Wayne County, NC - Heritage Series

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                Dr. Hill, Planter And Physician


Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be 
reproduced without permission. 

"Our Heritage"
By Claude Moore

During the Wayne County Bicentennial in 1979 several informative articles 
were written about the handsome old Vernon plantation, the home of Dr. and 
Mrs. Buckner Hill which stood three miles northwest of Mount Olive. Since 
that time the home has been torn down and some of the interior was used in 
the house of Mr. And Mrs. James C. Crone of Goldsboro. Dr. and Mrs. Hill 
lived at Vernon from the time of their marriage in 1839 until his death in 
1859. In the 1850's Dr. Hill built a fine home southeast of Faison which 
became the home of his son, Thomas Buckner Hill (1831-1881). This house was
sold a few years ago by Thomas B. Hill's granddaughter, Mrs. Ruth Taylor 
Parks, to Fred Archer of Magnolia.

Fred Archer sold the house and lot to the Historic Preservation Foundation 
and they are offering to sell the place to some "caring owner" for $72,000.

Dr. Buckner L. Hill (1800-1860) was the son of Thomas Hill (1758-1833) and 
Frances Smith Hill who settled on this 2,000 acre plantation in 1778. The 
census of 1820 show that he owned 46 slaves. Other children of Thomas Hill 
were: Dr. Thomas Hill (died 1861) who married Frances Jernigan and lived 
on a plantation near Scott's Store in Duplin County; Catherine Hill (died 
1828) who married Lewis Dickson; Elizabeth Hill who married David Wright 
and lived in Duplin; John Smith Hill; and General William Lanier Hill 
(1785-1860) who married Ann Dudley, a sister of Governor Edward Dudley and 
lived on a plantation near Warsaw.

Dr. Buckner L. Hill first married Jakey Justice of Onslow County and had a 
son, Thomas Buckner Hill, who married Elizabeth Martin. In 1839, Dr. Hill 
married Anna Maria Rhodes Ward, the widow of General Edward Ward of Onslow 
County. She was the daughter of General James Rhodes and his wife, Anna 
Bass Rhodes. Anna Bass was the daughter of Dr. Andrew Bass, the founder of 
old Waynesborough. Anna Bass later married Cullen Blackman. Mrs. Anna 
Maria Rhodes Ward Hill had the following brothers and sisters; Mrs. Sally 
Smith; Mrs. Clarissa Hatch; James Rhodes; Alice Blackman; and Cullen 
Blackman.

Dr. and Mrs. Hill traveled extensively, going periodically to the White 
Sulphur Springs in Virginia, to Washington, to Baltimore, and to Alabama 
where many of their relatives lived. Several years ago, I was in Demopolis, 
Alabama, and met one of Mrs. Hill's great-great nieces, Miss Maria Louisa 
Webb. She had inherited some of the furniture from Vernon.

The census of 1860 show that Dr. Buckner Hill owned 2,124 acres of woods 
land, and 699 acres of cleared land, and 133 slaves. When he built the 
house near Faison it is believed that he dismantled his father's old home 
and used some of the timbers in the new house. The house is in the 
Italianate style with entrances on all four sides. The halls (12 feet wide) 
cross on both floors. The house is in excellent condition.

Dr. Hill is buried on this plantation near his parents, and Mrs. Anna Maria 
Hill was buried on her family plot at old Waynesborough.

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Claude Moore
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