Gates County NcArchives News.....GATES COUNTY HISTORICAL LANDMARK  THE ROBERTS-CARTER PLANTATION DESTROYED BY TORNADO. April 18, 1984
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GERALD WIGGINS gwiggins@inteliport.com April 19, 2006, 6:58 pm

GATES COUNTY INDEX April 18, 1984
     CARTERS CROSSROAD- ONE OF NORTH CAROLINA'S HISTORICAL LANDMARKS WAS 
DESTROYED BY THE TORNADO WHICH HIT GATES COUNTY MARCH 28, THE ROBERTS-CARTER
PLANTATION HOUSE, LOCATED FOUR MILES SOUTHWEST OF GATESVILLE, WAS OWNED BY
THE HORANCE CARTER HEIRS, WHO WAS MAKING PLANS TO BEGIN THE RESTORATION OF THE
ELABORATE GREEK REVIVAL HOUSE, RECENTLY PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF
HISTORIC PLACES IN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE U.S.A.
     THE HISTORY OF THE   ROBERTS-CARTER HOUSE IS ONE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE, IN
1760'S JONATHAN ROBERTS SETTLED NEAR BENNETTS CREEK WHERE HE BUILT SINGLE-ROOM
DWELLING. THIS DWELLING BECAME KNOWN AS THE ROBERTS HOUSE, IN THE 20TH CENTURY
THE HOUSE WAS MOVED TO THE MORE RECENT SITE OF THE GREEK REVIVAL ROBERTS-CARTER
HOUSE FELL INTO DISMAY AND DECAY AND WAS TAKEN DOWN.
     JOHNATHAN ROBERTS SON JOHN,, BROUGHT HIS FATHER'S PLANTATION IN 1802 AND
BECAME ONE OF THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNERS IN GATES COUNTY, JOHN ROBERT'S SON
MELLS IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTUCTION OF A FEDERAL-
GREEK REVIVAL SIDE-HALL PLAN HOUSE IN 1830. THIS STYLE OF HOUSE WAS TYPICAL OF
LARGE PLANTATION HOMES. THE ROBERTS-CARTER WAS MODIFIED AND ENLARGED TO A GREEK 
REVIVAL CENTER HALL-PLAN WHICH WAS RECENTLY DESTROYED BY THE TORANDO AND STORM
THAT MOVED THROUGH GATES COUNTY.
     IN 1917, THE ROBERTS FAMILY SOLD THE PLANTATION TO THE HATTIE CARTER FAMILY
THE CARTER FAMLY WAS ALSO ONE OF THE LONG ESTABLISHED FAMILIES IN GATES COUNTY.
THE ROBERTS-CARTER HOUSE WAS BOUGHT BY THE LATE MR. HORANCE CARTER AND STILL
REMAINS WITH HIS HEIRS.
     ARCHITECTURALLY, THE ROBERTS-CARTER HOUSE WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION IN THAT
IT SHOWED TRANSITIONAL FEDERAL-GREEK REVIVAL SIDE HALL PLAN INTO A FULLY 
ELABORATE GREEK REVIVAL CENTER HALL PLAN, BEING ONE OF THE LARGEST PLANTATION
HOUSES, IT REFLECTED THE DESIGHNS AND STYLES OF THE ANTEBELLUM PLANTATION HOMES
OF THE ALBEMARLE REGION OF N.C.
     THE ROBERTS-CARTER PLANTATION HISTORICALLY,  GAVE INSIGHT INTO THE RISE
AND FALL OF THE PLANTATION SOCIETY, ALSO DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURE  
ECONOMY FROM THE COLONIAL PERIOD TO THE PRESENT COULD BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH 
THIS HISTORICAL PLANTATION, IT REFLECTED THE LIFESTYLE OF TWO OF THE LARGEST 
PLANTATION OWNERS IN GATES COUNTY, AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
     ARCHAELOGICALLY, THE ROBERTS-CARTER PLANTATION WAS LOCATED ON LAND WHICH
HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SETTLED BY THE CHOWAN INDIANS YIELDING INFORMATION ON THE
17TH AND 18TH CENTURY LIFE.
      THE ROBERTS-CARTER HOUSE IS GONE, BUT ITS RICH ROOTS AND HISTORY REMAINS.
AND THROUGH THIS HISTORY WE CAN LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE LIFE PATTERNS OF 
INDIVIDUALS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF GATES COUNTY.
     THE HEIR'S HAD HOPES OF RESTORING THE ROBERTS-CARTER PLANTATION HOUSE TO 
ITS ORIGINAL ELEGANCE AND CHARM WITH HOPES OF AN ELEGANT RESTAURANT OR A BED
AND BOARD. PREPARATION TO RESTORE THE EXTERIOR WERE ALREADY IN PROCESS BY THE
CARTER'S HEIRS. THEY WERE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN THE OWNERS FOR SUCH A TIME OF
AN ELEGANT AND CHARMING HOME.   THE NEWS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY: BRENDA BROWN
                                FOR THE GATES COUNTY INDEX, A PHOTO WAS TAKEN
                                INTITLE ,GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN IT APPEAR IN
                                THE GATES COUNTY INDEX ON APRIL 18, 1984
                                
                 

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