Tenant House On The Move

The Alexander Farm Tenant House is once again on wheels and ready to move to Blackberry Ridge in Huntersville, NC.

Thursday, August 13, 2026 - Cornelius, NC

Preparing To Move Again

Almost exactly four years ago on August 18, 2022 the Alexander Farms Tenant House was moved to its current location at the corner of Westmoreland and Catawba. It originally sat about 520 ft away at the northwestern corner of the property. Preservation efforts had been required by the state, and through a tumultuous 4 year process this building endured weather and political pressure. Many in the community wanted to see it saved, and yet still others would have liked to have seen it fall over and be hauled off.

The history of this building is profound. It is one of the last, if not the last, standing tenant house in Mecklenburg County. Tenant farming and sharecropping were historically significant social contracts that arose following emancipation which employed farmers on private farms in exchange for housing, materials, equipment for farming, and sometimes a portion of the crops. It was a staple in North Carolina and a prominent part of the economy here. This tenant house represents history of a bygone era, and its preservation ensures that future generations will have an artifact of that time period to learn from.

Now, after four years, the tenant house will be moved once more to its permanent location at Blackberry Ridge Farm in Huntersville where it will be restored and preserved. Moving a property of this age once is impressive, but finding the willpower and financing to do it a second time is truly a feat in perseverance on behalf of the preservationists looking to save the tenant house. The funding for the move comes entirely from private equity, and not public money.

After the move, the tenant house will undergo a restoration process to restore it to what it would have looked like over 100 years ago. Then it will preserved on an easement and see a new future where it will educate the public about tenant farming in Mecklenburg County.

The Alexander Farms Tenant House Moves

The historic tenant house prepares to be moved as an NCDOT easement and a mixed used development begin to encroach on it. A small parcel had been dedicated to the tenant house, which will now sit vacant as the house is moved to Blackberry Ridge in Huntersville.

Restoration and Preservation of the tenant house

The Alexander farms tenant house will be restored and preserved in Huntersville, NC include rebuilding the brick chimney which was removed during it’s initial preparation for moving four years ago in 2022.

Tenant House Preservation

The Alexander farms tenant house will be restored and preserved in Huntersville, NC include rebuilding the brick chimney which was removed during it’s initial preparation for moving four years ago in 2022.

On Wheels Again

The Alexander Farms Tenant House is once again on wheels as it prepares to move to it’s second new location in Huntersville, NC.

Making A Big Move

This historic tenant house, one of the last of its kind in Mecklenburg County, is prepared for a move. This will be the second time this house was moved from it’s original location where it sat for over 100 years.

A Delicate Procedure

The Alexander Farms Tenant House was carefully firmed up for its upcoming move. The house will traverse uneven terrain and move under low hanging power lines. In order to prepare it for this move, workers firmed and secured the historic structure.

Last of its kind

What was once a view of a farm through a grove of trees now overlooks a new mixed use development project in Cornelius, NC.