House in the Horseshoe
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The house in the Horseshoe is a historic site just West of Sanford, NC. The house was built around 1772, and was named after the horseshoe bend in the Deep River that goes around the home. The home sits on top of a hill, giving sweeping views of the countryside. |
| The house was made famous by a skirmish between patriots and loyalists during the revolutionary war. The home’s owner, Phillip Alston, was a Colonel in the patriot army. Colonel Alston had angered the local loyalist forces when his men accidentally killed a prisoner they held. |
Battle at House in the Horseshoe
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| On the morning of August 5, 1781, loyalist forces camped around the house were attacked by a larger group of loyalists led by David Fanning. Alston’s men fled back into the home, and neither side was able to overcome the other. |
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| Mrs. Alston and the children sought refuge by standing inside the chimney of the home. When the loyalists decided to set the home on fire, the Mrs. Alston bravely went to the front porch and negotiated a truce. |
Battle Reenactment
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Many of the bullet holes from the original skirmish still remain. The battle is reenacted twice a year, once in the spring and again around the anniversary of the battle. This August the reenactment will be held August 4th and 5th. During this time, reenactors will camp out at the site. |
Reenactment Activities
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| During reenactment weekends, the battle is staged several times. It is exciting to see all the muskets shooting back and forth. The hero of the battle, Mrs. Alston, gets to come out and stop the silly boys from fighting. There are vendors selling reproduction rifles and muskets. Other vendors sell cloth and clothing, as well as toys and food. |
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House in the Horseshoe Hours
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During the rest of the year, the house is open on the following schedule:
- Nov 1 to Mar 31
- Tue -Sat 10 AM to 4 PM
- Sun 1 to 4 PM
- Closed Mon
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To get to House in the Horseshoe from Sanford, take NC 42 West until you cross into Chatham County, then look for the signs and turn left and go south for about 4 miles and then turn right at the sign for the House in the Horseshoe.
To find out about Lee County, NC homes, visit the Lee County Neighborhood Information page on my website.
For more information about Real Estate in the Sanford, Lee County, or Harnett County areas, you can also visit my Sanford NC homes website.
Rita Taylor
ERA Strother Real Estate
Sanford NC Real Estate
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Rita,
I loved this story. What an interestin place. I’d love to see NC someday soon.
Great job showcasing your coumminity. Thanks for sharing. You can sure see why you’re the top realtor for Sandord NC
19 Jul 2007 at 4:37 pm
Lynda,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving my first comment! I am still getting this blog platform figured out and hope it looks a bit better soon.
19 Jul 2007 at 9:20 pm