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Fall 2010
Volume XIV
Issue 1
Curator’s Corner:
January Porter
A Visit to
Monticello
I completed a site visit to the
historic homestead of Thomas
Jefferson in Virginia called
Monticello on Saturday, January
16, 2010. This included a visit
to the Monticello archaeology
department lab to examine
historic ceramic artifacts retrieved
from the grounds. Karen Smith,
Curator of Archaeological
Collections, selected several
ceramic types from their
collections for donation to the
our ceramic type collection.
The ceramics donated to the
LCHA include creamwares
and pearlwares decorated with
transfer prints, annular banding,
molded features, sponged, shell
edging and hand painted floral
motifs. Other types include
stonewares such as Westerwald,
Albany, Bristol, and Nottingham.
A few porcelain pieces are
also included with examples
from Japan and England.
The visit at Monticello continued
with a tour of the house and
grounds. The historic context
of the landscape is extensive,
and it is clear to see the way the
landscape and people shaped one
another. The artifacts that are
now a new part of our collections
tell a story about the lives and
people of a very influential family
in the Virginia area, in addition
to the stories of their workforce
of many slaves. These artifacts
are very important to have for
research. The LCHA plans
to continue to contact historic
eighteenth and nineteenth century
sites for more ceramic types
that are not in the collections
at this time. The collection
is useful for identification
and comparative purposes for
research of historic properties
in Lincoln County, as well as a
resource to other researchers.
A
s I considered a short and succinct piece for this
newsletter, I ruminated on fifteen years with the
LCHA and all that we have accomplished. Mindful of this,
I thought that it would be appropriate to address our current
course with an abbreviated newsletter that serves to keep
our members abreast of our activities in the community
while leading you to a more in-depth publication available
in electronic form on our website. We set out on this course
after producing a strictly electronic newsletter that many of
our members are unable to access because they do not utilize
the internet or prefer to have a tangible product that they
can touch and turn the pages of to learn about all that we are
doing to further our mission of preserving history in Lincoln
County. Our goal was to produce an electronic newsletter
on our website to reduce production costs and reach a much
larger audience who may have an interest in our efforts
because they have an ancestral connection or they want to
learn about how our organization is surviving in a struggling
economy that has seen so many non-profit organizations fail.
Our long-range plans of reaching an ever-increasing group
of people that utilize the internet for information does
not preclude our interest in providing a printed newsletter
that many of our members have missed. As our workload
increases with new and exciting projects that include local
landmark designation reports, National Register of Historic
Places nominations, exhibits, and programs, we work
incessantly to accession, inventory, and catalog our treasured
collections so that we can eventually make them available
online. In this edition of the Lincoln Sentinel we have
spotlighted one of the most recent collections that we have
received: Mayor William “Buster” Lentz Collection. This is
just one of many that we have received since the beginning
of the year, and we plan to feature more collections in the
expanded newsletter that you will find on our website.
We hope that everyone enjoys both the abbreviated
printed newsletter and the larger version that we make
available on our website. Please do not hesitate to
contact us with any comments you may have about
either version. This is the only way we know about
how you want us to serve you as our members.
Jason L. Harpe
In This Issue:
Curator’s Corner A Visit to Monticello
Historic Articles Spartans on the Hill
The Frank Beal House
Leatherman Barbershop
New to Our Collections
The Mayor William “Buster”
Lentz Collection
The Margaret B. Henderson
Sampler
General Charles Gabriel
Highway Marker
Events &
Announcements
The Lincoln Sentinel,
e-newsletter of the LCHA
and Lincoln County Museum
of History, is published
four times per year for the
members of the organization.
The newsletter includes
information on the most
recent acquisitions, programs,
projects, news, and articles on
local historical topics.
The mission of the LCHA
is to collect, preserve, study,
and present the history of
Lincolnton and Lincoln
County from the time of its
first inhabitants to the present
through exhibitions, publications, programs, projects, and
special events.
Spartans on the Hill: Graduate Students Lobby for Historic Preservation
What do you imagine as the ultimate learning experience? For
nine UNC Greensboro graduate students lobbying for historic
preservation on Capitol Hill, alongside our State Historic
Preservation Office, was an unreal opportunity that brought
law to life. Preservation lobby days took place during the
Preservation Action annual conference this year in Washington,
D.C. Not only did we have the opportunity to participate in
a privileged act of our government, we were able to represent
historic preservation during a time of distinct turmoil. With
the recent loss of funding for our most impactful programs,
our task would be to aid our SHPO in every way possible to
The Student Lobbyists meeting with Congressman Butterfield.
persuade North Carolina House and Senate representatives
Photo courtesy: A.R. Michael
that their support was necessary for the survival of our cultural
resources. Fully aware of the job before us, preparation to enter a charged Capitol began early in the semester.
The thought of our responsibility was daunting. Every week a flurry of “lobby day” questions consumed
class discussion. Each student took on one or two of North Carolina’s 13 Congressional districts, as
well as our two senators, and became an expert on the area, past and present preservation projects,
and the focuses and concerns of their Congress person. A leave behind packet for the Congressional
offices were tailored to each district and included specific information sheets on the area, detailed
notation of Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America communities, and the benefits of these
programs. With this information under our belts, our confidence and excitement began to build.
As we made our way to the Capitol by plane, train, and automobile, some of the students gained the perspective
of an insider, former Keeper of the National Register, Carol Shull, and her husband, Joe. As the couple
opened their home for six of us during our stay, we not only learned the short cuts to the Metro and what
not to take into the Capitol building, but we learned how everyday preservation is organized on a national
level. We are endlessly grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Shull for their hospitality and overwhelming support.
The two-day, whirl wind trip began on March 2, 2010 with a plenary session of a panel of legislative staff. This
panel explained current House and Senate bills that their offices sponsor supporting preservation. Bills such
as these recognize the inherent value of historic buildings and materials that simultaneously support “energyefficiency”. Others reward homeowners through tax credits who are taking positive steps toward energyefficiency and job creation. And speaking of jobs, this was a chance for us all to become familiar with the
winning argument for preservation, job creation! With this timely information at hand our next session was
:”Advocacy Training 101/201.” With NC members represented in each course, we became familiar with how
our legislation works and who does what. A mock meeting with a representative gave everyone a good idea of
how the next day would unfold. We should expect busy Congress people, eager staffers, and lots of waiting!
On the morning of Wednesday, March 3, an overwhelming group representing North Carolina’s preservationists
embarked on a day of crowded offices, navigating tunnels, and organized attack! Our team included State
Historic Preservation Officers Peter Sandbeck and Jeffery Crow, Raleigh Historic Preservation Commission
member Dan Becker, and private builder, Steve Schuster of Raleigh. UNC Greensboro professors Jo
Leimenstoll and Autumn Reirson Michael headed the group of nine graduate students as well.
2
Entering each Congressional office our lobbyist teams were armed with the current numbers impacting historic
preservation. With a real threat of cultural memory loss at stake, the Historic Preservation Fund is in need
of its promised $150 million. With this funding, preservation programs could avoid the chopping block. In
light of the President’s proposed budget, funding for Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America has been
Spartans on the Hill - cont.
eliminated. Our request for each representative and senator was to
support the reinstatement of the previous funds of $25 million for Save
America’s Treasures and $4.6 million for Preserve America. Current
bills in the House and Senate are in need of bipartisan support such
as, the Reauthorized Transportation Bill, Community Restoration and
Revitalization Act, and Historic Homeowners Revitalization Act.
The team meets with Congresswoman
Fox’s staff to discuss job creation through
preservation. Photo courtesy A.R. Michael
Our visits also gave us the opportunity to share positive information in
favor of preservation. The greatest message is that historic preservation
creates jobs, housing, and economic development. While rehabilitation
projects are more labor intensive than new construction, these projects
generate more jobs. With a nation in need of job creation, preservation
is an inherent creator that Congress has the opportunity to stimulate.
Morning meetings set the pace for the day as we met with representatives and became comfortable in our
approach. After sharing lunch in the Longworth Cafeteria among legislative staff, a regrouped team finished
the longest part of our day like a well oiled machine. The sophisticated information provided by Officers
Sandbeck and Crow, the unique perspective of commissioner Beck, and representative of the private sector,
Mr. Schuster, as well as our fresh eyes on preservation, and as constituents in many cases, allowed each office
to capture a full picture of the positive impact preservation makes on North Carolina communities.
Congressional support for our efforts was abundant, and while some are always harder to persuade than
others, an encouraging response kept us going all day. Going into our day of lobbying, nine of our thirteen
representatives represent North Carolina on the Historic Preservation Caucus. Our hope is that we spiked
the interest of the remaining four members, and will soon see the unanimous support of North Carolina.
I believe it is important for all preservationists to know that other programs are contacting Congress throughout
the year and Historic Preservation should remain just as persistent. Working as a supportive team of professionals
with like agendas, preservationists can make a year
round impact on decision makers and bring preservation
programs to the fore-front. Armed with the same
information we lobbied on Capitol Hill, North Carolina
can help bring federal support to preservation programs.
We left Washington, D.C. with a sense of accomplishment
and better understanding of our task as preservationists.
Sometimes seen as a “step child” program, the quite
success of preservation is what allows our generations
to know where they have come from and what they are
capable of. Our experience was proof that lobbying is an
essential part to the survival of our programs and we are
honored to have shared in this invigorating experience.
Lincolnton native, Suzanne Brooks, graduated from
Meredith college in Raleigh in May 2009 with a BS
in interior design and art. She currently attends UNC
Greensboro’s interior architecture masters program
with a concentration in historic preservation. She
plans to use her education as a consultant for the
restoration and rehabilitation of historic places.
?
Did
You
Know
In 1878, saloons were
voted out in Lincolnton.
3
3
The Frank Beal House
Lot #16 in the Southeast Square of Lincolnton, on
which the Frank Beal House is currently situated,
is historically associated with the Schenck family
of Lincoln County. Michael Schenck built a frame
I-house that faced East Water Street with a rear-ell
on this lot after he purchased the property from
Martin Shuford for $100 on February 5, 1813.1 On
August 6, 1817, Lawson Henderson, Daniel Hoke,
and Jacob Ramsour, Commissioners for the Town
of Lincolnton conveyed to Michael Schenck for $16
an additional seventeen feet to Lot #16 in the South
East Square of Lincolnton – additional frontage on
the “Back Street.” The North Carolina Legislature
appointed these commissioners to assign new
limits to the streets in Lincolnton, which made it
necessary to assign new limits to lots in Lincolnton.2
Michael Schenck executed his will on April 5, 1847,
probated at April Court 1849, and outlined that “To
my daughter Lavinia McPherson I will and bequeath
the house and lot I now occupy it being lot No. 16
in the South East Square of Lincolnton, which I
value at seven hundred and fifty dollars.”3 Michael
Schenck resided at Lot number 16 in the Southeast
Square at the time of his death in 1849, and the 1850
and 1860 censuses indicate that Lavinia Schenck
McPherson is residing at this building.4 Lavinia
Schenck married Angus McPherson on October
23, 1832.5 Angus McPherson was a Methodist
minister who was deceased before 1850. To Angus
and Lavinia McPherson were born two daughters:
Laura and Frances McPherson. Laura married
Samuel Lander, Jr., son of Methodist minister
Samuel Lander, on December 20, 1853, and Frances
married R.R. Templeton on January 21, 1854.6
4
Lavinia McPherson, the mother-in-law of Samuel
Lander, Jr., sold the property at Lot #16 to Lander
for one dollar on October 28, 1890.7 Samuel and
Laura Lander sold the property to his niece Mrs.
Agnes Lawing, the daughter of William Lander
and the wife of Dr. John M. Lawing, on June
19, 1894.8 Lawing was a native of Mecklenburg
County, North Carolina who moved to Lincolnton
in 1866 and established a drug store in downtown
Lincolnton.9 R.F. Beal and C.H. Rhodes purchased
the lot on which R. F. Beal built his house from
Mrs. Agnes Lawing on January 8, 1907 for $2,500.10
Charles H. Rhodes was the son of textile magnate John
M. Rhodes, and served as Sheriff of Lincoln County
from 1894 to 1898.11 When the deed was executed,
Lawing included that on the property was located “two
dwelling houses.”12 These houses were located at the
northern and southern boundaries of Lot #16. The
building at the southern boundary is still standing, and
the building at the northern boundary was the Michael
Schenck House. The remaining portion of the block,
between the R.F. Beal House and this building at the
southern boundary, has buildings built during the 1940s.
Frank Beal built his house in ca. 1910 at the intersection
of East Water Street and South Academy in downtown
Lincolnton just east of the building where he operated
his feed and sale business “R.F. Beal and Co. Feed &
Sale.” This lot is identified on the “Map of Lincolnton,
N.C.” drawn by Alfred Nixon on January 1, 1901 as Lot
#16 in the South East Square of the Town of Lincolnton.
Nixon executed the map for D.W. Robinson.13 C.H.
Rhodes and his wife Effie Heafner Rhodes sold one half
of Lot #16 to R.F. Beal on August 23, 1909 for $750.14
Richard Franklin Beal was born to Benjamin V. and
Ellen Beal in Lincoln County, North Carolina on May 5,
1866.15 In the 1880 Lincoln County Census, his father’s
occupation was listed as “revenue,” and his mother was a
house wife.16 R.F. was the oldest of six children born to
Benjamin and Ellen Beal. His siblings included Baxter,
James, Luella, Mollie, and Nannie. He is believed to
have met his wife Blanche Killian of Denver, Lincoln
County, North Carolina, during Rock Springs Camp
Meeting in August 1896.17 By 1900 he was working at
C.H. Rhodes’s hardware store in downtown Lincolnton.
He served as County Treasurer for Lincoln County
from 1902-1908, and in 1906 was operating “R.F.
Beal & Co. Feed & Sale” on East Water Street, one lot
The Frank Beal House - cont.
west of where he would build his home in ca. 1910.18
By 1920, he and his former partner C.H. Rhodes
entered a business partnership with C.H. Robinson
and J.H. Rudisill and opened a general store. Beal
worked as a salesman for the general store.19 During the
1920s, Beal and C.H. Rhodes operated a Standard Oil
business, and by the 1930s Beal and Rhodes expanded
their operations. By 1930, Beal worked as a real estate
trader, and he and Rhodes had a gas and oil business that
sold Atlantic Oil Company products. These products
included Atlantic White Flash gasoline, Atlantic Motor
Oil, as well as a line of kerosene and anti-freeze. The
company had two tank trucks with four employees,
and their plant was located between Lincolnton and
Midland on NC Highway 27. Their plant had a storage
capacity of 17,600 gallons and served Lincoln County
and various sections of Gaston and Catawba counties.20
On August 25, 1938, the Homeowners’ Loan
Corporation of Washington, D.C. replaced C.S.
Noble with T.C. Abernethy as the Trustee of a note
secured by the deed of trust covering R.F. Beal’s
property at Lot #16.21 R.F. Beal defaulted on the
deed of trust for the property at Lot #16 and T.C.
Abernethy, Substitute Trustee, sold the property
at public auction on September 27, 1938. The
Homeowners’ Loan Corporation purchased the
property at the auction for $4,964.00.22 R.F. Beal
died on January 8, 1941and is buried at Hollybrook
Cemetery in Lincolnton. He was a member of the First
Presbyterian Church of Lincolnton, Woodmen of the
World, and Lincoln Lodge No. 137, A.F. & A.M.23
Luther Clyde Beam and Michael Quickel purchased the
property from the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation
for $3,250 on August 15, 1940.24 L. Clyde Beam was
born in Lincoln County on December 16, 1892
to David J. and Margaret L. Beam. He attended
Ridge Academy in Vale, Lincoln County, North
Carolina and was matriculated from Lenoir-Rhyne
College in Hickory, Catawba County, North
Carolina. After college he worked as a builder for
Seth Lumber Company and was a partner in Lincoln
Hardware Company, both located in Lincolnton.
He was a director of First Federal Savings and
Loan Association for fifty years, was a veteran
of World War I, and is a past commander of the
Milo-Wright American Legion Post in Lincolnton.
During World War II, Beam was a member of the
Lincoln County Selective Service Board, and he
served Lincolnton on its Board of Alderman. He
died on April 23, 1989 and is buried in Hollybrook
Cemetery in Lincolnton.25 Michael Carroll Quickel
was born in Lincoln County on October 20, 1885
to Levi Quickel and Sarah Robinson Quickel. He
was involved in the hardware business and local
banking. He died on December 28, 1962 and is
buried at Hollybrook Cemetery in Lincolnton.26
Theodore Floyd (T.F.) and Mae Rhodes Corriher
purchased the property and R.F. Beal House from
Luther Clyde Beam, his wife Lula C. Beam, and
Michael C. Quickel and his wife Georgia Quickel
on May 18, 1943 for five thousand dollars.27 T.F.
Corriher was born on August 21, 1888 in Rowan
County, North Carolina, the son of George and
Katherine Corriher. He was the former owner and
operator of Rhodes-Corriher Implement Company
on E. Water Street, the same block on which the
R.F. Beal House is located, in downtown Lincolnton.
Corriher was very active civically in Lincolnton
with membership in the Lincolnton Rotary Club
and Emmanuel Lutheran Church. He was on the
board of the First National Bank of Lincolnton and
Gamble Hospital. He died on February 11, 1966,
and is buried Hollybrook Cemetery in Lincolnton.28
T.F. Corriher, Jr. acquired the property from his
father and sold it to Simply Elegant on January 7,
1997.29 On November 23, 2005, Simply Elegant
sold the property to Milhollands Properties Inc.30
It was under Milhollands Properties’ ownership
that the handicap ramp was added to the building’s
north elevation. Milhollands Properties sold the
5
5
The Frank Beal House - cont.
property to Michael R. Milholland and Wanda
S. Milholland on November 29, 2006.31 Deirdre
Nachamie purchased the property from Michael
and Wanda Milholland on November 3, 2008.32
Architectural Description,
Significance & Integrity
The Frank Beal House is one of four noncommercial buildings in the Lincolnton Commercial
Historic District, and is one of two residences in
this district. This building and the Karl Lawing
House, built ca. 1905 on East Water Street, are both
contributing buildings to the LCHD. Although
the Lawing House is a contributing building in the
district, it has been altered with artificial siding and
vinyl replacement windows. The Frank Beal House
retains its original weatherboard siding, windows,
and other architecturally defining details. The
only changes made to the exterior are a handicap
ramp at the north elevation, and the addition of
recessed panels between each of the front porch’s
columns. These panels were added after 1919. A
photograph from the collection of the Lincoln
County Historical Association shows World War
I soldiers marching down South Academy Street,
in front of the Frank Beal House, on their way to
one of Lincolnton’s railroad depots and the recessed
panels are not present on the porch at this time.
6
The Frank Beal House is a one-and-a-half story
frame house with an irregular form and multiple
gables and has elements of both Queen Anne and
Colonial Revival style architecture. During the first
two decades of the twentieth century, Lincolnton
saw an increase in population from 828 in 1900
to 3,390 by 1920. This increase precipitated
the need for more houses, and there were 650
dwellings in the city limits of Lincolnton. Many
of these houses were built in an eclectic mix of
the Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and bungalow
styles.33 The only other architecturally comparable
dwellings built in the Queen Anne and Colonial
Revival style near downtown Lincolnton are the
Henry A. Kistler House and the John R. Moore
House. The John Moore House still retains its
architectural integrity, but the Henry A. Kistler
house’s exterior has been altered with artificial
siding and replacement vinyl windows. The Henry
Kistler house is located on South Laurel Street, and the
John Moore House is located on South Cedar Street.
The house is also locally significant because of its
association with Richard Franklin Beal (1866-1941),
one of Lincolnton’s most prominent businessmen during
the first three decades of the twentieth century.
Exterior Description
The Frank Beal House is located on South Academy
Street in downtown Lincolnton, North Carolina, in
Lincoln County, and has occupied this lot since the
building was completed in ca. 1910. The building is
sited on a flat .19 acre lot, square in shape, landscaped
with a grassy front lawn and a large oak tree at the
property’s northeast boundary, and a gravel driveway at
the northern boundary. Sidewalks border the property
at its east north and east boundaries. A flat-roofed
concrete block building built by James Leatherman
in 1942 is situated at the southern boundary, and
the Rhodes-Corriher Building is located to the west
of the house. The building is situated on the west
side of North Academy street with the façade facing
east, in Lincolnton’s Commercial Historic District.
The Frank Beal House was historically a single family
dwelling whose improvements over the past twenty years
have involved converting the building to an office. The
building has central heating and air conditioning, two
offices on the first floor at the northeast and southwest
corners, and measures approximately 2,537 square feet.
The building has a waiting room at the southeast corner,
a conference room between the office at the northeast
corner and a kitchen at the northwest corner. The
second floor has an office, sitting room, storage room,
and a door at the northwest corner that accesses the attic.
Other access to the attic at the second floor is provided
by small scuttle holes in the beadboard covered ceiling.
The Frank Beal House is a large one-and-a-half story
frame building with an irregular form and multiple
gables that is indicative of architectural influences from
the Queen Anne style from the late nineteenth-century,
with Colonial Revival style architectural detailing at
both the first and second floors. The house rests on a
brick foundation laid in a common bond pattern with
The Frank Beal House - cont.
visible access to the dirt crawlspace provided at each of
its elevations by modern metal vents covered with wire
mesh. Originally, the house was supported at each of
its corners by brick piers, and over the years various
owners have covered the open spaces between these piers
with brick infill. This side-gabled house has clipped
gables at its north and south elevations with multiple
intersecting pedimented gables and dormers at each of
its elevations. The house is sheathed with weatherboard
siding, and the roof is covered with asphalt shingles. A
spacious, deep hipped-roof wraparound porch covered
with asphalt shingles spans the house’s first floor and
classical front entry. Tuscan columns support the onestory porch, and a paneled balustrade is continuous
between each column except for the two columns at the
front steps that lead to the central entry. The house has
one functional interior chimney that services the central
entry and office at the northeast corner. Although there
are fireplaces that open to rooms at the southeast and
southwest corners, the chimneys are not functional.
The Frank Beal House’s façade is three bays wide with
a hipped-roof wraparound porch. The focal points of
the façade, at the first floor, is a three-side projecting bay
at the northeast corner and a central glass-and-woodpaneled entrance with sidelights and transom. A door
with five recessed panels surmounted by a single-light
transom occupies the first bay of the projecting bay at
the northeast corner, and large one-over-one double hung
wood windows occupy the other two bays. Five iron
rails ascend the front porch’s five brick steps. The front
porch is covered with three-inch pine decking added
during a previous ownership and remains unpainted.
The current owner plans to have this decking refinished
and coated with preservative material to ensure its
future preservation. The porch ceiling is covered with
original beadboard that is painted to match the house’s
color palette. This large, deep porch typifies twentieth
century property owners’ desire to build porches that
were adaptable to warm climates and connect with
the simpler elements of life that included family and
neighborliness. These porches, and the house’s interior
and exterior designs, constituted the American middleclass’s rejection of Victorian clutter and opulence
for a connection with a purely American esthetic.
Located at the façade’s second floor is a central
pedimented gabled-roof projection with a ribbon of
three one-one-one double hung wood windows
surmounted by a modified Palladian window.
Located to the north of this projection is
hipped-roof cross gable with three casement
windows surmounted by a modified Palladian
window. A pedimented hipped-roof dormer
with three casement windows surmounted by
a modified Palladian window is located to the
south to the central gabled-roof projection.
The west elevation of the Frank Beal House has a
gabled-roofed projection covered with asphalt singled
roof with boxed returns. This room currently serves
as an auxiliary space to the building’s kitchen, and
has a one-over-one double hung wooden window.
Located to the south of this room is a shed-roofed
addition covered with asphalt shingles. Two stone
steps lead to a door with five panels that provides
access to the office at the southwest corner.
The Frank Beal House’s north elevation is bordered
by a sidewalk separating it from East Water
Street. This elevation has a handicapped-access
ramp at the first floor, renovated by the current
owner to meet code. The handicapped ramp
has recessed paneling that matches the paneling
found between the Tuscan columns of the front
porch. This elevation is three bays wide with two
one-over-one double hung wood windows at the
first floor flanking a three-side projecting bay.
Each of the bays of the three-bay projecting bay
has one-over-one double hung wood windows. A
one-over-one double hung wood window flanked
by casement windows is located underneath the
clipped double at this elevation’s second floor.
The hipped-roof porch covers half of the first
floor of the Frank Beal House’s south elevation,
and a one-over-one double hung window is
located at the second bay at this elevation. At the
second floor of this elevation is a clipped gable
end over a casement window. Located to the
east of this clipped gable roof is a pedimented
cross gable with a ribbon of three casement
windows and a modified Palladian arch.
The current property owner has recently painted the
exterior, replaced rotten weatherboards and one of
the modified Palladian windows, and has installed
7
7
The Frank Beal House - cont.
wood storm windows at the first and second stories.
Interior Description
The interior of Frank Beal House retains much
of its original wood flooring, trim, detailing, and
layout. All of the window and door surrounds are
original, and the owner has installed wood storm
windows. The central entry provides access to offices
at its south and north elevations, central staircase,
and offices and conference room on the first floor.
The rear entry at the house’s west elevation leads
to a kitchen and storage room. The current owner
has replaced a few of the building’s original raised
paneled wood doors with modern raised paneled
doors, and was required to add small risers at the
entrances to various rooms for handicap accessible.
Additionally, she has finished the building’s attic.
The building’s interior has an outstanding level
of integrity, and the current owner is dedicated
to retaining the house’s architectural integrity.
The central entry has glass-and-wood-paneled
entrance with sidelights and transom that leads
to a commodious hall that opens to two rooms at
its north and south elevations. One of the most
distinctive features of the first floor and entire
interior is a wide 180-degree turn stairway which
retains it original chamfered pine newel posts with
newel caps, and turned wooden balusters topped
by the original pine handrail that terminate in the
original pine treads. The newel posts and balusters
are painted white, and the newel caps and handrail
are painted burgundy. Recessed-paneled wainscoting
is located on the stairway and follows the course of
the staircase to the second floor. This wainscoting
is also found on the each of the central entry’s
walls. Also located in the central entry on its north
wall is a corner fireplace surrounded by ceramic
tile and a simple mantel with classical columns
and molded brackets under the mantelshelf.
8
An original raised paneled door leads to a waiting
room at the house’s southeast corner. The room
has beadboard wainscoting and ceiling, and large
one-over-one double hung wood windows are its
east and south walls. A non-functional fireplace
is located on the room west wall that has original
ceramic tiles and a mantel with Corinthian columns.
A raised paneled replacement door with original
fluted door surround from the waiting room’s east wall
opens to an office at the house’s southwest corner.
The office to the east of the waiting room has its original
beadboard wainscoting and ceiling, base molding, and
window and door surrounds. This room’s main feature
is large mantel with tall fluted columns topped by
brackets with floral motifs that support the mantelshelf,
and a mirrored overmantel. Located on this room’s
south wall are two large one-over-one double hung
wood windows. A raised paneled replacement door
with original fluted door surround located to the north
of the mantel accesses one of few first floor closets.
An office at the first floor’s northeast elevations has
each of the detailing found in the waiting room and
office at the first floor’s south elevation. At this office’s
east wall is a three-side projecting bay and a central
glass-and-wood-paneled entrance with sidelights and
transom. A door with five recessed panels surmounted
by a single-light transom occupies the first bay of
the projecting bay at the northeast corner, and large
one-over-one double hung wood windows occupy the
other two bays. A large one-over-one double hung
wood window is located on the office’s north wall.
A large conference room is located to the west of the
first floor office at the house’s northeast corner. Two
large raised-paneled replacement doors with original
fluted door surrounds open to the room at the east
wall, and an original raised paneled door and fluted
door surrounds opens to the central hallway at the
south wall. At this office’s east wall is a three-side
projecting bay with one-over-one double hung wood
windows. This room has original pine flooring,
beadboard wainscoting and ceiling, and base molding.
Bibliography
Brown, Marvin A. and Maurice C. York, Our Enduring Past:
A Survey of 235 Years of Life and Architecture in Lincoln
County, North Carolina. 1986. Reprint. Lincolnton: Lincoln
County Historic Properties Commission, 1987.
Dellinger, Ann. Interview with author, 21 December 2009.
Dellinger, Paul and Susie Gladden. The 1880 Federal Census of
Lincoln County, North Carolina. Lincolnton, N.C.: Paul Dellinger.
The Frank Beal House - cont.
Harpe, Jason. Images of America: Lincoln County.
Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2000.
Harpe, Jason. Images of America: Lincoln County
Revisited. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2002.
Harpe, Jason. Images of America: Lincolnton – From the Collection
of Clyde C. Cornwell. Mt. Pleasant: Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
Lincoln County Historical Association. In Our Own
Words: The Story of Lincoln County. Lincolnton, N.C.:
Lincoln County Historical Association, 2006.
Lincoln County News (Lincolnton).
Lincoln Times-News (Lincolnton).
Lincoln County Records, Lincoln County Register of Deeds,
Lincoln County Courthouse, Lincolnton, N.C.
Phillips, Laura B., “Lincolnton Commercial Historic District,”
National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park
Service, United States Department of Interior, December 16, 2005
Sanborn Map Company, Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North
Carolina. New York, Sanborn Map Company, 1911, 1921, 1929.
Sherrill, William L. Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
1937. Reprint. Baltimore: Regional Publishing Company, 1972.
Endnotes
1 Lincoln County Deed Book 25, Page 548. Lincoln County
Courthouse, Lincoln County Register of Deeds, Lincolnton, North
Carolina. Ann M. Dellinger provided the bulk of the material
on the Schenck and Lander families and their association with
Lot #16 in the South East Square of downtown Lincolnton.
2 Lincoln County Deed Book 36, Page 113.
3 Lincoln County Wills, North Carolina Department of
Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina. Michael
Schenck is buried in the Old Methodist Church Cemetery
on South Aspen Street in Lincolnton. He was born
in February 1771 and died on March 6, 1849.
4 Michael Schenck built the first cotton mill south of the Potomac
River one half mile east of Lincolnton in 1816. The mill was known
as the Schenck-Warlick Mill because Absalom Warlick built some
of the machinery that was associated with the mill building.
5 Curtis Bynum, Marriage Bonds of Tryon and Lincoln Counties, North
Carolina (Newton, N.C.: Catawba County Historical Association and
Lincoln County Historical Association, Lincolnton, N.C., 1962), 87.
13 “Map of Lincolnton, N.C., Drawn for D.W. Robinson, January
1, 1900 by A. Nixon,” Nixon Family Collection, Lincoln
County Historical Association (LCHA), Lincolnton, North
Carolina. This collections contains the original, and a copy
of the map is available in the LCHA Reference Collection.
14 Lincoln County Deed Book 98, Page 465.
15 Death Certificate for Richard Franklin Beal, 8 January 1941.
North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
North Carolina Death Certificates. Microfilm S.123. Rolls 19242, 280, 313-682, 1040-1297. North Carolina State Archives,
Raleigh, North Carolina; “R.F. Beal, Prominent Business
Man, Died Wed.” Lincoln County News, January 9, 1941.
16 Paul H. Dellinger and Susie Gladden, compilers. The
1880 Federal Census of Lincoln County, North Carolina
(Lincolnton, N.C.: Paul Dellinger, n.d.), 92.
17 “R.F. Beal, Prominent Business Man, Died Wed.”
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Laura B. Phillips, “Lincolnton Commercial Historic
District,” National Register of Historic Places
nomination, National Park Service, United States
Department of Interior, December 16, 2005, 11.
21 Lincoln County Deed Book 201, Page 259.
22 Lincoln County Deed Book 201, Page 291.
23 Death Certificate of Richard Franklin Beal; “R.F.
Beal, Prominent Business Man, Died Wed.”
24 Lincoln County Deed Book 209, Page 421.
25 “L. Clyde Beam,” Lincoln County News, 23 April 1989.
26 “M.C. Quickel,” Lincoln Times-News, 31 December 1962.
27 Lincoln County Deed Book 234, Page 87.
28 “Floyd Corriher Died Today After Illness Of Short
Time,” Lincoln County News, 11 February 1966.
29 Lincoln County Deed Book 972, Page 715.
30 Lincoln County Deed Book 1764, Page 304.
31 Lincoln County Deed Book 1876, Page 319.
32 Lincoln County Deed Book 2075, Page 810.
33 Marvin Brown and Maurice C. York, Our Enduring Past: A
Survey of 235 Years of Life and Architecture in Lincoln County,
North Carolina (Lincolnton: Lincoln County Historic Properties
Commission with assistance from the Lincoln County Board
of Commissioners, the City of Lincolnton, and the North
Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1985), 28.
6 Ibid., 77, 124.
7 Lincoln County Deed Book 63, Page 460.
8 Lincoln County Deed Book 73, Page 46.
9 William L. Sherrill, Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina
(Baltimore: Regional Publishing Company, 1937), 262-263.
10 Lincoln County Deed Book 93, Page 570.
11 Sherrill, Annals of Lincoln County, 365.
12 Lincoln County Deed Book 93, Page 570.
On September 18, 1917,
the first contingent of men
from Lincoln County left
for army camp at Columbia,
S.C. - World War I.
9
9
Leatherman Barbershop
wall of the one-story brick building now occupied by
Lincoln Dry Cleaning Company.” R.F. and Blanche Beal
conveyed to Leatherman “one-half undivided interest in
a brick wall, located on the south side of the lot above
described, said wall being 13 inches in width, 45 feet in
length, and 14 ½ feet in height, it being the Northern
Wall of the building now occupied by the Lincoln Dry
Cleaning Company…the full, liberty, and privilege
of joining to…for any building, which they, or either
of them, may desire or have occasion to use same.”2
Lawrence Franklin Leatherman (1895-1971) started
his barber business in Lincolnton on East Sycamore
Street one block from the Courtsquare on January
2, 1915. His brother, Ernest Leatherman, worked
alongside him in the small barbershop whose
exterior was finished with weatherboards, and
the interior had barber chairs that they purchased
before they opened their shop. In 1920 Lawrence
and Ernest moved their shop from East Sycamore
Street to the northeast side of East Main Street’s 100
block in the basement of McLean’s Furniture Store.
During the Great Depression, Leatherman charged
ten cents for a haircut and the City of Lincolnton
charged Leatherman ninety cents each month for
power – the city did not have electric or water meter
readers. Ernest left Lincolnton and his brother’s
barber business in 1929 for Fort Sumter, New
Mexico. Lawrence cut hair at his shop on East Main
Street until he lost his lease in 1938. He relocated
to the basement of Efird’s Department Store on
the south side of downtown Lincolnton’s 100
block, which was once a bus station ran by Heave
Huffstetler. Lawrence’s son James started shining
shoes in the basement of the barbershop on East
Main Street in 1936. They remained in this location
until an unanticipated opportunity arose that
would cement the legacy of Leatherman Barbershop
in downtown Lincolnton for over sixty years.1
10
Lawrence purchased the .04 acre lot at 210 South
Academy Street in downtown Lincolnton from
R.F. “Frank” Beal and Blanche Beal on April 23,
1940 for $800.00. This purchase included the
vacant lot located to the south of the Lincoln Dry
Cleaning Company building, and the “new line
running through the middle of the north brick
R.F. Beal wanted to sell the lot and house at 204 South
Academy Street to Lawrence Leatherman for $2,500.00,
but Leatherman denied the offer because he had a thirtyfive acre farm located on the Maiden Highway that he
had to maintain. Lawrence’s son James helped his father
build the barbershop at South Academy Street. James
finished his education at Lincolnton High School in
1944, signed up for the military on November 11, 1944,
and served in the South Pacific. He returned home in
1946 and worked at the Dixie Home Store in downtown
Lincolnton in 1947. Shortly thereafter, the store made
James manager of the store in Cherryville, but he decided
to forego this advancement and enroll in barber school in
March 1948. James married his wife Maxine on October
25, 1947, and she questioned his decision to leave a
managerial position for barber school. James’s response
to his wife’s question was “they can fire me anytime they
want.” James and his wife lived in Iron Station, Lincoln
County, North Carolina with his wife’s brother while he
was at the Winston-Salem Barber School. James paid
for his education with the $125-per-month GI Bill check
he received from the Federal government for service
during World War II.3 James built a house for his wife
in 1950 at 1867 North Aspen Street. James helped his
father build the barbershop on South Academy Street
by shoveling sand out of Indian Creek at Cooter Back,
picking up rocks out of pastures, and pouring forms for
the walls. They made the walls out of rock and cement.4
James began cutting hair in 1948 when haircuts were
thirty-five cents and shaves were twenty five cents.
When he started cutting hair in the Leatherman
shop, there were twenty other barbers in Lincoln
County. These barbers included Paul Harrill, John
Harrill, Bud Harrill, Sid Caskey, Claude Sherrill,
Clyde Kistler, Earl Kistler, Herman Kistler, Wheatie
Harwell, M.A. Putnam, D.P. Putnam, O. Barnes,
Reeves Blackwell, Archie Caudle, Belton Beal, Enoch Reinhardt, Johnny Carpenter,
Walt Sutton, Elmer Burke, and Puitt Lawing. None of these barbers are currently
alive, and James Leatherman is the only barber from this group that is still cutting
hair in Lincolnton. James remembers each of these barbers and recalls a few of
them working with him and his father before they opened their own shops.5
Lawrence and James Leatherman cut little girls’ and women’s hair until Lawrence
passed away in 1971. While working at their barbershop on South Academy
Street, Lawrence and James had no fans, so they had to leave the front door open for
ventilation. Their front door screen and the screens over the windows kept away the
flies from Corriher’s livery stables that were located to the west of the barbershop.
Lawrence and James purchased a fan in 1952 that helped, but they purchased a
window air conditioning unit in 1955 for $75.00. They stood on a cement floor in
the barbershop until 1953 when they installed an asphalt tile floor to relieve the stress on their feet. Lawrence
Leatherman worked at the barbershop on South Academy Street until his death in 1971, and his son James has
continued the business. Men in Lincolnton have visited Leatherman’s barbershop for many years, and James
continues to charge $10.00 for haircuts with chairs and sinks manufactured during the 1920s, and towel cases
and back bar made in 1915. James still maintains interior lamps that were installed in the shop in 1940.6
Endnotes
1 James Leatherman, interview by author, 15 March 2010.
4 Ibid.
2 Lincoln County Deed Book 209, Page 300. Lincoln
County Courthouse, Lincolnton, North Carolina.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
3 Leatherman Interview; “Shop keeps him on his toes:
Barber is not going way of 25-cent haircut,” Gaston
Section, The Charlotte Observer, February 10, 2001.
New To Our Collection
The Margaret B. Henderson Sampler
The Lincoln County Historical Association is pleased to announce that it
has acquired a needlework sampler made at the Lincolnton Female Academy
by Margaret B. Henderson during the 1830s. We purchased the sampler
after a local collector purchased it at an auction in Asheville on Saturday,
January 2, 2010. Margaret B. Henderson was a daughter of Charles
Coatesworth Henderson and Barbara Glen Bryden. Barbara Bryden came
from New York to be the first teacher for the Lincolnton Female Academy.
She taught at the Academy from 1821 to the winter of 1824, and was the
teacher for Frances “Fanny” Burton who made a sampler in 1823 that is
housed in the museum’s collection. C.C. Henderson was the son of Major
Lawson Henderson, and he was born at the Henderson estate (Woodside)
located two miles west of Lincolnton. He was a successful merchant in western North Carolina, owned a
large tannery, and was heavily involved with the construction of the railroad from Columbia to Charlotte.
Margaret Henderson married Major John D. Shaw on November 2, 1858, and they moved to Texas where
Shaw practiced law. The sampler was discovered in Texas at an antiques shop and has finally made its
way back to Lincolnton. Thanks to Ann Dellinger for the information on Margaret B. Henderson.
11 11
New To Our Collection - cont.
The Mayor William “Buster” Lentz Collection
The LCHA is very pleased to report that
William M. Lentz, Jr. has donated his
father’s collection of documents, certificates,
photographs, and other items to our collection.
Former Mayor William “Buster” Lentz receiving
an award from former Governor Jim Hunt
12
Representatives from various businesses, organizations, and local
government posed for this photograph in front of the Lincolnton Motel.
The men are identified, from left to right, as follows: David Clark,
Attorney; Ray Shaw, Regional Coordinator, S.B.A.; Herman Howard,
Contractor; Howard McKenzie, Regional Director, S.B.A.; Hal Hoyle,
Jr., Motel Corp.; William M. Lentz, Mayor, Town of Lincolnton; J.L.
Beam, Architect; C.G. Beam, Lincoln Industries, Motel Corp.; Hal
Hoyle, Sr., President, Town and Country Development Corp.
The group of employees from Crown Converting Company in Lincolnton posed for a photograph during a sales meeting in
April 1977. They are identified, from left to right, as follows: (back row) Larry Roberge, Bob Mobley, Mark Herrington, Bill
Hoffman, Phil Raiford, Bob Poovey, Steve Brittain, Donna Abbott, Ray Cloninger, Rusty Ford, and Don Pope; (seated from
left to right) Keith Hovis, Cleveland Judd, Danny ?, Edgar Love, Jr., William M. Lentz, and Bryan Roberge.
General Charles Gabriel Highway Marker
On Friday, May 28, 2010, the LCHA welcomed nearly two hundred people to
the dedication of the Lincoln County Historical Highway Marker for General
Charles Gabriel at 2613 East Main Street, Boger City, Lincoln County,
North Carolina (near Bar-B-Que King). Major General Jerry Cochrane, Air
National Guard (retired), was the Master of Ceremonies and the Lincolnton
High School Air Force ROTC presented the colors. Captain Randy Cash,
Chaplain US Navy ( Retired), delivered a prayer before the service to a group
that included a former West Point classmate of General Gabriel’s and three
Medal of Honor recipients that were in Lincoln County visiting local schools.
General Charles A. Gabriel was born in Lincolnton on January 21, 1928,
to Paul and Lettie Goodson Gabriel. He
received his education at Lincolnton
High School and Catawba College
General Charles Gabriel
before graduating from the U.S. Military
Academy in 1950. After pilot training
he was assigned to duty in South Korea. In 1963, he earned an M.S. degree
in engineering management from George Washington University. Gabriel
graduated from the Command and Staff Course at the Naval War College in
1962 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1967. He served as
deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarter Tactical Air Command,
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, from February 1975 to August 1977. He
then became deputy commander-in-chief, U.S. Forces Korea and deputy
commander-in-chief, U.N. Command, Seoul, Korea. In April 1979, he returned
to Air Force headquarters as deputy chief of staff of operations, plans, and
General Charles Gabriel
readings. Gabriel was promoted to general on August 1, 1980. He served
as commander-in-chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and commander of Allied
Air Forces Central Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, from August 1980 to June 1982. Ronald Reagan
appointed him to chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force in July 1982. General Gabriel retired in 1986 after 36 years
of service to the Air Force. Lincoln County awarded him the Lincoln County Distinguished Citizen Award.
A large group of attendees
from the United States
military, active and retired,
posed in front of the General
Charles Gabriel Highway
Marker after the ceremony for
a photograph. We were very
fortunate to have in attendance
Major General James (Jim)
L. Kelly (in suit with hat), a
classmate of General Gabriel’s
at West Point, and three
Congressional Medal of Honor
recipients (in white shirts
with medals): Ronald Rosser
(Korean War), Robert Maxwell
(World War II), and Charles
Hagemeister (Vietnam War).
13 13
Events & Announcements:
Events & Announcements
The following events are upcoming for the LCHA. You can always find
out more at LincolnCountyHistory.com and join us on Facebook.
September 18, 2010
Apple Festival
the correspondence of
Stephen Dodson Ramseur
October 21, 2010
Business After Hours
November 20, 2010
Bravest of the Brave
George Kundahl Book Signing
the
Ramseur’s letters—over 180 of which are collected
bravest
and transcribed here by George Kundahl—
of the
provide his incisive observations on these military
events. At the same time, they offer rare insight
edited by george g. kunda h l
into the personal opinions of a high-ranking
Civil War officer. Correspondence by Civil
War figures is often strictly professional. But
in personal letters to his wife, Nellie, and best friend, David Schenk,
Ramseur candidly expresses beliefs about the social, military, and
political issues of the day. He also shares vivid accounts of battle and
daily camp life, providing colorful details on soldiering during the war.
brave
Foreword by Gary W. Gallagher
Become a Member!
Encourage your friends and family to join the LCHA and assist us with our efforts to collect and preserve Lincolnton
& Lincoln County’s rich history. You can find a membership form on our website LincolnCountyHistory.com.
Members are encouraged to submit articles and information that may be of interest to the Association.
LCHA Board of Directors
LCHA Staff
Bill Beam, President
Tim Blackburn, Vice-President
Jeff Emory
Brian Dedmond
Kelli Stamey
Luke Heafner
Joe Fox
Jason L. Harpe, Executive Director
January W. Porter, Curator of Collections & Archaeology
Tina Guffey, Administrative Assistant
Lincoln County Historical Association
Lincoln County Museum of History
403 East Main Street
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 748-9090
(704) 732-9057
lcmh@bellsouth.net
LincolnCountyHistory.com