Fox Haven Plantation, Historic plantation house in Rutherfordton, North Carolina

Fox Haven Plantation is a two-story brick house of five bays by three, built in 1823 with Federal-style entrance details and lunettes. It rests on a low brick foundation, with two interior chimneys on the rear facade and one on the front. Of the original three entrances, one was later remade as a window, and the attic is unfinished.

John Morris patented 185 acres here in 1769 and expanded the holding to 635 acres by 1774; his home place was called Fox Haven after an Indian named Fox warned of a planned raid and took refuge on the plantation. James Morris built the present brick house in 1823 and ran it as a horse farm. His 1855 will left the 636-acre plantation and 28 slaves to his son James B. Morris; the property stayed in the family until 1941.

The Federal style architecture shows how well-to-do families built their homes in early 19th-century North Carolina. The layout and craftsmanship reflect how people of that era lived and valued their spaces.

The house is located in a rural area and is easily accessible by car. The setting is quiet and provides a good sense of historical life in North Carolina's Piedmont region.

The name Fox Haven predates the 1823 brick house: it comes from an Indian called "Fox" who warned John Morris of a planned raid and then took refuge on Morris's plantation. Morris had patented 185 acres here in 1769 and expanded the holding to 635 acres by 1774.