>> WELCOME TO "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR "COLLECTING CAROLINA" SERIES WAS
A TOUR OF AYR MOUNT.
BUILT IN 1815, THIS HISTORIC FEDERAL STYLE HOME IS AVAILABLE
FOR TOURS YEAR-ROUND, AND IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT EARLY
HILLSBOROUGH.
>> LESS THAN A MILE OUTSIDE OF HILLSBOROUGH, ON A HILLSIDE
OVERLOOKING THE ENO RIVER, SITS AYR MOUNT, BUILT IN 1815 BY
SCOTTISH IMMIGRANT AND SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT WILLIAM
KIRKLAND.
MESDA ASSOCIATE CURATOR DANIEL ACKERMANN JOINS ME TO EXPLORE
THIS FINE HOME, AN EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLE OF FEDERAL PERIOD
ARCHITECTURE IN THIS QUIET, PASTORAL SETTING.
BILL AND SCHATZIE MANAGE THE HOUSE, THE PROPERTY, AND VISITOR
EXPERIENCE, AND CARE FOR EVERY SQUARE INCH, INSIDE AND OUT.
>> WILLIAM KIRKLAND BOUGHT 500 ACRES HERE TO BUILD HIS HOUSE.
HE PUTS IT RIGHT ON THE TRADING PATH LEADING TO THE CATAWBA
CHEROKEE INDIAN NATION AND THE ENO RIVER.
HE WANTS EVERYBODY TO SEE IT AS THEY GO BY.
>> AYR MOUNT WAS PURCHASED BY RICHARD JENRETTE IN 1985, AND HE
PASSED IT ON TO CLASSICAL AMERICAN HOMES PRESERVATION
TRUST IN 1993, AND IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WEDNESDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY.
>> CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
ON THIS 1797 BROADWOOD GRAND PIANO FORTE, THE LAST GENERATION
OF KIRKLANDS HAVE REMOVED ALL THE PIANO STRING AND THE LEAD,
AND THEY TOOK IT DOWN TO THE ENO RIVER TO USE FOR THEIR FISHING
LINE AND THEIR SINKERS.
IN THIS ROOM, MANY PIECES OF FURNITURE ARE ON CASTERS BECAUSE
THEY WOULD MOVE THE FURNITURE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO BE CLOSER
TO THE LIGHT OR THE HEAT SOURCE OR THE BREEZE.
WELL, VISITORS WILL SEE EXQUISITE ANTIQUE FURNITURE
PIECES, PORTRAITS, CHINESE PORCELAIN, WATERFORD CRYSTAL, AS
WELL AS A COMPLETE SET OF 51 NORTH CAROLINA ETCHINGS BY LOUIS
ORR.
>> SO THIS IS REALLY A CASE WHERE THE COLLECTION BEGAN WITH
THE HOUSE, AND IT'S A HOUSE BUILT BY THIS MAN.
>> YEAH, THIS MAN IS WILLIAM KIRKLAND, AND HE BUILT THIS
HOUSE IN 1815.
IT'S QUITE A BIG PLACE, BUT IT WAS FOR A BIG FAMILY, AND THIS
PORTRAIT WAS DONE IN 1830, AND IT WAS CONDITION OF THE SALE OF
THIS HOUSE TO MR. JENRETTE THAT THIS PORTRAIT ALWAYS REMAIN
HERE.
>> AND SO IT HAS ALWAYS IN THIS DINING ROOM.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING ELSE.
>> OKAY.
SCHATZIE, WHAT A GREAT DESK.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT IT?
>> IT IS A GREAT DESK.
IT WAS BUILT IN PHILADELPHIA THE END OF THE 1700s, OWNED BY JUDGE
JOSEPH HOPKINSON, WHO WROTE THE LYRICS TO "HAIL COLUMBIA."
AND THEN ABOVE IT ALSO ANOTHER SONGWRITER.
THIS IS A PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM GASTON, WHO WROTE THE STATE SONG
FOR NORTH CAROLINA.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MANY GENERATIONS OF KIRKLANDS WERE
RAISED IN THIS CRIB OR SAT IN THAT CHAIR?
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THESE PIECES ALL
MADE OF LOCAL WOOD BY LOCAL CRAFTSMEN IS THAT THEY'VE
RETURNED TO THIS HOUSE, TO THIS COLLECTION, AND TO THIS PLACE
WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
AND OBJECTS LIKE THIS CLOCK, MARKED BY ITS MAKER, CAN
ACTUALLY BE RESEARCHED AT mesda.org USING OUR COLLECTIONS
DATABASE.
>> JULIA, WHEN YOU COME TO AYR MOUNT, YOU CAN WALK ON POETS
WALK, WHICH RUNS AROUND THE PROPERTY.
>> NOW, HOW FAR IS THAT?
>> THAT'S ABOUT A MILE.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE FAMILY CEMETERY WITH GRAVES
DATING BACK TO THE EARLY 1800s.
>> THIS HISTORIC PLANTATION SITE IS A TREASURE WAITING FOR YOU TO
DISCOVER, AND ITS GROUNDS ARE HERE FOR YOU TO EXPLORE AND
ENJOY JUST OUTSIDE OF HILLSBOROUGH.
FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND" AND "COLLECTING CAROLINA," I'M JULIA
CARPENTER.