The Carson House is a historic house and museum located at 1805 US-70, Marion, NC 28752. The house was the home of Col. John Carson, who served as the McDowell County courthouse from 1852-1869. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014 for its association with Carson’s pivotal role in the Civil War. The Carson House Museum is operated by McDowell County Historical Association and is open to visitors from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday during the months of April through December. It is closed from December to March.

In 1852, John Carson, a prominent local lawyer, was elected as the McDowell County courthouse. He and his wife Martha had six children who lived in the house. In 1860, Carson purchased a new house on Battle Square near Marion. It was at this time that the Carson House became a boarding house for many of Marion’s young ladies. This continued throughout the Civil War and through 1869 when Carson left his position as chief justice of McDowell County to return home to take care of his interests in Polk County. The last boarder left in 1875 and it has been a private residence ever since.

The Historic Carson House is a two-story Greek Revival style frame structure with an offset chimney. The brick for the fireplace was made on site and is unique to the property. It has a center hall plan with four rooms on each floor. Most of the exterior woodwork is original including wood shingling, painted white in 2006, along with the shutters and front porch. Historic photographs show that when Carson lived there in 1860-1875 that there were two porches on the front of the house. The main one was supported by columns and had a railing. There were two balustrades; one at ground level and another above it which extended out to protect the upstairs balcony above. There were also shutters on all windows except for one set which could be removed in the summer to allow extra light into the room. The floors are wide pine planking laid diagonally and the ceilings are 9 feet high supported by heavy metal I-beams.

The front porch has a small portico with a slender column and two square pilasters, but they were added in the 1900s as part of a renovation following Carson’s death. Other additions include the kitchen and two bathrooms on the first floor, and another bathroom on each floor of the second story. All 24 rooms have ceilings created by large metal I-beams that support interior partitions between each room. These internal barriers extend to all four corners where they meet to form a central chimney that reaches to the roof line.

How do I visit the Carson House?

The Carson House is open to the public for tours and events. For more information on how to visit, please check out our website or give us a call. We hope to see you soon!

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