Good bones: Historic Pender County home faces uncertain future
PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A historic home faces an uncertain future after being left to the elements for decades.
The Beatty-Corbett House was built in 1850, with additions made to it around 1900.
In addition to being instrumental in the tar and turpentine trade along the Black River during the 18th century, the home also served as a backdrop for several films in the 1990s. But today, it stands left to the elements, waiting for someone to restore it.
Mike Taylor of the Pender County Historic Society said the house is a surviving remnant of a by-gone era.
“The house is probably the largest home on the Black River, and represents the influence and the wealth of the naval stores industry, which earned North Carolina the term ‘The Tarheel State,’” Taylor said.
Taylor noted the Pender County Museum will be welcoming a small exhibit about the house by June 22.
Travis Gilbert of the Historic Wilmington Foundation added that the naval stores industry put the downstream community of Wilmington on the map.
“This is the industry that made Wilmington a worldwide phenomenon. Much of the world’s naval stores at this period in history originated from the Port of Wilmington,” Gilbert said.
In 2022, retired lawyer Alex Hall purchased the property with business partner Irv Freeland as land only, but he said after seeing the house—without yet knowing the rich history behind it—he knew his preference was to save it. However, after consulting several experts, the outlook did not look great.
“I’ve had a number of numbers and they’re high. It would probably be less expensive to tear the house down and rebuild it, but the bones on that house are real good,” Hall said.
Gilbert noted the foundation has been working with Hall to find a brighter outlook for the home.
“The Historic Wilmington Foundation and our partners at Preservation North Carolina are working with the property owner to seek a solution that preserves the home in-tact,” Gilbert said.
Although the home is currently on the market as land only, Hall hopes the future of the property will include the house with it.
“I’d be glad to sell it to whoever will preserve it. I would love to have some assurances that they will preserve it. That’s my end goal,” Hall said.
If you are interested in purchasing the property for conservation, Gilbert noted you can reach out to the Historic Wilmington Foundation. Hall added that the property is on the market with Harper Fraser of Intercoastal Reality Company.
