If you have picture that can be scanned and included or have additional information call 704-455-2754 or email ted@tedmccachren.com.
Updated , corrected , or reviewed 04/07/2011 Thur ** 500 pixel wide pictures.
The McCachren house at 7251 Robinson Church Road was built around 1915 by Roland McCachren. Six months after moving in, Roland got a job as a trolley car operator in Charlotte and had to move to Charlotte. Roland's brother Dixon Blair (Dick) McCachren and wife, Celeste Clanton McCachren, had been renting a Harrisburg Improvement house directly across Robinson Church Road from where Stallings Road ends at Robinson Church Road. After Roland moved to Charlotte, Dick bought the house. Eight children were born into Dick's family. John Grier, Yates Miller (Ted), Dixon Blair, Mary Florence, Parks Clanton and Ida Walker grew up in this house. Willian Mitchell (b24May 1909, d15Oct1918) died in the 1918 flu epidemic and Helen DeEtte (b17Apr1918 d26May1921). Ida Walker still lives in a brick house behind the McCachren house. Around 1915, the house was enlarged from 4 to 8 rooms and was a gathering place for most of the Harrisburg young men. Dick died in 1946 but his wife lived there until her death in 1966. D. B. McCachren pledged $100.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. We have the paper work on the correspondence with the signatures about the electricity thanks to Rick Higgins. This house was moved 40 feet south towards Stallings Road to allow the building of the Teeter Cotton Gin in the South East corner of the Southern Railroad and Robinson Church Road. When the house was moved it stayed at the same elevation which ment at the new location the house was much higher off the ground. Mrs McCachren never did like the higher position. The house is presently owned by Dick's grandson, Jim Houston and his wife Jean. Jim still has the deeds to the original 4 part parcel that went from Robinson Church Road to the present day Hickory Ridge Road. Summer Picture taken of West side of house 04/07/2011. Winter picture taken of South side of house March '09. Click on above left picture for interior photos.
Zeb Mack Stafford built this house in 1910 as a wedding gift for his new bride Lula Barbee. Zeb was one of the last horse and buggy mail carriers in Harrisburg. Zeb and Lula raised 6 children, Joe, Caldwell, Mildred, Robert, Elizabeth, and Evelyn. Mildred married her back door neighbor Yates (Ted) McCachren. When it got dark, the Stafford family boys were responsible for starting the Delco electrical system generator located across Stallings Road in the Southwest corner of the intersection. The generator provided electricity for all the houses from the old Tom Carriker house, down Stallings to Robinson Church and up the hill on Robinson Church to the McCachren and Sloop house. The generator would provide power for the house lights and charge the Delco batteries un till the gas ran out. When the generator quit and the lights dimmed, everyone was required to turn off all the lights and only turn one back on if nature called during the night, using the power stored in the battery. This house had the only tennis court in town for over 40 years. When electricity was brought to Harrisburg from Jackson Training School area in 1929, the generator house was torn down. The roof was bought by J. C. Higgins and covered a wood shed behind his house until Hurricane Hugo blew a tree on it. The search is on for some of the remaining roof wood. We have the list of doners and the amount they pledged to raise the $3500.00 required for Southern Public Utilities Co in Salisbury N. C. to bring electricity to Harrisburg. Zeb Stafford pledged $100.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Summer Picture taken 7-7-2009. Winter picture taken March '09. Both pictures show the East side of the house. The house is not in the Stafford family now.
The Mills / McCachren house on Hickory Ridge Road was built around 1920. Yates M. (Ted) McCachren bought the house around 1940. Ted later bought the V. V. Howell grocery and gas station in 1957, put his kids through college, then sold the property in 1968 to the bank on the Southeast corner of Robinson Church Road and NC 49 which is presently the location of the Fifth Third Bank. This store had been 1 of 3 grocery/gas stations in Harrisburg at that time. Another store , Queens grocery operated by Marshal Queen, , was in the Northwest corner of the same intersection. Robinson Church Road stopped at NC 49 at this time. The new Blume's store, operated by David and Kate Blume, (the present-day Harrisburg Hardware) is the only one still standing and is still owned by their descendents. It is located on NC 49 across from Lowe's Foods, adjoining and just East of Harrisburg's original fire department. Summer Picture taken April 2011. Winter picture taken March '09. Both pictures show the East side of the house.
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2483 01-10-2011 Mon, Lloyd Quay house. Shows South side. The oldest name for Hickory Ridge Road is King Street, It was later changed to Quay's Diary Road which referred to this farm. Click on the picture above for some interior pictures. 2480 01-10-2011 Mon, Lloyd Quay house. Shows East side of house. I lived 1/2 mile from this house and as a teenager in the summer time I knew to come out of the woods and go home to eat when I heard there dinner bell.. Click on above picture for the history of this fine house.
 
The Ira and Macie Taylor house built in 1913 was the home of 4 sons, Ira Lee (mail carrier), Earl Cochran, Roy Mitchell, and James Walter (Burr). This and the Carriker house next door had one of the first 2 sidewalks, in Harrisburg, in front of them. The other sidewalk was in front of Dr Lubchenko's house. Both of these sidewalks still exist. The old Jimmy Taylor ( one of the last horse and buggy mail carrier) house which stood to the East burned in 1945 during WWII. The smoke was seen from Harrisburg High School and the principal loaded all the high school boys on the activity bus and drove them down to help. They were able to get the 1200 lb. safe out through a side window. The boys also got a large grand piano out and a china cabinet- only breaking one plate. The safe was moved to and stayed in the above house till 1999 when the safe was relocated across the road. J. W. and Ira Taylor pledged $200.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the North side of the house.
The new Taylor house was built in 1949 by Ira Lee and wife Essie Taylor. Ira Lee was "THE" mail carrier to all of Harrisburg residents from 1948 to 1980. Ira Lee has donated to the restored Morrison/Sim's Post Office and Store located at 6960 Robinson Church Road all of his time and mileage sheets from his mail routes and some leather accessories. He stated that when the mail carriers were switched from horses to automobiles that the carriers went from around 20 to only 1. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the South side of the house.
This is one of the 3 known locations for the telephone switchboards that were located in Harrisburg. It is the only one still standing. It is in the Southeast corner of Stallings and Hickory Ridge Road just to the West of David Blume's house. Hickory Ridge Road was previously Quay's Dairy Road referring to the Lloyd Quay dairy farm and previous to that it was named King Street. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the North side of the house.
The Ben and Estelle Teeter house on Stallings Road is shown above. Ben operated a horse stall on Robinson Church Road just North of the old location of the restored store and post office. Locals remember Ben driving horses up Robinson Church Road to put in his stall to sell. At this time Robinson Church Road was the only road from Charlotte to Concord and all the business except the Morrison/Sims store and the Sloop Store were located on what now is Rail Road Ave. Ben later had a chicken building and lot behind his house which was probably Harrisburg's first poultry processing plant. He would deliver live or processed chickens throughout Harrisburg. Just to the north of the horse stall on Robinson Church Road was a building owned by The Woodmen of The World. The WOW at one time met in the Morrison House at the top of the hill but the time frame is not known at this time. Ben Teeter pledged $50.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show South the side of the house.
Above is the house of David and Kate Blume. They owned and operated a wooden store known as the Blume/Cope store. It was located in the Southwest corner of Morris Drive and NC 49. In the early 50's, David built and operated a new store. The building is still standing. It is the only remaining building of the 3 Harrisburg stores of this period. This store building is currently being used as the Harrisburg Hardware building across from Lowe's Foods on NC 49. David was a founding member of the Harrisburg Fire Department and since the Fire Department building was built next door to the store, he answered the fire phone and was the first to arrive at the station, open the doors, and man the truck. There was a barber shop later added to the East side of the building run by David's son Johnny. The building is still owned by the Blume descendents including son Freddy. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the North side of the house.
This is the Harris House built by Ed Harris. Ed was a large share holder and later owned the Harrisburg Improvement Co. The HIC operated the small manufacturing area behind the old restored store and post office. There was a cotton gin, carpenter shop, spoke (ball bat) factory, and a brick plant which was probably located South across the rail tracks. I have been told there are still some bricks still there and that I could get them for the store but have not followed up on this yet. Ed pledged $100.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Harrisburg Improvement Co also pledged what looks like $400 for the electricity. Summer Picture taken 7-7-2009. Winter picture taken March '09. Pictures show the East and North side of the house.
This was the home of Will Sloop. Will owned the store and pharmacy in the Southwest corner of Southern Railway and Robinson Church Road directly across the tracks from the original location of the restored Morrison/Sims store and post office. The Sloop's store was the Harrisburg Post Office when the Democrats were in office. The restored store and post office contained the Harrisburg Post Office when the Republicans were in office. Some of the children of Will each morning drove several cows down Robinson Church Road, left on Stallings Road and continued to their farm 1/2 mile down Stallings Road. They drove the cows back each evening. In talking to the children this was a very unpleasant task as every day when passing in front of a certain house on their journey the cows relieved themselves to the dismay of the residents of this particular house. This story was told to me by Dot Sloop Harris. Will pledged $100.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Summer Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the North East side of the house.
The front part of this house located in the South West corner of the Southern Railroad tracks and Robinson Church Road is the only remaining part of Harrisburg's first pharmacy. The pharmacy was located South of and next to the Sloop Store pictured in the restored store and post office. The main part of the pharmacy was relocated to make the front part of this house. This story was told to me by O. C. Towell. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the East side of the house.
This is the house of Joe and Margaret Sims.They donated the land for the Harrisburg library and sold the store and post office that has been restored to the Town of Harrisburg at a very good price. Joe was a farmer but also owned and sometimes ran the restored store and post office. He hired many of the local boys to haul hay for his cows. He was a charter member of the Harrisburg Fire Department. Joe's daddy, Chalmers, built the large house on the hill visible as you go South across the railroad tracks on Robinson Church Road. Joe and his wife lived there for a while but Joe told me Margaret did not like the isolation at the top of the hill so he built the above house. Chalmers Sims, Joe's daddy pledged $100.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the West side of the house.
This was the house of Dr. Lubchenko located on Robinson Church Road. He served the Harrisburg community from 1943 till 1960. He was infamous for his high speed responses to medical emergency's in his 1955 Chevrolets of which he wrecked several. His medical records are stored at the restored store. The first fire department organizational meeting was held in this house with Joe Sims, Bill Carriker, Boyce Jenkins, Henry Williams, and the good doctor as the organizers. Dr Lubchenko donated the land for and was a large contributor and supporter of the Harrisburg Volunteer Fire Department. When the Long Island Hotel burned in the late '50's the towns people had to wait for the Newell Vol Fire department to arrive and fight the fire. They arrived too late and the building was lost but this loss was the spark that initiate the forming of the Harrisburg Vol Fire Department. In the above pictures the first or second sidewalk in Harrisburg is visible. The other sidewalk is in front of the old Taylor house on the South side of Stallings Road. Dr Lubchenko pledged $200.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. O. C. Towell's step grandfather Steve Joiner cut and hauled the timber for this house. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Pictures show the East side and South East corner of the house.
This is the house of Wirt Oglesby. He owned the restored store and post office for about 1 year in the early 20',s. Upon selling the store around 1923 he kept the safe and moved it into this house. In 1957 Wirt's son William became concerned about not being able to open the safe so he gave it to his brother-in-law Caldwell Stafford. During the move the safe was dropped and the door miss aligned. The safe has a very sensitive dial making it hard to open. In 2006 Caldwell and family gave the safe back to the store. It was moved to the basement of Ted McCachren and after having it reworked by a locksmith it was returned to the store as an operational safe. The town employees moved the safe to the store and the volunteers moved it thru the store to its present location. The only picture of the restored store and post office that shows a name on the store front is " W. W. (Wirt) Oglesby and Son. " Wirt's son William lived in the house and now Wirt's grand daughter Patti Oglesby Johnstone lives there. William was the major TV repairman in Harrisburg. W. H. ( Wirt ) Oglesby pledged $25.00 to bring electricity to Harrisburg in 1929. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the West side of the house.
The Harrisburg Presbyterian Church mance " The Wilson House " (not pictured) was located just South of the Harrisburg Presbyterian Church and was the first brick house in Harrisburg. The above building was the second mance and was located further behind and farther off the road behind the Harrisburg Presbyterian Church on Robinson Church Road. It was sold and relocated to to its present location in the South East corner of Hickory Ridge and School circle about 2000. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Both pictures show the North side of the house.
This is a surviving example of road corner markers placed by Piedmont Area Development Association during the early '60's. The marker is located at Grove Street and Robinson Church Road. Local leaders took turns being president of the PADA. In addition to the road marker there were matching mail boxes. Communities competed state wide for honors in "most improved". There are pictures in the old post office of the awards ceremony showing local people receiving some awards. These pictures will be added later. Picture taken 7-7-2009. There are several markers still standing and I will try to locate and picture more of them.
The Walt Arrington, house sitting in the North East corner of Hickory Ridge Road and the Southern Railway tracks was one of two Southern Railroad houses that sat just across the tracks from its present position. Picture taken 7-7-2009. They were in the South East corner of Southern Railroad and Hickory Ridge Road. Walt bought and lived in this house after moving it across the tracks to its present location. Both pictures show the West side of the house. In the mid 1950's Robert Stafford acquired the other house from Southern, and moved it to where Martha Melvin's house is now located. It was used as the Harrisburg Troop 173 Boy Scout hut during the late '50's and I do not know at this time what happened to the old scout hut house. In 1953 Robert and his brother Caldwell built what ended up as the Tall boy Restaurant in the North East corner of NC49 and Moorehead Road. Roberts wife Mary ran the diner. The only jute box in Harrisburg was located in the dining area.
In 1958 the old store and post office at the rail tracks on Robinson Church Road closed down and was converted into a farm repair shed. It remained a farm shed for around 50 years until the restoration started. The above pictures show the new 1958 post office in the North West corner Of NC49 and Patricia. Vic Harris relocated as post master from the old post office to this new one when the building was completed. The red side of the building faces East and the white front side faces South.
In the 1970's this building was built and the post office moved off the North side of NC49 and Patricia to this building on the East side of Robinson Church Road and several hundred yards South of NC49. Both pictures show the West front side of the building.
In the 1990's the post office again relocated to its present location 1/4 mile to the North Side of NC49 and on the East side of Roberta Mill Road. Both pictures show the South side of the building.
Pictured above is the new Blume store built in the early 1950's. This is the last standing of the three grocery stores in Harrisburg during the '40's to the '60's. The barber shop was originally on the front right corner and the store entrance was in the middle of the front wall. In around 1965 the barber shop was moved to the back side of the East wall and the store door changed to the corner as shown above. There is a 1963 or earlier picture in the 1963 school annual showing the older barber shop location. This location is shown in the section of lost buildings. The First fire department sits to the left. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Picture shows the South Side facing front. Click here for additional information on the store operation furnished by Freddy Blume. This was the first fire department building. The building is located across NC49 from Lowes Foods. There was also a Ground Observer Core that operated from a tower built behind the fire department. It operated for app. 2 years. When a plane was sited, Observer Core operators would run down the tower stairs, enter the fire department, dial Zero for the telephone operator, give the operator the secret code, then would call Charlotte Airport collect and reported each plane sighted. The number of engines, type, heading, and altitude of each plane were given so they could be shown on a plotting board. The GOC was disbanded after the Charlotte Airport got radar in the early '60's. There is a picture of the GOC tower in the Morrison/Sims restored store. The radar building is still standing 1/4 mile on the right before Lower Rocky River Road ends at HY 24/27. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Picture shows the South side facing front. p.s. I still remember the secret code.
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Before WWII John Dwight Morrison had a garage and service station in the old road triangle where School Circle dead ends into Robinson Church Road. After the war, around 1954, the above structure replaced the garage and started out as a Barber shop run by Bill Morrison. This may be the first barber shop building in Harrisburg. Bill was a barber in the service. Later, in the late 50's, Bill Morrison moved the building across Robinson Church Road behind the Morrison house. In the late 60's, the building was again moved to his house on NC 49 across from the house of Henry Williams just south of and across NC 49 from the present Sonic Drive In. It was used as a TV repair shop. Sometime in the 70's, the building was sold and relocated to its present position across NC 49 from Junior Davis' inspection station and is used as a used car lot office. The front of the building now faces West towards Charlotte.
 
Pictured above is the Green Valley Drink Stand. It is presently located on the East side of Robinson Church Road 1/4 mile South of Rocky River Road. Pop Govan, Georges brother, built it on the North side of Rocky River Road 1/4 mile West of Robinson Church Road. In 1955 the building was moved to its present location.The building is presently owned by Pops son Harry. The built date has not been determined. It was a popular hangout at both locations with horse shoe pits, drink and candy sales until the late 1990's when Pop retired. Picture taken 7-7-2009. First ( upper left ) picture shows the North facing front of the building.
Green Valley Drink Stand. Picture taken 7-7-2009.
The above building was built in 1963 by a Concord oil company. It was rented by Mr. Bill Carriker as a Gravely repair shop from 1963 until his death in 1973. This was the only Gravely Tractor shop around. The building is located on the East side of Juniors Inspection Station on NC49. It is almost concealed from view by vines. Picture taken 7-7-09. Left picture shows South facing front of the building, the right shows the South East corner.
Above is the Harrisburg Baptist Church on Morehead Road. It is brick now but an aerial photo taken in the late '50s or early '60s is located in the restored store and post office and shows it as a wood structure. Picture taken 7-7-2009. Left picture shows the West facing front of the building, the right shows the South side. If you have picture that can be scanned and included or have additional information call 704-455-2754 or email ted@tedmccachren.com.
8512 8-12-09 Wed Bellefonte PC USA . More pictures and history will be added later. If you have picture that can be scanned and included or have additional information call 704-455-2754 or email ted@tedmccachren.com.
 
Bellefonte Church. Click above picture for the church history.

8523 8-13-09 Thur. Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

Click on above picture for church history furnished by Henry Johnson Jr. on 08Sep2009 Tue..

8524 8-13-09 Thur. Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
8526 8-13-09 Thur. Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
The above picture is a view that I have not seen before. It shows a 1968 Chevrolet so the picture was taken after the Fall of 1967. I would like to have the origional to scan to get better quality and would also like to scan other pictures of the early church(s) to include on this web page.
 
If you have pictures that can be scanned and included or have additional information call 704-455-2754,773-0006, or email ted@tedmccachren.com.
More pictures and history will be added later. Henry Johnson Jr called and will furnish more pictures and history.
8288 7-22-2009 Last steel bridge in Cabarrus county I know of. 8289 7-22-09 Steel Bridge .
8290 7-22-09 Steel bridge. 8291 7-22-09 Steel bridge.

8297 7-22-2009 Harrisburg Presbyterian Church, Built 1953.

Click on above picture for more history.

8296 7-22-09 Harrisburg Presbyterian Church. The first church built of wood was located across Robinson Church Road. There is a picture of the first church in the restored Morrison/Sims Store along with some of the construction details.
3346 4-5-07 East side Harrisburg Presbyterian Church. If you have picture that can be scanned and included or have additional information call 704-455-2754 or email ted@tedmccachren.com.
3348 4-5-07 Harrisburg Presbyterian Church picnic grounds used for May meeting and other outside events.
   
2485 01-10-2011 Mon, Stratton house. Photo shows North West corner. 2487 01-10-2011 Mon, Stratton house. Photo shows South West corner.
   
   
 
 
Copyright Ted McCachren 2009 all rights reserved