William Deaver was born September 9, 1794.  As a teenager he was apprenticed to his
grandfather, Andrew Miller, after the death of his parents.  He also inherited property in Tennessee
from his father.  In 1830 he began
purchasing property in the Davidson River area, including three tracts from
Benjamin Allison.

He married Margaret Patton in 1833 and over the next 15 years the
Deavers had seven children.   As the Deaver family grew so did the family
home. 

Floor
plan of the main floor of the home during the Deaver era. 
Plan drawn by Angela Patane.

Following a fire in the 1830s Deaver undertook repairs and soon enlarged
the home to 2200 square feet, doubling its size.  A cellar was dug under the house, lowering
the grade on the west side, and a stone foundation was laid beneath the entire
house.

The original porch across the west side of
the house was extended and enclosed on each end, creating two additional rooms
with an open porch between them.  The
east side porch was extended across the house on five stone piers.

Floor plan of the second floor of the Deaver home.  

Plan drawn by Angela Patane.

The final major alteration was the addition of a two-story
porch on the east side.  When this porch
was added, the roof of the house was also raised and extended to cover the
porch.  A flight of external stairs joins
the upper and lower levels of the porch. 
The porch style and construction were influenced by South Carolina low
country architecture and plantation owners who were building summer homes in
this area.  The Boylston Turnpike had
been relocated and now ran on the east side of the home.   The
new, large double-porch now faced east and the nearby road.

Although exact dates of the additions and
renovation are not known they occurred prior to the Civil War.

Deaver was a leader in the local community and amassed a large
estate.  According to the 1860 U.S.
Census Deaver’s real estate was valued at $18,000 and his personal property at
$10,000.  Deaver also owner eight slaves,
including a male and female in their 40s and six children.

William Deaver’s son, James was a Captain in the
Confederate Army responsible for arresting
armed Confederate deserters and Union supporters who were hiding in the
mountains.
  On February 24, 1865
an outlaw band looking to kill Captain James Deaver came to the Deaver home.  James was not there but William was shot and
killed.

 

Deaver family at the “Old
Deaver House”.

By 1878, Deaver’s son William E. owned the house
and property.  His daughters, William and
Margaret’s granddaughters, lived in the house until 1938.  Three generations of the Deaver family called
the house home.  It was sold to Carl and
Mae Smith in 1952. 

Although electricity, heating and air conditioning
have been added, the house is basically preserved as it was in 1865.  The Transylvania County Historical Society restored
the home and maintains it as an example of mountain-crafted architecture and as
a gift to present and future generations.  The House is open on Saturdays (10-4) and Sundays (1-4) from May 16
through October, 2015.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular
library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see
additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions
contact Marcy at [email protected] or
828-884-3151 X242.

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(828) 884-3151

212 S Gaston St, Brevard, NC 28712