NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1981 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1073

HOUSE BILL 583

 

 

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE JOHN CARSON HOUSE AT PLEASANT GARDENS IN MCDOWELL COUNTY.

 

Whereas, the John Carson House on U. S. 70 west of Marion is one of North Carolina's richest antebellum architectural resources; and

Whereas, the Carson House grew from a single-pen log house built by John Carson before 1810 to a grand vernacular Greek Revival mansion by the 1840's; and

Whereas, the Carson family of McDowell County was an outstanding pioneer family in the history of Western North Carolina; and

Whereas, John Carson and three of his sons served in the State Legislature, and one son, Samuel Price Carson, served three terms as a United States Congressman; and

Whereas, the historic Carson House was an important center of social and political activity and was visited by Davy Crockett and possibly others of national stature; and

Whereas, the Carson House Restoration Corporation has been operating the house as a museum of local history since 1964 to the benefit of thousands of North Carolinians and to date has had no State funds available for use in repairing and improving the structure; and

Whereas, the Carson House Restoration Corporation has received several awards and citations for its efforts on the public's behalf, including most recently an award of merit from the North Carolina Preservation Society; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for fiscal year 1981-82 for the purpose of conducting historical research on the Carson House, and for making needed repairs, upgrading display equipment, and installing burglar and fire alarm systems at the Carson House, and for relocating and restoring the original John Carson cabin on the Carson House site, provided like sums are raised by the Carson House Restoration Corporation in order to match the grant-in-aid on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Sec. 2. Funds appropriated in this act shall be expended only in accordance with G.S. 121-11 and G.S. 143-31.2.

Sec. 3. This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 10th day of October, 1981.