RANDOLPH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
Celebrating Anniversaries, Embracing the Future
Welcome to Randolph County, the Heart of North Carolina; filled with a history that is a blend of both agricultural and industrial development. The area is unique in that it has one of the oldest mountain ranges in the United States, the Uwharrie Mountains, and two major rivers, the Deep River and the Uwharrie River.
Additionally, Randolph County is fortunate to be criss-crossed by two major interstates, I-85 and I-73. Our heritage is punctuated by a long line of anniversaries that demonstrate the significance of education and tourism going back more than 100 years. These include Seagrove School's 100th, Randolph Community College's 50th, and the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau's 15th anniversaries. Also of note, Asheboro's Fall Festival is celebrating 40, and the North Carolina Potters Conference is celebrating 25 years in 2012. From my own experience, as I get older, these anniversaries occur faster and more importantly, have more significance reminding us of our heritage and the importance of celebrating the past while constantly looking to future development.
In order to maximize the potential for creating and enlarging Randolph County's tourism destinations we must continue to celebrate the accomplishments of the past while at the same time establishing new events and attractions that will provide the anniversaries of the future. One of the new attractions opening this year in the northwest corner of Randolph County is Linbrook Heritage Estate. This estate provides a unique opportunity to tour one of the largest homes in the southeastern United States with more than 60 rooms, Linbrook Hall. The house is designed in the early classical revival style found most prominently in the southern states beginning in approximately 1820. The home uses the proportions developed by Italian renaissance architect Andres Palladio. Palladian proportions were used for critical design proportions both inside and out. Linbrook Hall was a six year project designed to demonstrate the timeless beauty of classical architecture. It contains architectural details found in many 18th century homes and contains antiques from around the world. Linbrook Hall is located in the area that the Neal family's ancestors settled in the late 1700s.
Also part of the Linbrook Heritage Estate is the Neal John Deere Tractor and Industrial Museum, which displays a collection of rare tractors. All tractors are restored to like new condition and periodically the tractors are operated in field demonstrations on the Linbrook Heritage Estate. The industrial display features as its centerpiece a 1926 return tube boiler from the P&P Chair Company of Asheboro, made famous by the production of the Carolina Rocker used by President John F. Kennedy. The boiler, used to produce the energy for the P&P Chair Company, has been relocated to the Linbrook Heritage Estate and is in full operation. The boiler will be used in conjunction with an 1890s steam engine to produce electrical power to power other museum exhibits such as an early 20th century sawmill and a sugar cane mill.
An additional attraction, the Hoover House, is at the heart of the Linbrook Heritage Estate. It is historically significant because Hoovers were widespread throughout Randolph County. They were of German descent and the name was Anglicized from Huber to Hoover. Andreas Huber emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania, then to Maryland. Later Mr. Hoover migrated with his wife and 12 children to Randolph County. They settled one mile from the Hoover House in 1763 when he built a gristmill at the confluence of the Uwharrie and Little Uwharrie Rivers. Five generations later, President Herbert Hoover was a direct descendant of Huber. The Neal's are also direct descendants and their great-grandfather, Edd Hoover built the Hoover House. The Hoover house is a rare example of a home dating from 1905 that has survived with its original furnishings in place. The Neal Farm represents farm life in Randolph County from 1905-1944. Through docent guided tours visitors will tour Hoover House and learn about its inhabitants and their daily lives. The Hoover house has been lovingly restored to its original appearance. Many of Edd Hoover's hand built tools and early farm equipment are on display.
Visitors will certainly want to return time and time again to see the Linbrook Heritage Estate museum displays and to experience the contrast between the grandeur of Linbrook Hall and the simpler life demonstrated at the Hoover House that existed over 100 years ago.
Visit the Heart of North Carolina and come away with an appreciation for the significance of the agricultural and industrial development of Randolph County coupled with its natural beauty.
Sincerely,
Jerry D. Neal
Board Member, Randolph County Tourism Development Authority
Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, RFMD with more than 35 years' experience in the RF and wireless communications industry
Co-Author with best-selling New York Times author, Jerry Bledsoe, of the books Fire in the Belly: Building a World-leading High-tech Company from Scratch in Tumultuous Times and Built on a Rock: A Memoir of Family, Faith and Place
Randolph County
J. Harold Holmes, Chairman of Randolph County Board of Commissioners
Richard Wells, County Manager
725 McDowell Rd - Asheboro, North Carolina 27205
Phone: (336) 318-6300
