NC Architects and Builders is a growing system. We will post this entry as soon as it is ready.
| Birthplace: | Orange County, North Carolina, USA |
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| Title: | Berry Brick House, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC (HABS NC,68-HILBO,7-1) |
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"Berry Brick House, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC (HABS NC,68-HILBO,7-1)," Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress), Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C.
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Samuel Hancock (1784-April 11, 1848), a brickmason and brickmaker in Hillsborough during the early 19th century, served as mentor to Hillsborough's distinguished brick builder John Berry and worked with Berry for several years.
The Hancock name first appears in Orange County records in the 1780s. Samuel Hancock, whose father may have been Henry Hancock, could neither read nor write. His wife, Susan or Susannah Richards Hancock (1781-October 6, 1864), appears to have been distantly related to Rhody Berry and her son John. In 1811 the Hancocks were living on Lot 72 in Hillsborough, diagonally across West Queen Street from Mrs. Berry's Lot 54, and strong local tradition has it that in about 1814 the kindly Samuel Hancock assisted young John Berry in the construction of the Berry family's brick house (Berry House) at 208 West Queen Street. In 1815 Hancock also gave the 17-year-old Berry his first chance at a paying job as a bricklayer, constructing the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church on the old town cemetery lot, Lot 98. These projects began an association with the Berrys that ended only with Susan R. Hancock's death in 1864.
Hancock, like Berry, became involved in the affairs of the new church. Susan Hancock joined the church on October 27, 1816, and Samuel Hancock on November 17, 1821. Samuel also rented a pew in the church and contributed toward the pastor's salary and a bell for the church.
In 1819 Hancock, assisted by a $50 loan from Dr. James Webb, bought lots near the Eno River to establish a brickyard, which became known as the Webb-Hancock brickyard. Although Hancock worked regularly at his trade, he frequently found himself in financial difficulties. Dr. Webb's papers include many notations indicating Hancock's financial dealings as well as many of his small masonry jobs in Hillsborough, which included building brick chimneys, steps, and underpinnings. In 1834, during a period of economic troubles for many North Carolinians, Hancock went bankrupt, after which he struggled for the rest of his life to repay Dr. Webb, who bought the Hancocks' house and lot, their furniture, and their slave Abram, and rented them all back to Hancock for $1.00 per year. Webb also paid the tuition fees for the Hancock children (Susan and John) and in effect supported the family.
In contrast to his handling of financial matters, Hancock's competence at his trade was never questioned. The rising John Berry employed him regularly as his masonry associate and overseer for projects.
In 1824 the Person County commissioners employed Hancock as one of a trio--Hancock, Berry, and carpenter John A. Faucett--to build a new Person County Courthouse. This was a handsome brick edifice with classical detailing, for which detailed specifications still survive. Later on, such large contracts typically went directly to Berry. With Berry, Hancock accomplished the fine brickwork at numerous houses in Hillsborough as well as notable brick public buildings and churches in Hillsborough, Yanceyville, Salisbury, and Wake Forest.
In 1835 and 1836, two Raleigh contracts came to Hancock on his own, who was then working with John Berry on buildings at Wake Forest College in Wake Forest.
Both of Hancock's Raleigh projects were connected with banker and planter Duncan Cameron. Hancock agreed to furnish brick and perhaps to supervising laying some of it for the new 4-story Main Building (later Smedes Hall) at the Episcopal School of North Carolina (now St. Mary's School) in Raleigh. Records of the school building committee noted on July 1, 1835, "one hundred dollars advanced to Samuel Handcock [sic] on his contract for furnishing brick," and documents in the William Laurence Saunders Papers include payments to Hancock for various workmen on the job. Duncan Cameron, chief sponsor of the school, was also building a house for himself (Duncan Cameron House) across Hillsborough Street from the school. Cameron Family Papers include a bill in 1836 for Hancock's work totaling $240.50: chimneys, pillars, brick foundations, rock walls, kitchen floor paving, etc.
In 1842 Hancock's friend and associate Dr. Webb himself went bankrupt, and the bankruptcy papers noted that the Webb-Hancock brickyard had been operated by the two men "as partners." The facility continued to produce brick at intervals, but Hancock's involvement in the operation tapered off after that time. After a few years of deteriorating health, he died at age 64 in 1848. His friend Webb died in 1855. John Berry had previously purchased the Hancock home, and his will written in 1859 enabled Susan Hancock to continue living there until her death in 1864.
Author: Mary Claire Engstrom. Update: Catherine W. Bishir.
Published 2010
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| Dates: | 1834-1835 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | Opposite east end of Margaret Ln., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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For Paul Cameron of Burnside, Berry evidently built the brick chimneys, a brick kitchen, and a large brick ice pit, which still survives. Jack Dewey of New Bern accomplished much of the carpentry. |
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| Dates: | 1835 |
| Location: | Raleigh, Wake County |
| Street Address: | Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC |
| Status: | No longer standing |
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The house built in 1835 for Duncan Cameron was remodeled in 1901 for his grandson Bennehan Cameron, who added a large portico and additional rooms. It stood on the south side of Hillsborough Street opposite St. Mary's School. Portions of its interior woodwork are said to have been reused in a house in Raleigh's Hayes Barton neighborhood. |
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| Dates: | 1835-1837; 1909 [addition] |
| Location: | Raleigh, Wake County |
| Street Address: | Hillsborough St. at St. Mary's St., St. Mary's School, Raleigh, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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The illustration shows Smedes Hall as remodeled by Charles E. Hartge. |
| Title: | Main Entrance, Smedes Hall, Saint Mary's School, Raleigh, N. C. |
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"Main Entrance, Smedes Hall, Saint Mary's School, Raleigh, N. C.," North Carolina Postcards, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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| Dates: | 1823 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | 142 W. King St., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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| Title: | Eagle Lodge |
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Tim Buchman, "Eagle Lodge," Tim Buchman Photographs, 1988-1998 (Buchman), Built Heritage of North Carolina: Historic Architecture in the Old North State, North Carolina State University, Libraries, Special Collections Research Center
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| Dates: | 1825-1826 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | St. Mary's Rd., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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Local tradition credited the design of St. Matthew's to cleric Francis Lister Hawks; there is evidence, however, that William Nichols took a role in the design of the modest Gothic Revival brick church. |
| Title: | St. Matthew's Episcopal Church |
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Tim Buchman, "St. Matthew's Episcopal Church," Tim Buchman Photographs, 1988-1998 (Buchman), Built Heritage of North Carolina: Historic Architecture in the Old North State, North Carolina State University, Libraries, Special Collections Research Center
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| Dates: | Ca. 1814 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | 208 W. Queen St., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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The 1 1/2-story dwelling, one of the earliest brick buildings surviving in Hillsborough, shows less skilled brickwork than buildings done during Berry's adulthood. Tradition says that Berry helped Hancock construct the house for Berry and his mother. |
| Title: | Berry Brick House, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC (HABS NC,68-HILBO,7-1) |
| Citation: |
"Berry Brick House, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC (HABS NC,68-HILBO,7-1)," Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress), Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C.
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| Dates: | 1815-1816 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | 102 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Altered |
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John Berry and Samuel Hancock were pew holders at Hillsborough Presbyterian Church. A memorial plaque to Berry was placed in the church by his grandchildren in 1948. |
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| Dates: | 1810s [renovation] |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | 168 W. King St., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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| Dates: | 1819 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | Standing |
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| Dates: | Ca. 1822 |
| Location: | Hillsborough, Orange County |
| Street Address: | NW corner of N. Wake St. and W. Orange St., Hillsborough, NC |
| Status: | No longer standing |
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| Dates: | 1825-1826 |
| Location: | Roxboro, Person County |
| Street Address: | Roxboro, NC |
| Status: | No longer standing |
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Person County records (North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh) contain detailed specifications for the Person County Courthouse, defining what was expected in a well-built but not extravagant brick building, from the thickness of the brick walls (3 bricks thick at the bottom, tapering up to 2 bricks) to the paint colors (white trim, mahogany colored shutters and doors, slate colored roof, and "sky blue" ceilings). Other notable features included a hip roof, steps and sills of hewed stone, and "gambon" arches over the doors and windows. (The meaning of gambon is unclear.) |
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| Dates: | 1828 |
| Location: | Salisbury, Rowan County |
| Street Address: | N. Main St., Salisbury, NC |
| Status: | Altered |
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Local tradition credited the design of St. Luke's to Episcopal cleric Francis Lister Hawks, as was also the case with St. Matthew's in Hillsborough. |
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