Allison Purchased Property in 1813

Sketch of the west facing side of Benjamin Allison’s home.

The Allison-Deaver House reflects the lives of two men and two builders—Benjamin Allison and William Deaver—and the evolution of a house over two centuries.  This week’s column takes a look at the house during the Allison era. 

Benjamin Allison was born in the 1770s in Maryland.  He moved to the Old Fort area of Western North Carolina with his extended family in the 1780s.  Allison married Margaret Wood around 1793. 

As previously mentioned Benjamin Allison purchased property along Ben Davidson’s River in what was Buncombe County in 1813.

Allison built an 1100 square foot wood frame house in the Federal-style.  The house had three-rooms on both the first and second floors, central doors, between two windows on the main floor  and two windows on the second floor on both the west and east sides.

Floor plan of the main floor of the original south-side of the home.  

Plan drawn by Angela Patane.

Today the smallest room on the main floor retains the original beaded sheathing and original window surround.  Other original elements within the house include the second-floor joists, exterior beaded weatherboarding, and a pattern board at the cornice of the southwest corner.

Evidence shows there were one-story porches on both sides of the house.  The west side porch was larger though.  Originally the property on the west side was at the level of the porch.  The house would have faced the Boylston Turnpike.  The old roadbed is still visible to the west.

Floor plan of the second floor of the Allison home.  

Plan drawn by Angela Patane.

The Allison’s lived in the home for about 15 years.  Here they raised a large family, at least ten children survived to adulthood.  As adults several of the Allison children moved west into a part of Haywood County that is today Jackson County.  Benjamin and Margaret joined them in 1830 when Allison sold the property to William    
     Deaver.

     Next week Picturing the Past will feature
     the expansion of the home during the
     Deaver era.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs. For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.