Howser House

Nestled about an hour from our house, in the Kings Mountain National Park, is the stone house built in 1803 by a veteran of the Revolutionary War named Henry Howser. The house was home to several generations of Howser’s who farmed the fertile soil there. The site itself is also historically significant; as it sits right on the edge of what was once a famous battleground in the struggle for Independence.

The area in which Kings Mountain sits was a hotly disputed area during the war, with the Loyalists largely holding sway over the daily lives of the people who lived there. Because of this a group of volunteers from Tennessee were compelled to set out to cross the mountains separating Eastern Tennessee from the Piedmont area of the Carolinas. They took their canons with them.

The result of their efforts to help the people there throw off the yoke of British rule became known as the Battle of Kings Mountain. It was a significant victory, as it allowed the Continental Army to exert some control over the all-important mountain routes which were needed to resupply the Continental Army on the other side of the mountain, and as such it united the efforts of both colonies to be free.

The house itself is made of the local fieldstone and was considered to be quite a palace for its time and place. Oddly, although located within the boundaries of the Kings Mountain National Park itself, the house is only open 2 days a year; once in May and then again on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That’s when Sue and I went, last Saturday.

The Howser House is a treasure for anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of life in the early 19^th Century. Staffed by volunteers in period costumes, the visitors are shown how things were done in the old days; everything from raising herbs and vegetables to cooking and even constructing such a house are either demonstrated or discussed.

Sue and I love these type of day trips, as they require very little walking for me, but also provide a fantastic window back in time. With Sue being a member of DAR; and her great grandfather several times removed, Henry Pensinger being an American revolutionary Veteran; these sights are almost personal in a way. With no photographs, and very little in the way of written reminisces of the time, this is one of the best ways to see and feel what his daily life must have been like.

The following links will provide directions and information on both the Howser House and Kings Mountain National Park;

http://www.npca.org/about-us/center-for-park-research/stateoftheparks/kingsmountain/KIMO-report.pdf (about the Park)

http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1090&context=archanth_books  (about the Howser House)