The Museum of the Waxhaws in Waxhaw, North Carolina is a small regional history museum that also honors native son Andrew Jackson, our nation's 7th President.The area's history is traced back to the Native Americans who once lived in the region.It documents some of the earliest white settlers that moved to the Carolina backcountry and traces the ancestry of one of our nation's early presidents.The Waxhaw's were a small tribe of Eastern woodland Indians that inhabited this area of the Catawba River Valley before the arrival of Europeans.They hunted and fished along the river and built villages of bark covered huts.The earliest white settlers came to the area around 1740.The original settlement of Waxhaw was established along what had become a busy trade route running from Petersburg, Virginia to Augusta, Georgia.Most of these hardy settlers were Scots-Irish and German immigrants.Life in the backcountry of the Carolinas was challenging, with travel and communications being difficult.The parents of Andrew Jackson settled in the area in 1765.Andrew Jackson, Sr.Built a cabin and had a small farm.The family attended the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church.Jackson, Sr.Died in February 1767 and was buried in the church cemetery.On March 15, 1767 his widow gave birth to a son, Andrew Jackson, Jr.The exact birthplace is unknown.There is controversy over whether he was born in a cabin in North Carolina or at a relative's plantation in what is now part of South Carolina.At the time of Jackson's birth the state line had not been determined.Jackson grew up on the South Carolina side of the border at a plantation owned by his mother's relatives.As an adult Jackson briefly taught school in the Waxhaw area before moving away to study law.He never returned to the area.The museum has permanent exhibits detailing the region's history.Included are exhibits on life in the backcountry during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.There is a section devoted to Andrew Jackson's ties to the area.The museum also hosts temporary exhibits.The current one is a "living" schoolroom that interprets a typical one room school from the 19th century.Some other exhibits are outside on the museum grounds.The Secrest Homestead, a log cabin built in the 1840s near Monroe, North Carolina, was moved to the museum in 1997.The adjoining Heritage Garden is a demonstration garden that utilizes agricultural methods from the 1700s.The fruits and vegetables grown there are from seed lines dating from the 18th century.The Nesbit Smokehouse is a typical smokehouse from the mid 1800s.The Waxhaw Indian Village with its bark covered huts is a replica of a village from the 1600s.The Museum of the Waxhaws is located at 8215 Waxhaw Highway (Hwy.75) one half mile east of Waxhaw.The facility is open Friday and Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 2pm-5pm.Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $2 for ages 6-12 years.The small gift shop sells books, gifts, and pottery made by Catawba Indians.Visitors to the area may enjoy learning about some of the local history as well as the controversy surrounding Andrew Jackson's birth.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Museum of the Waxhaws
The Museum of the Waxhaws in Waxhaw, North Carolina is a small regional history museum that also honors native son Andrew Jackson, our nation's 7th President.The area's history is traced back to the Native Americans who once lived in the region.It documents some of the earliest white settlers that moved to the Carolina backcountry and traces the ancestry of one of our nation's early presidents.The Waxhaw's were a small tribe of Eastern woodland Indians that inhabited this area of the Catawba River Valley before the arrival of Europeans.They hunted and fished along the river and built villages of bark covered huts.The earliest white settlers came to the area around 1740.The original settlement of Waxhaw was established along what had become a busy trade route running from Petersburg, Virginia to Augusta, Georgia.Most of these hardy settlers were Scots-Irish and German immigrants.Life in the backcountry of the Carolinas was challenging, with travel and communications being difficult.The parents of Andrew Jackson settled in the area in 1765.Andrew Jackson, Sr.Built a cabin and had a small farm.The family attended the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church.Jackson, Sr.Died in February 1767 and was buried in the church cemetery.On March 15, 1767 his widow gave birth to a son, Andrew Jackson, Jr.The exact birthplace is unknown.There is controversy over whether he was born in a cabin in North Carolina or at a relative's plantation in what is now part of South Carolina.At the time of Jackson's birth the state line had not been determined.Jackson grew up on the South Carolina side of the border at a plantation owned by his mother's relatives.As an adult Jackson briefly taught school in the Waxhaw area before moving away to study law.He never returned to the area.The museum has permanent exhibits detailing the region's history.Included are exhibits on life in the backcountry during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.There is a section devoted to Andrew Jackson's ties to the area.The museum also hosts temporary exhibits.The current one is a "living" schoolroom that interprets a typical one room school from the 19th century.Some other exhibits are outside on the museum grounds.The Secrest Homestead, a log cabin built in the 1840s near Monroe, North Carolina, was moved to the museum in 1997.The adjoining Heritage Garden is a demonstration garden that utilizes agricultural methods from the 1700s.The fruits and vegetables grown there are from seed lines dating from the 18th century.The Nesbit Smokehouse is a typical smokehouse from the mid 1800s.The Waxhaw Indian Village with its bark covered huts is a replica of a village from the 1600s.The Museum of the Waxhaws is located at 8215 Waxhaw Highway (Hwy.75) one half mile east of Waxhaw.The facility is open Friday and Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 2pm-5pm.Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $2 for ages 6-12 years.The small gift shop sells books, gifts, and pottery made by Catawba Indians.Visitors to the area may enjoy learning about some of the local history as well as the controversy surrounding Andrew Jackson's birth.
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