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Blowing Rock in Watauga County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

Maymont

ca. 1887

 
 
Maymont Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 30, 2022
1. Maymont Marker
Inscription. Built by Samuel Finley Harper of Lenoir, the house was purchased by Confederate General Matt W. Ransom in 1902. Ransom served as Attorney General for North Carolina, a U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Mexico. The architecture is indicative of the Gothic Revival movement of the Victorian era.

In recognition of this property's significance, this marker is placed by the
Blowing Rock Historical Society & the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

 
Erected by Blowing Rock Historical Society • Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
 
Location. 36° 7.45′ N, 81° 40.59′ W. Marker is in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, in Watauga County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (Business U.S. 321) and Shadow Lane, on the right when traveling south on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1786 Main St, Blowing Rock NC 28605, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s and he Mountains in the High Country. It is also in the
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American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sunset Manor (within shouting distance of this marker); Gibbons Residence (within shouting distance of this marker); Craig Cottage / Knitters Rest (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Opicherhoka (approx. 0.2 miles away); Emily Prudden (approx. 0.3 miles away); Blowing Rock Methodist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Davant Residence (approx. 0.4 miles away); Springhaven Inn (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blowing Rock.
 
Regarding Maymont. Harper was wounded at Seven Pines and was surrendered at Appomattox Court House. He was an investor in his brother George
Maymont Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 30, 2022
2. Maymont Marker
Washington Finley Harper's Green Park Hotel, and managed the family's woolen mills after his older brother's death. Ransom's wife, Mary (May) Ransom, named the house Maymont, meaning “May in the mountains.”
 
Matt Whitaker Ransom (1826-1904) image. Click for full size.
Matthew Brady via Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division (Public Domain), circa 1875
3. Matt Whitaker Ransom (1826-1904)
He bought Maymont as a summer home, spending the rest of the year at Verona, his estate near Jackson, N.C.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 325 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on November 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.   3. submitted on November 18, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
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Jul. 27, 2026