House in the Horseshoe, Colonial plantation house in Sanford, North Carolina.
House in the Horseshoe is an 18th-century wooden residence in North Carolina, set on a bend of the Deep River near Sanford. The two-story building has double exterior walls, which give it a noticeably thick and solid look compared to other houses of that era.
The house was built in the 1770s and in 1781 became the site of a loyalist raid led by David Fanning against supporters of American independence gathered there. After the war, Benjamin Williams acquired the property and made major changes to it before later serving as governor of North Carolina.
The name of the house comes from a horseshoe-shaped bend of the Deep River that wraps around the property on three sides. Walking the grounds, you immediately notice how the river defines the shape and feel of the land around the building.
The property is on a rural road and is best explored on foot, with level paths around the building that make walking easy. Since most of the visit takes place outdoors, it is worth bringing weather-appropriate clothing.
The exterior walls of the house still carry visible bullet holes from the 1781 attack, which visitors can see directly in the original wood. These marks have never been filled or restored, so the material itself has remained unchanged since that day.
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