26. the Brady c. jefcoat Museum

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201 West High Street, Murfreesboro NC 27855

The circa 1922 Murfreesboro High School now houses the Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of Americana, an incredible collection of Americana representing 35 years of active collecting by Mr. Brady C. Jefcoat of Raleigh, NC.  There are thousands of items portraying the nation's industry and culture from 1850 - 1950. The diversity of the collection is overwhelming, ranging from an unbelievable amount of exquisite music boxes, laundering and cooking equipment, furnishings, Victrola and other early phonographs, and mounted animals and game birds. There are over 17,000 items in the collection. Brady Jefcoat was loyal to his collection. Many museums tried to  obtain parts of his collection. The North Carolina Museum of History wanted his collection very much, and Sotheby's Auction House sent appraisers to Raleigh to try and convince Brady to let them auction off part of his collection. He had two conditions to whomever would receive his collection. "The recipient must agree to never sell, trade or barter a single item in the collection, and also agree to display all of the collection.  When Jefcoat agreed to allow Murfreesboro to have the collection, The Murfreesboro Historical Association purchased the old school and renovated it to house the collection.

"Those who knew Jefcoat say he turned to collecting to help battle the grief that overcame him after losing (his wife) Lillian. His first find was a contraption he initially took to be an old sewing machine but later discovered was an Edison cylinder phonograph. He ended up fixing it, just as he did with so many of his purchases, and buying many more just like it from estate sales and flea markets, primarily the one at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Today, that phonograph is one of 264 working models on display in the museum.

"It made him a stronger man," said Colon Ballance, the museum’s current curator, in an article about Jefcoat that ran in the Raleigh News & Observer in 2009. "When he was given some of those first pieces to work on, it took his mind off grieving so much. It gave him a sense of direction."

Is the Jefcoat Museum haunted?  There are three theories about what could be haunting the museum, if it is haunted.

• Is Mr. Jefcoat still looking after his collection in death as he obsessed over it in life?
• Do any of the objects that he collected have any residual paranormal energy associated with them from their original owners?
• In the early 1960s, teacher Marjorie Riddick was known for telling stories that her family's plantation home north of town was haunted. Her 9th grade class experienced a strange event during class one day. Former Student, Donna Britt Compton said “… she (Mrs,. Riddick) thought they (ghosts) followed her to school! The door came open and she turned towards the door and said, ‘You just turn around and go back home. These students are in class now.' In a minute the door closed and she went right back to teaching without missing a beat!”

In 2022 The Ghost Guild of North Carolina did an investigation of the Jefcoat Museum.  Their findings were inconclusive. Also in 2022, a museum visitor took a photograph of a crystal ball that is on display.  There appears to be what looks like a face staring back in the crystal ball. Efforts to duplicate the photograph have not been successful.

In 2023 the Old Dominion Ghost Hunters from Virginia investigated the museum  During an Estes Session using a spirit box, one of the investigators heard the name Wheeler mentioned. He had no knowledge of Murfreesboro history and no information that this had been the name of a prominent family in town.  Another investigator felt like someone touched her hair during one portion of the investigation.

The museum is open for guided tours on Saturdays from  11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m and Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  General Admission is $8.00 .  All students K - college $6.00.  Preschool children are admitted for free.  

Next Tour Stop - Go north on Liberty Street and turn left onto West Main Street. Go to 311 West Main Street which will be on your left.

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311 West Main Street, Murfreesboro NC 27855

The latest building to be fully restored by the Murfreesboro Historical Association is the Dr. Walter Reed home - a mid-19th century house built by Will B. Wise.  It was twice occupied by Reverend Lemuel Reed and his family when it served as the Methodist parsonage.  Dr. Walter Reed was a small boy during the first occupancy, and a medical student during the second.  While visiting his parents, he met and married the girl across the street, Miss Emilie Lawrence.

Dr. Walter Reed researched yellow fever, once a terrible scourge with periodic epidemics in the United States. His painstaking investigation both in the US and Cuba (the part of the US), confirmed the cause of the disease. He was a pioneering biomedical researcher using strict scientific methods and studies to confirm his theories.  He received his medical degree at 17 from the University of Virginia, the youngest person ever to do so.  Dr. Reed's wife, Emilie Lawrence, was born in Murfreesboro, as was Dr. Reed's mother.

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,  formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medical center, located in the community of Bethesda, Maryland, near the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health. It is one of the most prominent U.S. military medical centers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the United States, having served numerous U.S. presidents since the 20th century.  

There is a 20th century annex on the back of the house that can be rented  as a meeting place for private events or by civic organizations.  The property is owned by the Murfreesboro Historical Association and is open for tours during some of our regular events.  Private groups may also arrange tours of our properties.

Next Tour Stop - Cross Main Street to 308 West Main Street

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308 West Main Street, Murfreesboro NC 27855

This beautiful home was built in 1818 by Joseph G. Rea.   Dr. Thomas Parramore of Meredith College and  author of many historical books about Murfreesboro, quotes an admirer saying that Rea was “a model businessman, exact, prompt, and punctual to a notch…. He was kind and benevolent.” 

He was a merchant, but his store lost more than he put into it.  In 1832 he turned to commercial fishing.  By the late 1840s, he had lost his store, his wharf, and his warehouse at the river.  He was wiped out, and turned to the bottle for comfort. His “mind became affected”, and he was sometimes described as “occasionally deranged”. On Sunday, March 3, 1851, he hanged himself in the backyard.  “Much regret is felt… that so good a man should put an end to his worldly existence”, or did he?  Hopefully Joseph Rea is resting in peace.

In the period around and after the Civil War it was owned by the James N. Lawrence Family. Their daughter, Emily, married Dr. Walter Reed who spent many of his formative years in the home across the street.  

In the early 20th century it was the home of lawyer David Collin Barnes who served in the North Carolina Legislature and Senate.  You have already visited his law office, and in the tour you will see his childhood home and the home of his parents - the David Alexander Barnes home.

 Next Tour Stop - Go next door to 314 West Main Street. 

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314 West Main Street, Murfreesboro NC 27855

This majestic Greek Revival house dates back to 1808 and was built by James Rea and his wife Mourning Norfleet Rea.  James worked on the docks at the port in nearby Winton on the Chowan River.  He may have died by drowning in 1826.

Dr. R.L. Cowper owned this home and lived there for many years until it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Vaughan.  Mrs. Vaughan taught ceramics and China painting at Chowan Baptist Female Institute sometime before 1920.

There is a legend that Union sympathizers were sheltered in the basement.  

Joel C. Holland operated the Holland Funeral Home as well as the Holland Art Studio from this property in the mid 20th century starting in the 1930s.  Holland came three generations of funeral directors from Franklin, VA.  Holland was the choir director at Murfreesboro Baptist Church where his wife, Violet Spence Holland, was the church organist.  He was well-known for his beautiful tenor singing voice.  Holland sold the business to Garrett Funeral Home in Ahoskie.  

Jennifer Whittington bought the property and ran The Commons Bed & Breakfast and Wine Store from 2006 - 2014.  Garrett-Sykes of Ahoskie acquired the property again and reopened the Murfreesboro branch of their funeral service.

Next Tour Stop - Continue west on Main Street to the David A. Barnes House at 625 West Main Street. 

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625 West Main Street, Murfreesboro NC 27855

Per “Documenting the American South” and the UNC Libraries, “Born in Northhampton County, David Alexander Barnes (1819-1892) was the son of planter Collin W. Barnes and his second wife Louisa Barnes. David entered the University (of North Carolina)  in 1837, became a member of the Philanthropic Society, and graduated in 1840. He was practicing law by 1842. In 1844, 1846, and 1850 he served in the NC House of Commons, and in 1861 he was a delegate to the Secession Convention. During the Civil War Barnes served as a member of Govenor Zebulon Vance's military council. Govenor William W. Holden appointed Barnes a judge of the superior court in 1866 and a University trustee in 1868. In 1872 Barnes married Bettie Vaughan; they were the parents of three daughters and one son (Dictionary of North Carolina Biography 1:98).“

According to Preservation North Carolina - 

Listed on the National Register Historic Places, the David A. Barnes House of Murfreesboro is one of the most prestigious homes in northeastern North Carolina. Built in 1875, it is one of the last and most elaborate to be designed and built by Jacob W. Holt. The property consists of over 8 acres, mostly fenced, with several contributing outbuildings.

The main house is an Italianate two-story, three-bay wide, whipped roof, wood frame home. The home has 12-foot ceilings, refinished heart pine floors, original doors, windows, baseboards, and 8 fireplaces. A wide front porch leads to a breathtaking front entry foyer. The center hallway divides the two front rooms and the two rear rooms on each floor with a formal staircase in the front foyer and a more simple staircase at the rear. The downstairs rooms are more elaborate, with the center hallway and three of the rooms offering decorative plaster crown moldings. The two front rooms have original sliding pocket doors that lead out onto side porches. There is also a den or library, which could be used as a main level bedroom with a full den suite.

The main floor has a full bath with antique fixtures and a half bath, laundry room, dining room, breakfast room, and modern kitchen with high-end appliances. The downstairs back hallway leads onto a covered porch and deck, perfect for enjoying the private back yard. The upstairs has four rooms and a full bath. The home is heated with a gas pack and heat pump and has central a/c as well. Hot water is provided with a propane on-demand water heater. Top-of-the-line Velvalume storm windows protect the windows and help insulate the home.

There is a hay barn, stable, four-seater privy, chicken shed, garden shed, cook’s house, and cabin. The cook’s house has been restored, has a mini split for heat and a/c, and is a perfect spot for a home office or studio. The cabin would be a great or home office with renovations. This treasure is protected by historic covenants and is eligible for tax discount.”

The National Register of Historic Places has a lot of information about David Alexander Barnes and his family.

The David A. Barnes House was constructed in 1874 and 1875 to house Barnes’ growing family.  Though D.A. Barnes had lived most of his productive adult life in Jackson, North Carolina, in1872, he married Bettie Vaughan, the daughter of Colonel Uriah Vaughan, and settled with his bride in Murfreesboro. Barnes contracted master builder Jacob W. Holt of Chase City, Virginia, to construct a dwelling for his wife and young children. The Barnes House remained in the family until the turn of the twenty-first century.

Judge David Alexander Barnes was born in Northampton County, North Carolina, on September 16, 1819, the oldest son of Captain Collin W. Barnes and the captain’s second wife and cousin, Louisa Barnes. Collin Barnes was a native of Nansemond County, Virginia, who settled in Northampton County prior to 1810 and became a successful planter. Collin Barnes represented Northampton County in the State Senate in 1829 and 1830. D.A. Barnes studied law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1840. He began to practice law by 1842 and in 1844, 1846, and 1850, represented Northampton County in the House of Commons.

In 1851, Barnes was one of thirteen people who organized the Church of the Savior, an Episcopal church in the county seat of Jackson. During the Civil War, Barnes was a member of the Secession Convention of 1861 and of the military council advising Governor Zebulon Vance.

Between 1866 and 1868, D.A. Barnes served as a provisional judge of the superior court of the First Judicial District following his appointment by Governor W.W. Holden. Governor Holden also appointed Barnes a trustee of the University of North Carolina in 1868, and in 1873, Barnes served as a vice-president of a state educational convention that met to discuss reopening the university following the war. In 1873, Barnes was a Conservative candidate for U.S. Congress but was defeated by C. L. Cobb by a large majority. Barnes’ defeat largely marked the conclusion of his political career, though he continued to practice law to a limited degree for several more years (Smith 1979: 98; Footprints 1976: 48). Barnes family tradition states that D. A. Barnes resumed his law practice late in life in order to meet the expense of his new home. 

In 1872, D. A. Barnes married Bettie Vaughan of Murfreesboro. In The Colonial and State

Political History of Hertford County, author Benjamin B. Winborne (Mrs. Barnes’ brother-in-law) described the couple as “the silver-haired bachelor lawyer of Northampton” and “the young, fascinating, and much-admired Bettie Vaughan” (Winborne 1906: 238). At age fifty-three, Barnes was more than twice the age of his twenty-four-year-old bride. Bettie Vaughan was the third daughter of Colonel Uriah Vaughan, whom Winborne designated “one of Hertford’s most remarkable men.” Prior to the Civil War, Colonel Vaughan had accumulated a large estate through mercantile operations in Murfreesboro. He lost most of his fortune during the war, but by his death in 1900, he had recovered his losses to become the wealthiest man in Hertford County (Winborne 1906: 287-288). In March of 1874, D. A. Barnes purchased two town lots comprising 13 and three-quarter acres on the west side of Murfreesboro from John and C.A.Williams (Hertford County Deed Book C: 129-130). Jacob Holt began constructing the Barnes House later that year. Barnes died in 1892. Bettie survived her husband until 1918.

Judge and Mrs. Barnes had four children: Bettie Vaughan (1874-1935), David Collin (1875-1959), Sarah Louisa (1878-1956), and Annie Rosa Caroline (1880-1959). David Collin Barnes became a lawyer and was the president of a bank in Murfreesboro. Like his father, D.C. Barnes was involved in politics, serving a term in the North Carolina House of Representatives and three terms in the North Carolina State Senate. Locally, he acted as mayor of Murfreesboro, the chairman of the school board, and the county chairman of the Democratic Party.

The Barnes sisters never married and continued to live in the David A. Barnes House until their deaths. After Annie, the youngest sister, died in 1959, the Barnes House stood vacant for many years. The house had become derelict and overgrown when the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina, Inc. (Preservation North Carolina) received a deed of gift for the house and property from Annie Barnes’ heirs, Alexander H. Barnes, Sharon L. Barnes and Helen Barnes Chambliss, in 1999. In 2000, Erica M. K. Robb of Virginia Beach, Virginia, purchased the house from the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina, Inc. Ms. Robb began a sensitive restoration of the house that has been continued by the current owner, Murfreesboro resident Kenneth Long Thomas, with assistance from Leeta Harding, his wife.

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