The William Richardson Davie House, "Loretta" is part of the Historic Halifax State Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. Davie lived in Halifax from 1785 to 1805. The restoration of the interior of the house will be completed in winter of 2025.
William R. Davie was a man of enormous historical significance. He served as an officer during the Revolutionary War. When independence from England was achieved, he completed his legal training and came to Halifax to marry a daughter of one of the generals and to establish a law practice. He soon entered the politics of the period and served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia where his contributions were included in crafting of the US Constitution. He served as a governor of North Carolina, but after being asked by President Adams, he assumed the role of a peace emissary to resolve a conflict with France. Particularly interested in the education of the future generations, WR Davie founded the first state university, now the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He selected the site, organized funding, selected curriculum and instructors, and served on the board of trustees for many years.
LANDSCAPING OF THE GROUNDS - A SPECIAL PROJECT OF FOHH
The Friends of Historic Halifax welcomes donations for the landscaping project which has an estimated cost of $25,000. Contributions can be made online on the membership form.
Guided by a report that was written in December 2013: William Davie House, A Cultural Landscape Report, the Friends of Historic Halifax have developed a plan for a cultural landscaping of the Davie property. This report states that the property was not developed as a Williamsburg-style garden but was more representative of a house garden of a local planter. Flowers, herbs, and vegetables would have been included in attractive spaces.
The FOHH landscaping plan for the Davie House includes flowering trees and bushes, privacy shrubs, and a brick pathway as well as grading of the yard behind the house which can be rented and tented for events and special occasions.
In the summer of 2023, ground penetrating radar (GPR) mapped the grounds to locate foundations of any extinct out-buildings behind the main house. The landscaping plan takes these findings in consideration and ensures protection of any possible archaeological treasures. All work to the Davie House and grounds are done under auspices of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Draft Plan
