Hunting Season: Historic House hunting that is..

The property at 226 W. Tenth Street was bought by Mrs. Ida L. Young in January of 1885 from A. B. Springs and wife, Julia B. Springs,for $550.00. (Mecklenburg County Deed Book 40, page 580 ). Mrs. Young undoubtedly had the house built soon after buying the property since the 1889-90 City Directory gives that location for the Young's residence. The Youngs sold the property to Mrs. Jennie D. Morrison, Miss Mary G. Morrison, Miss Anna J. Morrison, Alston D. Morrison, R. Hall Morrison, and J. Graham Morrison for $7,000.00 in 1889. Mrs. Jennie D. Morrison was the widow of Joseph Graham Morrison, second son of Dr. Robert Hall Morrison, founder of Davidson College. According to a story in Charlotte Remembers (Charlotte, 1972 ), Mrs. Morrison and her children apparently moved from Cottage Home, the Morrison ancestral home near Lincolnton, to 10th Street soon after Mr. J. G. Morrison's death.

The house still stands today and has been transformed into a delightful tapas and wine bar aptly called 'Poplar'. Participants of the Fourth Ward Survey describe the structure at 226 W. Tenth Street as "Queen Anne style with Italianate ornamentation in excellent condition and of excellent quality". They also consider this house as a potential National Register site. There is significant historical reasons/documentation of why and in what ways this property meets criteria established for inclusion on the national register. To begin with, this house is associated with a family, the Morrisons, who figured prominently in The Civil War.

Secondly, descendants of Dr. Robert Hall Morrison, a man who figured prominently in Mecklenburg history, owned and lived in the house. The husband and father, Joseph Graham Morrison, of the family who lived there was the son of Dr. Morrison; he served on Gen. Stonewall Jackson's staff during the Civil War and was with Jackson when the latter was fatally wounded. General Jackson was married to Joseph Graham Morrison's sister Anna, the third Morrison daughter. The Morrison clan included either by birth or marriage Lieutenant General Daniel Harvey Hill, hero of the Civil War, and later President of the University of Arkansas; James P. Irwin, wealthy owner of much downtown Charlotte property; Civil War General Stonewall Jackson; Colonel Alphonso Avery, Colonel in the Civil War and Justice of the N. C. Supreme Court; Dr. Paul Brandon Barringer, founder of the Medical School of the University of Virginia; and D. H. Hill, Jr., president of N. C. State College. That is only a partial listing of the contribution of the Morrison family to the patterns of our history.

Lastly, this house's connection to the prominent Morrison family is significant. Undoubtedly Mrs. Stonewall Jackson who lived on Trade Street in the same area and who was known as the "arbiter of Charlotte society" visited in the house as probably did other cousins and kin who were prominent in their own right.

The style of this home embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. Should you ever find yourself in Charlotte wondering where the soul of the city lies, and some visitors often do, take a stroll down fourth ward and visit this home for some lovely wine and later take a look at the other nearby historical homes that are equally as beautiful as this one.

(All photos by me)