FREMONT—Mindful of preserving our natural resources, experts restoring the Aycock Birthplace farm house after fire damage last year are using reclaimed lumber harvested from the old Imperial Tobacco Company warehouse in Wilson in the project. Like the Aycock family who lived on this farm during the late 19th century — who almost certainly used everything and wasted nothing — the professionals rebuilding the home decided to use old heart pine to repair the historic building with a naturally aged look, instead of buying new wood and trying to make it “look old.”
Fulford Antiques & Flooring of Wilson supplied this historic lumber for use in restoring walls, ceilings and floors damaged by water, smoke and flames after arsonists deliberately torched the home on Jan. 24, 2008. Fulford’s actually harvested more than 12,000 board feet of lumber from the tobacco warehouse, with 2,000 to 3,000 feet actually being used on the Aycock house.
Builders and architects seek good-quality recycled lumber not only for its “green” qualities but also because it features character marks of age such as nail holes and a patina that give it warmth and charm. Reclaimed lumber and beams also are known for their stability and density
Thanks to the historic site’s alarm system and to the rapid response of local fire departments and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, last year’s blaze was confined to the main house’s parlor, back porch and loft. The rest of the house and its furnishings were not burned but did sustain smoke and water damage. Several furnishings in the home were damaged in the fire, but the only original Aycock family piece destroyed was a Victorian turntable.
Two suspects were subsequently charged with the crime. One has been convicted of arson and is currently serving time in prison, while the second still awaits trial.
To recognize the efforts of local fire and law enforcement officials following the blaze, the Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site will sponsor an invitation-only event Sunday, May 17, at the birthplace in Fremont. This program is being held in conjunction with the 2009 National Police Week, May 10-16. The sponsors are Tri-County Electrical Membership, Dean Whitley Insurance (locations in Fremont and Goldsboro), Edgerton Accounting (Pikeville) and the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Advisory Committee.
Later this year, after the Aycock family home restoration is complete, the 150th anniversary of Gov. Aycock’s birth and the 50th anniversary of the opening of the historic site will be celebrated.
Since the 2008 fire, the state historic site has reopened to the public and continues to present public programs. Currently the main house (farm house) is closed while under repair; the period one-room schoolhouse and the historic area (including the kitchen, corn crib and smokehouses) are all open. Visitors may also tour exhibits in the state historic site’s visitor center where they can also watch a video on the late Gov. Aycock and his family.
Anyone wanting to help in the home’s restoration may do so by contributing to the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Recovery and Restoration Fund. These may be sent to Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace, P.O. Box 207, Fremont, N.C. 27830.
The Aycock Birthplace’s mission is to preserve and interpret the birthplace and history of Gov. Charles B. Aycock, emphasizing his contributions to public education in North Carolina. For more information on the restoration of the farmhouse, e-mail aycock@ncdcr.gov or go to www.nchistoricsites.org/aycock/aycock.htm. Information on Fulford Antiques & Flooring is available at www.fulfords.us.
To reach the historic site, take U.S. 117 north nine miles from Goldsboro or U.S. 117 south 14 miles from Wilson. Turn right (from Goldsboro) or left (from Wilson) on Gov. Aycock Rd. The site is 1-1/2 miles on the right. To reach it from I-95 take the U.S. 301 exit at Kenly. Take N.C. 222 east for 10 miles to Fremont and turn right on U.S. 117. Go two miles and turn left on Gov. Aycock Rd.
Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, Aycock Birthplace is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.