Attraction
Blandwood Mansion
Blandwood is the oldest standing example of Italianate architecture in the United States. Originally constructed in 1795, Blandwood later served as NC Governor John Motley Morehead’s home and was subsequently expanded according to plans drawn by nationally renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis of New York.
All tours are guided by trained docents, who will take you through the restored main building including the 1795 farmhouse section, the 1822 addition, and the A.J. Davis addition. Tours also include the two reconstructed dependencies: NC Gov. John Morehead's law office and the kitchen. Both buildings were recreated using the original plans and evidence of foundations discovered during an archaeological dig in 1984. The house provides visitors with a remarkably thorough ensemble of 19th-century art, architecture, furnishings, and landscape.