Historic Rosedale — Attraction in Charlotte

Historic Landmark No. 171: Historic Rosedale, Federal-style house built in 1815 three miles away from the Square by Archibald Frew on a 911-acre cotton plantation. At the time, it was called “Frew’s Folly” due to his inordinate expense on the house and its relative size to anything else nearby. After a challenging crop season in 1816, Frew’s brother in law and politician William Davidson bought the home out of foreclosure in 1819 and let Frew live there until his death in 1823. In 1833, Dr. David T. Caldwell purchased the home and lived here until his death in 1861. The house remained in the Caldwell and Davidson family until sisters Mary Louise and Alice Davidson sold it to the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina in 1986. The house underwent extensive renovations to replicate what the house looked like in the early 19th century, including the two-story porch (quote at the time: “it was a mess...it wouldn’t have lasted much longer”). The gardens still have some original boxwoods and trees from the 1815 gardens, as well as an expansive swamp chestnut oak tree planted in 1894 (pictured) but much of the garden is from Louise Heagy Davidson’s restoration in the early 1900s; Mrs. Davidson’s love of gardening lended more credibility to the Rosedale name. It opened to the public in 1993.

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A lot to explore on a small property. It cost $2 to walk the grounds, and since I am traveling with my dogs, I was only interested in walking the grounds. The house exterior is very well maintained. The gardens have 3 sections and are located to the left of the house. In the back to the left is a large covered area for events. Located in the back is the visitors center/office where you pay for admission. In the same building is where the restrooms are located. To my surprise, the ladies room is nice!!! Probably because they do special events, like wedding there. To the right of the house is a nice trail through a small arboretum. There is also a blacksmith house with an exhibit to the right place f the house where the parking area is. I visited this day, January. I am sure the property looks even more beautiful in the Spring to Fall. There are some flowering trees/bushes when I visited. In addition to the admission fee, you can make a donation to help maintain the property. The donation box is located on the counter where you pay your admission fee. If no one is there, you can pay your fee using the envelopes hanging in the door of the visitors center. Please bring cash, just in case. I really enjoyed my walk around the property. I walked a little over a mile around the entire property...

We had a fabulous time attending the night ghost tour at Historic Rosedale. The tour was led by the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society who showed us evidence and shared first hand accounts of the experiences they have encountered while on the property. All of the tour guides were great to listen to and exceptionally knowledgeable of the workings of the home. From its completion in the 19th century all they way up to its last private residence in the 1980’s. An estate that has seen many changes, over the years and unfortunately just as many deaths created an interesting setting for us to be enlightened with the tales of 19th century living in the Queen City. Because of Covid-19 we were not granted access inside the home. The tour was small to allow for safety and social distancing. That attention to detail was much appreciated. The gardens and grounds were just as beautiful at night as I am sure they are in the day. This was my first time to Rosedale and I can’t wait to return for a daytime tour and...