When auctioneers hammered a “for sale” sign in the front lawn of a rustic doctor’s building in 1985, 20 residents signed a charter to preserve the property, changing the fate of what is now the Mint Hill Historical Society. This museum aims to preserve the heritage of a rural community that’s been around since the early 1900s.
Carl J. McEwen Historic Village hosts a Doctor’s Museum, Ashcraft Schoolhouse, and a country store. A sign on the front reads “Dr. Ayer Whitley,” the last doctor to attend to patients in this small country doctor’s office.
Ira V. Ferguson opened the country store in 1921. Locals used to visit there to replenish their supplies. Since there was no refrigeration, milk, eggs, cheese fruit, vegetables, and other perishables were stored in a stone cellar. During summer, the iceman would bring ice blocks twice a week and drop them in the cellar to keep temperatures low. Straw and gravel were then placed to absorb moisture and provide drainage.
Boys and girls who visit Carl J. McEwen Historic Village during the school year are provided with aprons and suspenders to wear, taking them back 100 years when a typical day involved chores from dawn to dusk. Because of its unique setting, locals also hold birthday parties, celebrations, and family reunions in this place.
The schoolhouse educated students of different ages in a single classroom. Lessons started with prayers. Students were taught arithmetic, writing, and comprehension by teachers who earned modest pay, with mature students helping their younger counterparts.
Today, tea lovers congregate at the Ashcraft Schoolhouse twice a year to enjoy freshly brewed tea and other delicacies. Book early, so you don’t miss the most prominent Tea Party in Mint Hill.
The Mint Hill Historical Society is 25 minutes from Performance Lawn & Landscape. Take the US-601 N and drive for 17.5 miles, then turn left onto Matthews-Mint Hill Rd.
Go To: Museum of the Alphabet
