12/28/1783 Lincoln Cio, NC Henry Houser and Nicholas Heavnerentered 3 00 acres on
Indian Creek
York Co, SC. He sold his land in Lincoln Co and moved south.
From RootsWeb archives, posted by Jeff Martin:
Cleveland County Centennial part three;
The old Rock House
House is 137 years old- The old Rock House located on the Grover-Kings M ountain Battleground road is 137 years old, having beenerected by HENR Y HOUSER in 1803, according to the keystone over thedoor.
A home for the early HOUSERS, it was almost a fortress and was an oldd welling even during the Civil War. The family cemetery 200 yardsfrom t he house contains 10 stones, one of which indicated HENRYHOUSER died i n 1822. ROBERT GOFORTH of Kings Mountain and MRS. MARYHARMON of Shelby a re direct descendants of the builder
Henry Houser, Sr. was the son of John Howser and the grandson of KarlH ans Hauser. He was born c 1756 in York Co. PA (N. Cordus) and cameto L incoln Co. NC about 1780. Henry died 04 Mar 1822 in York Co. SC(Kings C reek).
He was a Revolutionary War Veteran and a DAR line has beenestablished. O ne of his initial land purchases was 200 acres aroundHoward's Creek, L incoln Co. NC. in 1784. Then in 1788, Henry bought125 acres on King's C reek in York Dist. SC and in 1789 he boughtanother 120 acres. (now Kin g's Mountain National Park). His 2-storyKing's Mountain rock house too k several years to build and parts ofit have been restored.
Henry Houser, on the 1820 census of York District, SC, was recorded aso wning four slaves, and his occupation as stonemason and distiller.The d istilling of spirits was a common practice on the frontier,where corn, c onverted into whiskey was more easily transported tomarket, than as gr ain, or fodder. At the time of his death in 1822,Henry Howser, Sr.owne d several thousand acres of land in YorkDistrict, SC, and a tract on C ain Creek, in Rutherford Co. NC, whichhe willed to his son, David.
Henry married Christina Jane Heavner 15 Sep 1779 in Lincoln Co. NC,dau ghter of Johann Heavner and Elizabeth. She was born c 1758 inLincoln C o. NC (Howards Creek), and died 30 Oct 1856 in York Co. SC(Kings Creek )."
And again:
"Such a plantation was established by one Henry Howser I. then onJanua ry 10, 1788, he purchased a 125 acre tract on King's Creek. Thisparcel o f land was described in a later ___ as being in CherokeeTownship, Cher okee County, South Carolina, "about two miles Southeastof Grover, on b oth sides of the public road leading from Grover onboth sides of Kings C reek." At this time he moved his family South,undoubtedly, a prime mot ive ___tating the move, was a de___e tosettle in a community where som e of his neighbors would be Germanspeaking. His closest neighbors on K ings Creek would be theHambrights and the
Whisonants. (Henry Whisonant) (Edward Bird)
The Henry Howser house, located in what is now Kings Mountain MilitaryP ark, has played a significant role in the lives of many Grovercitizens o r their forefathers. In the first decade of the nineteenthcentury Henr y and ___ Dixon Houser built their handsome two storystone mansion. It w as built by Henry, stonemason by trade, his ___and female black slaves _ __. Cut into the front door____ is thisdata: Henry Howser- "Stone Maso n"..... These were some of theeventual owners of the house: Monroe Har din, W. Ross Hambright,Robert Moore, Grigg Howell, J. F. Jenkins, Tom M orris, Ray Sheppardand Jim Norman.
Henry Howser became increasingly interested in land, Real estate wasbo ught and sold, as he enlarged his farm. The deeds for the propertypurc hased by Howser and his son show many transactions involvingFrederick H ambright (owned nine slaves), John Moore, Isaac Collins(might be son o f William Collins and Susannah Hardin), JamesHambright, and Mary Hambr ight, his heir.
The court appointed appraisers for the estate and they were JohnEllis, G eorge Whisonant, and John Randall. The sale of the estatefollowed and t he buyers, the items sold and amount paid totaled threehundred seperat e transactions: William Ponder, Jacob Sepaux, JamesHambright, Samuel G reen, Joseph Biggers, Henry Houser II, thepremises containing
700 acres, $3,101.00; widow, 1 small Negro boy, $330.00; FrederickHamb right, 1 cow, $8.00; George Wilkie Jr. 1 saddle, $1.00; JohnDavison, J oshua Moss, James Collier, John Howser, Isaac Weils, MosesGladden, 1 C opper Still & Vessels, $100.00; John Hill; Widow Howser,1 basket (cats & a ll) and 1 small looking glass."
From Charlotte newspaper -- Friday, July 22, 1977 RESTORED HOUSE TO BE
OPENED?
By JIM MAXWELL
KINGS MOUNTAIN -- The $64,000 restoration of a rock house on thefringe o f Kings Mountain National Military Park is nearly finished,and now par k officials must decide whether to make the 175-year-oldhouse a point o f interest for visitors.
BUT . . . in the second floor.
The house was built by Henry Howser, a stonemason who moved southshort ly after the Revolutionary War, said James Anderson, parkhistorian.. I t consists of a half-basement, three rooms on the mainlevel, three ups tairs rooms and a loft. Chiseled into a stone lintelover the front doo r are Howser's name,his wife's name (Jane) and the1803 construction da te. Construction of the house is similar, parkofficials say, to theHe zekiah Alexander house in Mecklenburg County.Both buildings are listed o n the National Registry of Historic Sites.Howser, said Anderson, "was a m ason. farmer, and distiller. He wasn'tfamous, but he was a good member o f the community." And when he andother family members died, they were b uried in a cemetery near thehouse.
The house was occupied until the 1930's when the park service acquiredt he land. But it stood idle, and time and vandals took their toll.
The roof began leaking, decaying some of the wood and timbers andcausi ng the back wall to buckle, despite its 24-inch breadth up tothe top o f the first floor and 18-inch thickness from there up to theroof. Hens ley and his workers had to re-lay the stones in thatsection
and replace deteriorated mortar elsewhere. "Someone had repointed someo f the stone (replaced the mortar) using Portland cement, but we usedli me mortar, just like Howser used," said Earl Huskey, head of parkmaint enance.
Originally, interior walls were lined with a mud-and-straw mixturebefo re the final lime plaster coat was applied. That's what Hensleyand his c rew used in replacing areas that had been damaged. Hensleyused wood pe gs to make joints in the rafters. And using deterioratedportions of th e stairway railing and mantle, he and his crew madereplicas of the ori ginal work. However, he said, some of the woodworkcouldn't be reproduc ed exactly. For instance the window frames werehand-carved from 4x6-in ch solid walnut. "It's just been a slowprocess," said Hensley. "The ro of was one of the worst parts, becauseit's so steep it's hard to stay o n it." But the Cedar shakes, similarto ones Howser used, are now in pl ace.
The park service hasn't decided whether the Howser house will become ap oint of interest for visitors. "It's in the thought stage," saidAnders on.
The problem park officials fear is that opening the remote part of thep ark to a steady stream of visitors may invite vandalism.
Last Will and Testament
State of So. Carolina, York District
In the Name of God Amen I Henry Houzer late of the state and districta foresaid being in my perfect Senses and Memory but low and weak inbody a nd Calling to Mind that all Men have once to die and afterDeath the Ju dgement and of all such Estate as God hath been pleasedto bless me wit h I Desire to be disposed of in the Following MannerViz
First I Will and bequeath to my Wife Christina Houzer the followingpro perty - Her Walnut Chest + wearing apparel with her Bed andfurniture a nd a four legged Walnut Table two Cows and One HundredDollars Cash -
Second I will and bequeath to my son John Houzer Two Hundred Dollarsth at I Have paid him out of my estate -
Thirdly I will and bequeath to my son Henry Houzer two Hundred Dollarsp aid to him out of my estate
Fourthly I will and bequeath to my son David Houzer (the tract of Lando n Cain Creek Rutherford No Carolina purchased of John Patterson) Oneha lf of which devided according to Value I will and bequeath to himat fi ve Hundred Dollars Value -
Fifthly I will and bequeath to my son-in-law Jacob Sapoh two Hundredan d fifty Dollars paid to him out of my Estate-
Sixthly I will and bequeath. to my son-in-law Henry Houver twoHundred- Dollars pd to Him out of my Estate.
Seventhly I will and bequeath to my son-in-law John Whisonant twoHundr ed dollars paid to him out of my Estate -
Eighthly I will and bequeath to my son-in-law Joshua Moss Ninety-oneDo llars and fifty Cents paid to him out of my Estate
Ninthly I will and bequeath to my son-in-law Gilbreth Dixon EightyDoll ars paid to him out of my estate.
Tenthly I will and bequeath that the tract of Land whereon I now livet ogether with 18 acre I purchased of Robert Black adjoining saidtract a lso 3 and 4/10 acres purchased of Nicolas Whisonant Senradjoining Said t ract Like wise also two Tracts being survey I madeadjoining said Land o ne Containing one Hundred and thirty nine acresthe other four Hundred a nd sixty acres all to be sold together on aCredit of 12 Months to the h ighest bidder at Public Sale.
Eleventhly I will and bequeath that my 1000 acre Survey on Branches ofC larks Fork and adjoining McElwee Land Hambright Land + Situate inYork D istrict So Carolina to be sold separately at the same time tothe Highe st bidder.
Twelthly I will and bequeath that my Negro Man Ned be sold at Publicsa le to the highest bidder also my Negro Man Ben to be sold and myNegro W oman Franky with her two Children to be also sold -
Thirteenthly I will and bequeath that my Stock of Horses and Cattlewit h my Waggon and Harness be all sold together with all other StockHogs, s heep + Farming Utensels and Household Furniture be all sold inlike man ner - with one Still and vessels, with Smith Tools Includingall the re st of my Estate to be sold as above.
Fourteenthly I will and bequeath that an Equal divide be made among myH eirs after discounting what has already been received by each. -
And I do hereby Revoke all former wills by me made and I do Herebynomi nate and appoint Henry Houzer and John Whisonant my Executors, tocarry t his my last will and Testament into Execution.
In Witness whereof I Have hereunto set my hand and affixed my sealthis s econd day of March 1822
Test
Jno Ellis
Edward Bird
George \his X mark\ Whisonant
Signature: Henry Houser (LS)
Will probated & recorded: York District Will Book G:78
File 23 Case 960
On 20 April 1822, as noted in the estate papers, the following personsi ndicated that they had received in full their legacies from theestate o f Henry Houser decd (not their own signatures):
Christiana Howser
Jacob Sepaugh
David Howser
Henry Hoover
Joshua Moss
Gilbert Dickson
John Howser
