An Early American Colonial Plantation - Homestead & 27 Acres - Can Be Yours!

Salisbury Real Estate LLC is thrilled to present the circa 1830 Randall (Randle) House, a rare preserved example of early American colonial plantation history and an exquisitely preserved historic estate dating back to the early 1800s — and before. 

The landmark Randall House near the banks of Lake Tillery, with its 27 acres of open fields, rolling terrain, mature trees, a tranquil pond, and several outbuildings, is a unique homestead that offers unmatched privacy, peace, and potential.  Call Realtor Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 to walk the property, breathe in the fresh lake air, and imagine the possibilities that await. History lovers, this one is for you - an early American Colonial-era plantation homestead offering a private setting, serenity, and a place to create something truly special! 

Whispers of the past speak to us through the few plantation homesteads that survive the exciting and tumultuous birthing of America. On a country road, approximately four miles northeast of Norwood, NC, the John Randall House sits on 27 acres amid trees, lawns, and cultivated fields, an environment largely unchanged since the Randalls acquired the property in 1778. Lake Tillery on the Pee Dee River and some of its coves can be glimpsed across meadows from three sides of the house.  The main house is the centerpiece of the property.  From the house, the acreage radiates out to include a vintage cottage, a large barn/garage, a milk house and silo, and a pond.  Each of these tells the story of this property through its 247-year history, with sweeping views that make it a picturesque canvas for your dream retreat or private estate.

THE HOUSE

Steeped in history, the original Randall House dates to the American Revolutionary War and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.  An early plantation home that once claimed 900 acres of property, this three-bedroom, three-bath, five-fireplace home is rich in period character, showcasing authentic craftsmanship, original woodwork, historic flooring, and intricate window sidelights and transoms throughout. Many of the home’s standout features remain true to the original construction, including the fireplaces, millwork, and architectural detailing—authentic elements. Those that have been replicated during renovations were done so in a manner that preserves the property’s historic integrity.

The Randall House is a stately frame house with restrained detailing in the Federal/Greek Revival style. We believe that an original late 18th-century house stood here and was subsequently built over in the early 1800s. Facing north, it is a gable-roofed, weatherboarded I-house, fronted by a hipped-roof porch. Sometime after the main block was built, also in the early 1800s, a gable-roofed ell was added to the east end of the south side. Later, the two-room side kitchen/great room building was joined to the south end of the ell. A beautiful, covered porch wraps around the kitchen's south and west sides, overlooking an expanse of handsome brick patio and rolling fields. A second-story sleeping porch, later enclosed to create the master suite, extends from the west side of the ell, and a later first-floor bathroom addition was screened by a handsome brick courtyard. Two large, single-shouldered brick chimneys flank the gable ends of the main block, and another impressive stone chimney stands at the kitchen's gable end.  

They don't make houses like this anymore! The two-story single-pile main block rests on four 12"-square, hand-hewn timbers, the corners mortised and tenoned and secured with wooden pins. These are supported on piers of handmade bricks. Tree trunks at 30"-centers extend the full width of the frame as joists. A brick hearth box built under a first-level fireplace remains. Joists above the second story are hand-hewn beams 4.5" x 8" x 20'. Roof rafters are logs 5" in diameter. The brick foundation enclosure was built when the house was restored in 1970. A small, glassed-in cut-away in the weatherboarding on the rear elevation exhibits a section of the heavy timber frame construction. WOW!

Entering the Randall House through one of the back doors, you first go through a small breezeway or mudroom, off of which the laundry room is located, and then . . . enter the impressive Kitchen and Great Room, part of the home's 1970s renovation. This expanded great room easily brings the most wow-factor for modern living.  

Here, a vaulted, beamed ceiling soars above the kitchen with granite counters and loads of storage space in an array of naturally stained cupboards. The kitchen was updated about 10 years ago when the custom cabinetry and granite countertops were installed. This marvelous open space flows from the chef's kitchen ~ first to a dining area and then into the spacious Great Room with a locally quarried stone floor unifying the sitting area.  The Great Room's massive wood-burning stone fireplace is the most incredible feature, with a broad chimney extending up into the vaulted ceiling, and a deep, elevated stone hearth that spans the width of the room, creating extra window seating.

 

Beyond the great room, a multi-purpose wet bar/pantry room offers entertainment convenience, with a small sink, wine racks, cupboards for glassware,  and space for a wine fridge. A pass-through window to the Great Room lets the host and hostess commune with their guests from this functional mini-kitchen. Fun fact:  The National Register description leads one to believe that the kitchen was likely once a separate structure, as with many homes of this era, and was later joined to the house. 

Tucked behind the kitchen, before you enter the dining room, is a wonderful small butler's pantry with vertical storage for serving platters and scads of storage shelving.

The sunny, formal dining room features a hand-painted, panoramic mural - an all-encompassing view of the Randall Plantation as it may have looked in the 1790s-1820's- that encircles the room and depicts the history of the house, many of the people pertinent to the property (including Bishop Francis Asbury), and the surrounding area, including the church that John Randle founded. 

This artwork is a protected feature of the house.

From the dining room, enter into a cozy library or former front parlor, color-drenched in a deep hunter green.  Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves flank beautiful 9-over-9 windows and one of the home's five fireplaces. Original weathered wood floors make this room feel like a warm hug.

Leaving the library, you are at the front door that leads to the veranda, and at the center hall. The front door is notably surrounded by handsome original sidelights and a transom light.  The hall's architectural features include interesting paneled corner blocks and flat-panel wainscoting with chair rail. 

This front portion of the center hall is framed with another doorway leading to a rear hall that was formerly a porch.  The doorway here echoes the fine sidelights and transoms. 

A beautiful, light-filled formal living room to the right of the hallway is a statement of gracious living, featuring another original fireplace and a flush-board ceiling. This front parlor overlooks the acreage and huge shade trees that extend several acres to the west.

 

In the hallway, an enclosed stairway with flush-board walls turns and rises from a transomed opening beside the rear hall doorway, and takes you to the second story, where you'll find a center passage between the two upper rooms of the main and the rear primary suite.

Each of the two front bedrooms, original to the early days of the house, features the last of the home's five fireplaces with brick hearths, simple mantels, and surrounds. The left front bedroom features built-in bunk beds and floor-to-ceiling shelves, cupboards, chair rail, and a cute desk. 

The huge Owners' Suite, hushed with wall-to-wall carpet in the prettiest shade of indigo blue, is graced with a stunning array of recessed windows that spans nearly the entire wall, giving breathtaking views of the acreage, historic oaks, beautiful skies, and the sparkling lake. The window inset includes built-in bookshelves at one end; the deep ledge may offer window seating here.  A private bath here, accessed via a hallway lined on both sides with closets, features a walk-in shower.  This room was formerly a sleeping porch, converted into this beautiful bedroom suite in the 1970s.  From the rear exterior, you can see where the porch was once located.

Back downstairs, the rear part of the center hall is part of the 1970s renovation, with locally quarried stone flooring and rough-cut board-and-batten walls. A spacious full bath is off this hallway. (This bath connects to the front parlor, offering the potential to create a 1st-floor primary bedroom suite.)

The rear hallway exits to a pristine brick patio at the back of the house, overlooking the peaceful grounds with massive old-growth trees will be your favorite place for relaxing or entertaining. Part of the patio is recessed into a brick arch, creating a perfect little storage area for your barbecue grill and accessories.  

An incredibly massive water oak near the patio casts welcome shade from its skyscraping canopy. The large old trees around the property are breathtaking. 

Further below the house, the grounds feature a tranquil pond, creating a private oasis in the heart of the acreage. 

A portion of the acreage is currently leased, with a gentleman's agreement, to a local farmer who raises soybeans and other crops, keeping the fields mowed and maintained.  The new owner may wish to renegotiate this agreement.

OTHER STRUCTURES

A circular driveway swings you around the house to a 4-bay, 40x50 metal-sheathed pole barn that does double duty as a garage with lots of extra space for lawn equipment, workshop, storage, and more. This building has a 200 amp service.

A bit further to the west, you'll find the old milk house and 'milking parlor', a large functional outbuilding on the property, dating back to when the dairy operation was active here in the 1950s. This building has 220V electrical.

The milk house is now a private billiards room, with a pool table, kitchenette, and a small bathroom. The actual 'milking parlor' (part of the building where cows were brought to be milked and then returned to their feeding or resting area) is built with an interesting, elevated concrete area where the cows once stood for milking. This is known as a herringbone parlor, a common design used on dairy farms with smaller herds. This space offers creative opportunities for storage or potential for a studio or workshop. We can picture storing antique motorcycles in these 45-degree-angled bays, but let your imagination run wild!

At least three enslaved community dwellings were once on the property. One remains today as a guest cottage, approximately 600 feet from the house in a wooded area. 

Tradition holds that the one-story frame, side-gabled dwelling east of the Randle House was built for slaves. The original first section consisted of one large room with a fireplace and a shed or lean-to on the east elevation. Sometime after the Civil War, the shed was enlarged and enclosed, and a kitchen/dining room with a wraparound porch was appended to its south wall.  The original structure utilizes heavy timber framing and is clad with weatherboards. One of its more charming exterior features is the rebuilt slate chimney. The interior of the main block is clad with flush-board walls and ceiling, and offers painted random-width flooring. The small fireplace is faced with handmade bricks, and a simple shelf serves as a mantelpiece. The cottage offers 2-3 bedrooms and one bath.  While there is an above-ground oil tank near the deck, the cottage does not currently have working heat or air conditioning.

The ruins of the other two cottages, including stone chimneys, remain. These cottages may help to reflect the historical realities of enslaved peoples without romanticizing or minimizing the brutality of slavery. It may be interesting to explore the diverse nature of these dwellings, including the architectural styles and the extent to which they housed multiple families or individuals, to interpret these spaces to provide a complete and authentic understanding of the experiences of enslaved people. Existing slave quarters across the United States are becoming increasingly rare. These structures offer a tangible link to the history of slavery and the lives of enslaved people.

HISTORY

From its agricultural beginnings, the Randall Plantation evolved to a dairy operation in the late 19th century, and then a plant nursery by the mid-20th century. In 1925 through 1928, Carolina Power & Light owned the property, and Lake Tillery was created by the construction of the Tillery Dam on the Pee Dee River, which impounded the river to create a reservoir for hydroelectric power generation. Many local buildings of that era, including a mill (depicted in the dining room mural), were lost due to being submerged. A large nursery and greenhouse operation covered a substantial portion of the west side of the property in the early to mid-2000s. 

 

Of more than 850 acres known to have been acquired from 1778 to 1792 by the first John Randle (spelled "Randall" by the twentieth century), who lived here, approximately twenty-seven acres remain with the house. Approximately fourteen are included in the National Register of Historic Places nomination. Although no other outbuildings typical of plantation maintenance survive, the main house has been carefully restored.  The first available land entries for John Randle are dated 1778, totaling 500 acres, incorporating the Randall House property. In subsequent years, Randle added to his holdings.

The exact construction history of the Randall House is unclear. Tradition holds that "Dumb John" Randle (John Randle's uncle) built a four-room, center passage, primary structure here. Certain features, such as the brick box beneath the west first-floor hearth, support this tradition. Other elements, particularly the flat-panel wainscoting in the first-floor center passage and the enclosed staircase, are characteristic of late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century houses and suggest a building date during the 1820s. The presence of a Georgian lock in the east upper room of the main block also supports a construction date of late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, but could have been removed from an earlier structure. The proportions, windows, and overall exterior and interior finish, however, strongly indicate construction or a complete overbuilding in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, after John Randle died in 1824. 

John Randle's grave is on the property, marked with a marble headstone, a detailed epitaph, and a small footstone. 

In the panoramic mural in the dining room, where John Randle is depicted riding horseback, is the approximate location of the headstone.  

We find it interesting that the National Register states that the 'period of significance' for this house is 1835 - eleven years beyond its namesake's passing!

LIVING HISTORY

The Randall House is not just a home; it’s a living piece of history.  We have only scraped the surface of the depth of over 200 years of history here, and volumes of records are available for the new stewards of 16801 Randalls Ferry Road. Pride of ownership and early craftsmanship are evident in every detail of this exceptional property. This property and certain architectural elements are protected in perpetuity by Covenants & Restrictions through Preservation North Carolina. This will be an important consideration for the next steward of this slice of history, as the property can NOT be subdivided and certain changes are prohibited.  A real estate agent can access the Covenants & Restrictions listed with the deed and attached to the Multiple Service Listing, or contact Realtor® Greg Rapp: 704.213.6846 or GregRappRealtor@gmail.com. for a copy. 

TODAY

The home has a new roof, installed within the last year, and the exterior was freshly repainted at that time. New exterior shutters and hardware were installed as well as new rear porch pickets.  New gutters and leaf guards were also installed when the roof was replaced. The HVAC system is routinely serviced (as recently as July 2025 with a fan motor and fan blade replacement).  The home is heated with a propane furnace (the propane tank, located underground near the AC units, is owned), and a large tankless water heater adds to the modern conveniences.  The kitchen wood-burning fireplace is functioning; the remaining fireplaces have not seen much use since the 1970 rebuild. New owners should have all fireplaces and chimneys inspected before use. The roof on the cabin was replaced in 2020.

The Randall House, at 16801 Randalls Ferry Road in Norwood, North Carolina, is just 46 miles from the metro area of Charlotte and just under a 3-hour drive to Wilmington and North Carolina's ocean beaches. A 3-hour drive to the west brings you to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and the artsy town of Asheville. 

In 1900, an estimated  325 plantation homes were still in existence in North Carolina. Today, we estimate that there are but 200 left, fewer with existing enslaved people's dwellings . . . and this number is rapidly dwindling.  This demonstrates how important preservation of the Randall House and property really is.

With its mix of a rare early colonial home, an even rarer still-existing slave dwelling, functional outbuildings, open space, rolling fields, and mature trees, the Randall House offers an increasingly rare opportunity to steward a piece of central North Carolina’s history.  This homestead is perfect for those seeking privacy, serenity, and a place to create something truly special. This one-of-a-kind property gives you the flexibility to bring your own vision to life while curating a valuable historic story. Call Realtor Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 to come walk the property, breathe in the fresh Carolina air, and imagine the possibilities that await. Don’t miss this chance to make this landmark property your own.

The Randle House

16801 Randalls Ferry Road

Norwood, N.C. 28128

MLS#4285843

$1,035,000

Greg Rapp 
Salisbury Real Estate LLC 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
GregRappRealtor@gmail.com 
www.realestatesalisbury.net