This small quaint seaport has roots back to April 7, 1730 when Isaac and Jonathan Green Sr. purchased from Ebenezer Harker "a certain plantation and track of land containing by estimation 441 acres situate lying and being in ye Carterett in ye county of province of aforsaid being ye west side of ye mouth off White Oak River." By 1771 Theophilus Weeks started a town on his plantation, laying out a plat and selling lots. Formerly known as Bogue, Week's Point, The Wharf and New Town, the town was officially designated by the North Carolina General Assembly on May 6, 1783. Above photo (from North Carolina State Archives) courtesy Jack Dudley, as included in Swansboro - A Pictorial Tribute

Old Brick Store 1839 - William Pugh Ferrand Jr.

Early 1900s image from Jack Dudley's Swansboro, A Pictorial Tribute . Courtesy North Carolina State Archives

According to the National Register, the original roofline featured double-chimneyed parapets on the front and back gable ends. On the front end gable a circular window featured a star motif.

In Swansboro, A Pictorial Tribute, Jack Dudley wrote, "William Pugh Ferrand's store (the Old Brick Store) was built circa 1839. In 1819, Ferrand purchased the lot from Captain Otway Burns and operated an earlier store on the property until it burned in 1838. The existing building was built by brick brought to Swansboro on sail ships and the foundation was constructed of ballast stones.

"Ferrand was postmaster from 1817-1836 and was a wealthy merchant dealing heavily in naval stores. At one time, he had over 5000 barrels of turpentine in inventory. Barrels were lined up on Main Street past [present] Highway 24. In 1847 Ferrand died and the store was deeded to Cyrus Glover and Daniel Ambrose Harget. An 1875 deed shows that Ida D. Harget inherited the property from the estate of her father, Daniel Ambrose Harget."

In 1989 the NATIONAL REGISTER noted: gable-fronted brick commercial building retaining much original architectural fabric, modern side and back porches, attic apartment. Ferrand built this store after his first structure burned, and used it as the headquarters of his extensive turpentine/retail business. NR

According to Mrs. Daisy Moore, as quoted in Commonwealth of Onslow 1960, "the brick for the walls were brought from England; the foundations were made of rock which had been used by vessels for ballast. He [Ferrand] is buried over in Carteret, across from Swansboro.

"The Old Brick Store has served many functions through the years. Church services and school were held in the building in the 1890s. It also served as the post office during the early 1900s. Daniel A. Harget, brother of Ida Harget, operated a drugstore beginning about 1912.

"Robert Barnum was owner from 1931 until the early 1970s. Barnum purchased the property from Mae Fulford Jones and her husband, John Sherwood Jones. Mrs. Jones had inherited it from her mother, Ida Hargett, who had married a Fulford from New Bern."

FAMILY NOTES:
William Pugh Ferrand Jr. 1789-1847 came to Swansborough before 1800 from Wilmington, North Carolina with parents William Pugh Ferrand Sr. 1750-1813 and Mary Williams 1755-1796 as well as William Sr.'s father Guillaume Ferrand who died in Onslow County. 

William Pugh Ferrand Sr first married Mary Williams 1755-1796. Children of that marriage were: Stephen Lee Ferrand 1787-1830 and William Pugh Ferrand Jr. 1789-1847. After Mary’s death, in 1809 William married Ann Keziah Jones 1789-1840. Children of that marriage were: Edward Starkey Ferrand and Kilby Jones Ferrand. After William’s death Ann K. Ferrand married Joseph C. Whitty.

In his 1813 will, William Pugh Ferrand Sr. left to his wife Ann K. Ferrand 149 acres at the mouth of Pelletier Creek, land he had purchased from Capt. Isaac Hill. Also, 200 acres on Rudy Branch in Carteret County, land he had purchased from John Green Lent, along with 200 adjoining acres he had purchased from Armistead Hatchel. William gave his house and lot in Swansboro, along with adjoining empty lot—known then as lots #1 and #2 as well as lot #7 with no structure.

The will also included gifts to an unborn child, to youngest son Edward Starkey Ferrand, son Kilby Jones Ferrand, and divided Turkey Point plantation land on Stump Sound in Onslow County between sons Stephen Lee Ferrand and William P. Ferrand.
In 1808 William Pugh Ferrand Jr. received an A.B. degree from the University of North Carolina. He was an 1805 member of the Philanthropic Society (UNC founded 1795). UNC archives noted: physician, general assembly (no references as to being a practicing physician). His son William Ferrand 1819-1874 was a member of the UNC Philanthropic Society in 1835.

According to family trees, William P. Ferrand Jr. married Leah Yates Cobb, who died April 17, 1845. Their children included Eugene Ferrand, William Ferrand 1819-1874 and Stephen Ferrand 1820-1826.


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RECORD:
The William P. Ferrand store was built in 1819 on land he had purchased from a Captain Otway Burns, of Beaufort in neighboring Carteret County, for the price of $400. The store was originally constructed of wood in 1819. When the massive fire of 1838 burned down a majority of downtown Swansboro it destroyed the store. Within the following year the building was rebuilt and William P. Ferrand moved into a newly constructed store. The floors in the store are currently all original. The William P. Ferrand store holds a great deal of significance to Onslow County, North Carolina. It is the oldest brick and commercial structure in Onslow County. In its time it was a thriving merchants store, dentist office, warehouse and turpentine business.
 

No comments: