The Hoggatt House is a rare example of houses built by the early settlers of the Piedmont Backcountry. Originally a single room log cabin with a large stone fireplace, the house was built around 1801 and enlarged with a second room around 1824. It was moved to the Historical Park in 1973 from its original location at the corner of Phillips Avenue and Rotary Drive in High Point. The Hoggatt House was restored after a fire caused by a lightning strike in December 2004. Visit the Park Staff here to learn about the everyday lives and activities of settlers in the early 1800s.

1. Victoria Chaffers
January 2015
Historic Preservation Certificate Program
Salem College

2. 
 In the mid-1700s, many people migrated from Pennsylvania to North
Carolina and Virginia for the chance of finding a better life.
 Many of these migrants were Quakers, who followed the Great
Wagon Road south to places like the Piedmont area of North Carolina.
 Philip and Mary Hoggatt were among the Quaker families who moved
from Pennsylvania to build new homes in the South.
◙ Philip and Mary Hoggatt migrated first to Virginia around 1727,
then settled in North Carolina around the early 1750s. ◙
Quakers in Piedmont, NC

3. Backcountry Housing
 The Backcountry was an area east of the Appalachian
Mountains. People from the northern colonies
migrated here to take advantage of the rich land to
farm and rivers and creeks to build mills.
 Most buildings of this time and location were simple
to build and durable. Most were made of mud and
clay or were log cabins.
o Most of the houses were single room with a front
and back door and dirt floors.
o These small dwellings also contained a fireplace for
heat, light, and cooking.
 As the backcountry migrants settled, they added to
their homes. A window (typically found near the
front door), flooring, and a half-story with stairs for
use as extra sleeping quarters or storage area were
some of the main additions.
http://www.landofthebrave.info/imag
es/map-of-appalachian-mountains.jpg

4. 
 The Hoggatt family was one of the first Quaker families to settle
within the High Point area. There is a wide range of spellings for this
name – Hoggett, Hoggatt, and Hagget - and some of these spellings
are found within the same records.
 Philip Hoggatt was born on January 16, 1687. Records show it may
have been in England. Records also show him having arrived in
America at an early age.
◙ Not much is recorded of Philip Hoggatt’s earlier years. ◙
Hoggatt Family History

5. 
 Mary Glendinning was born on Dec. 8, 1698, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
 Philip and Mary were married around 1721. The location is unknown.
 The Hoggatts had seven children - six boys and one girl.
◙ Philip and Mary are both buried at the Springfield
Friends Meeting in High Point. ◙
Hoggatt Family History

6.  The Hoggatt House was located on one of Philip Hoggatt’s land grants
on Richland Creek in what is now southwest High Point.
 Thought to have been built around 1754, it was for many years cited as
the oldest building in High Point.
 A dendrochronology test completed in 2005 showed that the main
structure was built in 1801. A later addition to the house was built in
1824. Philip Hoggatt died in 1783,
so his youngest son, Joseph Hoggatt
- who had inherited his father’s land –
is the likely builder.
 Betty Jo Kellam donated the house
to the High Point Museum in 1973.
Hoggatt House
2003.071.009

7. 
 This type of house is typical of Backcountry dwellings of the
late 18th and early 19th Centuries .
 Only two families (Hoggatt and Corbit) owned this house for almost
a 200 year span.
 It represents the Quaker heritage in High Point.
Hoggatt House Significance

8. 
 1801- Joseph Hoggatt (Son of Philip Hoggatt)
 1815- Zimri Hoggatt (Son of Joseph)
 1821-Mahlon Hoggatt (Son of Zimri)
 1850- Zimri Hoggatt (Son of Mahlon)
 1868- Everett Turner Corbit (Joseph, son of Mahlon, sold to the Corbit family)
 1915- Elizabeth (Burton) Corbit
 1951- Alberta (Corbit) Snider
 1968- Betty Jo (Snider) Kellam
 1973- High Point Museum
History of Owners

9. 
 In 1801, when the Hoggatt House was first built, it was just a single
room home with a garret (a small living space in the top part of the
house).
◙ This sometimes is called the Hall House Plan. ◙
Original Floor Plan

10. 
Original Floor Plan
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Draft

11. 
 The house included:
o A fireplace and stone chimney on the gable end. This was utilized
as a source for cooking, heat, and light within the small space.
o Two doors and possibly two windows. The doors were located in
the front and back of the house and the windows having to be one
near the front door and another near the fireplace.
o In the half story, there seems to have been a small window for
ventilation and light.
o Oral history records say there may have been a hatch located in
front of the fireplace leading to a food storage pit.
o Indication from ceiling rafters show that their were stairs to the
half-story, in the opposite left corner from the fireplace.
o A porch extended out from the front.
Original Floor Plan

12. 
 A frame constructed lean-to room was added to the entire back of the
house.
 A chimney was added with a small fireplace. This was utilized as a
kitchen stove with a flue pipe.
 The lean-to had two windows and a door. The door was to the rear of
the addition with a window beside it. The other window would have
been close to the new chimney.
 The rear door of the original structure became an interior door into the
new room.
◙ It is speculated that a porch was enclosed to make this addition. ◙
First Alteration

13. 
First Alteration Floor Plan
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Draft

14. 
 Later additions changed the floor plan to a Hall and Parlor Plan – a
main room with two smaller chambers.
Second Alteration
54-1221

15. 
Second Alteration Floor Plan
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Draft

16. 
 A front porch extended across the entire front façade of the house with
a small room used to store firewood.
 Another room was added opposite to the existing fireplace.
o The room had a brick chimney with a small fireplace, one large
window, an exterior door to the new front porch, and a doorway
to connect to the main room.
 The stairs to the upper level were moved to the left corner next to the
main room’s fireplace.
 The window beside the front door was expanded.
 The exterior wood was covered with clapboard siding except the front
façade under the porch.
Second Alteration

17. 
Hoggatt House Features: Exterior
 Side Gable roof with hand-split shakes/Shingle roofing
 Log and Chinking structure
 V-Notch
 Locking Pegs
 Door
 Stone chimney with paved shoulder
 Common Bond Brick Chimney
with stepped shoulder
These features will be illustrated
in the next seven slides.

18. 
Side Gable Roof with Hand-
Split Shakes/Shingle roofing
https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbo
x/buildright/content/bcgbc4010a/12_ro
of_systems/01_roof_styles/images/page
_001_roof_styles_1.gif
Shingle Roofing
Side Gable Roof
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo

19. 
Log and Chinking
 Log and Chinking were common
materials in these early structures.
 Logs: White Oak and Red Oak
 Chinking: Clay, mud, wheat chaff mixture
Chinking
Log
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo

20. 
V-Notch
V-Notch
 This was a common log construction
technique in the 18th-19th Centuries.
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo

21. 
Locking Pegs
Back elevation of house; Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photos
Locking Peg
 Three of these small holes are pegs
made to prevent logs from warping.

22. 
Door Features
The rear door with
original thumb latch
Board and Batten door
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photos

23. 
Stone Chimney
Paved Shoulder
Stone Chimney
◙ This stone chimney is part of the 1801 house. ◙
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo
Front elevation of house

24. 
Brick Chimney
Stepped Shoulder
Common Bond Laid Brick
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo
♦ This chimney was
added in 1824.

25. 
Hoggatt House Features: Interior
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photo

26. 
Hoggatt House Features: Interior
 Beaded Ceiling
 Corner Staircase and evidence of
relocation
 Fireplaces
 Joist Notching
 Doors
Victoria Chaffers- Personal Photos
These features will be illustrated
in the next six slides.

27. 
Beaded Ceiling
Beaded Ceiling
 Beaded Ceilings were a
decorative feature to
houses, making the
space appear larger.

28. 
Corner Staircase and
Evidence of Relocation
Notched
 A cut-out in the joist shows
where the staircase was located
in the opposite corner. Now, it
is located in the left corner near
the stone fireplace.

29. 
Fireplaces: Stone
 This fireplace would be where all the cooking would take place.
 The fireplace is made up of fieldstone and quarried stone but contains some
brick in the interior which can indicate repairs.
Brick
Stone

30. 
Fireplaces: Brick
Brick Fireplace
 The surround of the
fireplace is plaster
with a brick hearth.

31. 
Joist Notching
Joist Notching
 Joist notching is found in the
1824 addition, indicating that
it may have been part of
another building, salvaged
and then attached to the
Hoggatt House.

32. 
Doors
Strap Hinges
Bar Latch

33. 
Move of 1973
2003.071.013
54-1221

34. 
Move of 1973
 In 1973, owner Betty Jo Kellam
donated the house to the
High Point Museum.
 The Hoggatt House was moved
from its original location on
South Rotary Drive to
the Museum’s Historic Park.

35. 
Move of 1973: Armfield House
 At the time of the move to
the Historic Park, the
Hoggatt House was
thought to have been built
around 1754. The Armfield
House, a log cabin in
nearby Sedgefield, was
also thought to be from
this early period.
 The High Point Historical
Society purchased the
Armfield House, and parts
of it were used to restore
the damaged areas in the
floors and walls.

36. 
Move of 1973: Restoration
Taking down brick chimney
Removing clapboard siding

37. 
Move of 1973: Restoration
Putting it back
together in the
Historic Park

38. 
Move of 1973: Restoration
Re-building the stone chimney

39. 
Move of 1973: Finished

40. 
House Fire of 2004
 On December 10, 2004, a lightening strike set fire to the Hoggatt House.
 The Fire destroyed parts of the house including the furnishings inside.
3 A.M.
Aftermath

41. 
Interior Damage
 The roof, flooring, and stairs
were completely destroyed.
 The logs and doors were all
charred and potentially
destroyed.

42. 
Salvaged Items
 Some furnishings were saved, such as a 1825 blanket chest and an early
rush lamp.

43. 
Destroyed Items
 Many furnishings were destroyed,
including the textiles and items
used to demonstrate weaving
and sewing.

44. 
“Just a Dollar” Campaign
 On December 18, 2004, the “Just a Dollar” campaign was launched with a
goal of raising $15,000 for the renovation.

45. 
Barn Donation
 Shirley DeLong donated an old tobacco barn on her property.
 The logs were used for interior and roof timbers.

46. 
Restoration from Fire
 It was a long process until opening day.

47. 
Restoration from Fire
Cleaning the logs of burn damage

48. 
Restoration from Fire
 The roof and stairs took most of the
damage from the fire; new wood
was aged naturally.

49. 
Restoration from Fire
Beading
Placing Floorboards
Window Installation

50. 
Restoration from Fire
Chinking
Painting

51. 
Dendrochronology
 A true date for the construction of the Hoggatt House had never been know for
certain. After the fire, it seemed the perfect opportunity to perform tests on the logs.
Dendrochronology uses the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings to date
when the trees lived which were used for the lumber.
◙ Dendrochronology tests were run by the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory. ◙
 The results show the original Hoggatt House to being built in 1801 (not 1754) and an
addition placed in 1824.

52. 
Opening Day
 On April 1, 2006, the
restored Hoggatt House was
re-opened to the public.

53. 
Hoggatt House Today
 Today, the Hoggatt House
provides hands-on experiences
with textiles and other period
activities for visitors.

54. Visit the Hoggatt House at the High Point Museum
to learn more about the Hoggatt family and
Backcountry living in early High Point!
www.highpointmuseum.org
High Point Museum
1859 East Lexington Avenue
High Point, NC 27262