Fort Defiance

I was having a lazy Sunday today while my uncle was painting my new bedroom for me, so I decided to get in my car and go for a scenic drive. I ended up going to Lenoir, where I found Fort Defiance. It isn't actually a fort (don't you love names with no purpose?), it's the Lenoir house. William Lenoir was a pretty important guy back in the day and his family lived there from the 1770s to the 1920s. He was a general that served in the Revolutionary War, served in both houses of NC congress, was part of the Constitutional Convention as a delegate, and also played a big role in UNC Chapel Hill. The tour was obviously very informative since I had never heard of him until I rolled up to the Visitor Center. The house is completely restored and in a really beautiful area. It used to be a plantation but all that's preserved is the house and the extremely creepy graveyard that is for some reason located adjacent to the parking lot.

Even though it was 90 degrees outside and there were only 4 people on our tour (including myself), our guide was still a) extremely excited about being a guide b) obviously very into history and very in love with the Lenoirs and c) dressed head to toe in 1800s attire. He was sweating like CRAZY. There was actually a lot of excitement because the tour group consisted of myself, the tallest woman I have ever seen in my life, an 80 year old man with a cane and a 75 year old tiny woman, and when we went upstairs the old lady collapsed from the heat and we had to call the paramedics! It was crazy. What was weird was that her niece, the tall woman, didn't think it was too concerning and while we were waiting on the paramedics she finished the tour with me. Another weird thing I noted during the collapse drama was that the director of Fort Defiance was a) barefoot and b) wearing a tshirt that said "Last of the Mohicans." Why didn't she have to dress up?

When the tour guide found out I was working as a copyeditor he got so excited and wanted to show me all these historical documents he was transcribing which was neat, and asked me to volunteer and help him out. It seemed cool so I gave them my info, but on the drive back I realized just how far away it was so I don't think I'll get up there too often. He also invited me to volunteer at a reenactment there the last weekend of September, but when he started talking about costumes and stuff I had to politely decline. I may not know anyone around here yet, but that would still be embarrassing. Also I have no immediate desire to wear a whale-bone corset or a hoop skirt.

Part of The Grounds

Fort Defiance