Wayne County, NC - Heritage Series Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be reproduced without permission. Transcribed by Linda Harmon. OLD HOUSE IS SHOW PIECE Our Heritage By Claude Moore Mount Olive Tribune Friends of Mount Olive College and those who are interested in the preservation of old houses will be pleased to know that the family of Charles and Esther Burnette has given their old home of 49 years to Mount Olive College. It may be used as a residence for the president of the college or for some other specified purposes. This old home is in Greek revival style with Tuscan columns and is located at 201 North Chestnut Street, directly across the street from the Post Office corner. This old house was built in 1874 by Joseph Shine, formerly of the Faison community who owned a plantation about five miles east of Mount Olive. He married Carolina (Carrie) Blount, a granddaughter of Dr. J. W. Blount of Kenansville, and in the 1870's he bought land in Mount Olive from Lemuel Kornegay. Kornegay was the first husband of Nan Loftin Kornegay and later she married Dr. Flowers. Joseph Shine built a two-story house at 201 Chestnut Street, and according to my friend, Miss Marie Lewis, it had double verandas. Joseph Shine died in 1887. In his Will he left this house after the death of his wife, to the children of his friend, Robert Jesse Southerland (1842-1906). Robert Jesse Southerland, a Confederate soldier, was the son of Jesse B. and Mary Jane Farrior Southerland of Duplin County. He married Anna Witherington in 1869. In 1870 he came to Mount Olive and his old home is still standing on West Main Street, directly across from Belks. Their children were: Robert J. Southerland, Jr. (1871-1948); Benjamin W. Southerland (1873-1926); Kate Southerland (1877-1958), who married Dr. William G. Steele (1867-1935); and Annie Southerland (1870-1930), who married Samuel Wooten (1867-1938) of LaGrange. Mrs. Shine died in 1914, and in 1919, the brother and two sisters deeded the Shine House to their brother, Benjamin W. Southerland, who had married Julia McGee of Goldsboro and they had one son, Benjamin (1903-1952). The Benjamin W. Southerland family originally lived in the old house which was later the home of Mr. And Mrs. Moseley Davis. The Southerlands completely remodeled the Shine house, outside and inside, making it one of the showplaces of Mount Olive. A brick wall was built around the lot and a two-car garage with servants quarters was built on the north west corner of the lot. Benjamin W. Southerland was a successful businessman and his family lived in style. It was a fine neighborhood. Just across the street (West James) was the home of Dr. McI. Tatum, and it had earlier been the home of the Rev. B. F. Marable, D. D., the first pastor of the Mount Olive Presbyterian Church. In 1937 Mr. And Mrs. Charles D. Burnette bought the Shine-Southerland house and moved there. Some remodeling was done. Charles Burnette was from Pender County. In 1926 he married Esther Hatch of Mount Olive, who was descended from several pioneer Wayne County families including Dr. Andrew Bass, the founder of Waynesborough. The Burnettes had four children: Ann Burnette Beasley of Chapel Hill; Charlie Burnette Jr. of Greenville; William Holmes Burnette of Raleigh; and James F. Burnette of Kinston. The Burnettes have a great love for Mount Olive and they are proud of Mount Olive College. It is hoped that the Shine-Southerland-Burnette house will be approved for the national Register. Daniel W. Fagg of Alberson, N. C., has prepared a fine application for this recognition. This old house has had an interesting history, and we may well believe with the growth and development going on, history will still be made here. ============================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linda Harmon ==============================================================