Spring Hill House, photograph by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 1, 2023 (courtesy of HMdb.org).
Have your ever heard of Theophilus Hunter, Sr.? A figure in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary history, his first residence in North Carolina was very likely just inside the current town limits of what we know as Garner. He was a Justice of the Peace, surveyor of the early boundaries of what is now Wake County, and a prominent landowner. Originally from Virginia, his first residence was Hunter’s Lodge, located on the “old Fayetteville Stage Road,” and according to historians was situated approximately at the current split of Highway 401 South and Highway 70. This structure burned sometime before 1790.
Hunter’s second residence was a plantation and home known as Spring Hill on the property of what eventually became Dorothea Dix hospital. The expanded part of the home (which was built by Theophilus Hunter, Jr.) still stands and is the site of Theophilus Hunter’s grave. This is believed to be the oldest marked grave in Wake County.
Submitted by contributing author: Karen Padgett
Sources: NCPedia, USGenNet, Find-A-Grave
Images: HMdb.org, Jacob Hunter Trust
Stay tuned for a new “Voices of the Past” later this year! In celebration of America 250, Garner History Museum will host the program on our grounds in remembrance of the many from the Garner area, eastern Wake County, and western Johnston County, who served as soldiers, provided support, and generally contributed to the freedoms we celebrate. Watch our posts here and announcements on social media for updates!
