have gotten to be too much for the patriarch.
The property was described as being on Hay street and including a brick house near the base of HayMount Hill, near an alley and an orchard and at such and such distance from the church. When I found out the church was Methodist, I thought they may have attended, and when I found out it still existed, I was overjoyed.
I had recieved a return call three weeks after my first inquiry stating that the names of my ancestors had indeed been found in the old records of the church. While the Howells and their children attended year round, it seemed tbe Davis's only visited in summer.
Then I remembered in reading stories of Old Charleston and Savannah of how planters from miles down the rivers would also maintain a house in town. Where the term 'townhouse' came into play. They escaped the summer mosquitos and disease they brought that were thicker near rivers and creeks where crops were raised.
Was Cross Creek/ Fayetteville Job's Charleston?
At the bottom of the page it states: "Who has died this year? Clarrissa Howell in great pain April 16, 1853. John W Howell very suddenly May - 1853"
On my recent trip to Fayetteville, the church was my first stop. The first lady I came to knew of no such archives, but I knew I had talked to someone on the phone who told me they did exist. That is when I was directed to Dr. Alice Smith, Director of Lay Ministry.
Dr. Smith has been with the church a very long time and was kind enough to take me through the sanctuary, into the office of archives.
The older sanctuary was elegant and commanding. An enormous and beautiful pipe organ lined the western wall. Sun beamed through exquisite stained glass windows. The office was off to the back and contained a couple of glass cases. Inside the cases were a number of books, some with dates in the 1920's and 1940's. It was the oldest ones I was interested in.
I held the books with care and reverence, almost afraid to touch them. It did not take long, turning the browning pages, to find a familiar name.
I came across some baptisms: Charlotte Winfield Howell July 10, 1827 by Sam Dunwoody born Jany 19 1823.
This was the recording of the baptism of the oldest daughter of Jordon Howell and his wife Mary. Charlotte's birth year had been estimated at 1822, in census records. Now I had the exact date.
There were lists of Official Members for each year. There were lists of who attended each class. I am assumed the 'class' was a bible study class or a Sunday School Class.
John H Pearce held the office of Local Elder for awhile.
John Howell joined the church on February 25th, 1840 by letter.
John Howell was in Class number 6, Clarrissa Howell was in class number 10.
There were other Howell names that gives me something to research into, perhaps the missing children the Howell brothers whose names I have not yet discovered.
These are two Howells listed I have not came across, near the bottom, Emily Howell, but 3 names above hers, it appears to be "Chili" Howell. I am sure it is not Chili Howell, but I can not make out the first name.
I even discovered, oh my, how horrible....that a few members of the younger generation....had turned Baptist.
Old Street, across from the Church.
At the bottom of the roll, Sarah Davis, my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother.
I was only able to examine the velvety old books and make unclear photos with my tablet, but being able to see the names of ancestors among those fragile old pages, was worth the trip, if I had discovered nothing else. How my ancestors would make that nearly 100 mile trek every year on dirt roads full of pot holes and unseen conditions, I do not know, but they did.
People who only research straight up their family tree are missing so much. You never know what you might find if you also research the whereabouts and comings and goings of their siblings. If I had not started researching the step-siblings of my direct ancestor, Job's oldest son Henry, I would have never known that his parents, my 4 Great-Grandparents, had owned property and attended church services in the town of Fayetteville. I would have had no reason to look for them there.
Looking into the entire family gives you a fuller picture of who you family was, how they lived, where they lived and who you are yourself.
the Cape Fear River on Thursday, but no less beautiful than the Catawba, which I crossed on Friday, or the Yadkin-PeeDee, which I cross everyday. I had ventured into Cumberland County to do research in Fayetteville and to plot out an 1825 deed detailing the purchase of a house and land on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville of my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather and the namesake of this blog: Job Davis. 
