Open April-November 

Hours:
Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00am-4:00pm (last tour leaves at 3:00 p.m.)
Sunday, 2:00pm-5:00pm. (last tour leaves at 4 p.m.)
No appointments necessary, though we would request calling ahead or emailing for scheduling tours.

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On the banks of Buck Creek, you’ll find the “mansion house” that was the centerpiece of Col. John Carson’s 640-acre plantation initially constructed in 1793. Amassing great wealth in land, slaves, gold and plantation production, Carson and several of his sons contributed extensively to the political and economic climate on local, state and national levels.

At the time of his death, Carson’s “Pleasant Gardens” was the home of fourteen members of the Carson family and sixty-eight slaves of African descent. Upon inheriting the property in1841, the youngest son, Jonathon Logan Carson, undertook an extensive renovation adding a third floor, the bi-level front porches and additional rooms on the rear of the house. This house served as the center of activity and governance for three years until a courthouse was built in the nearby city of Marion. The stagecoach made regular stops bringing news and many houseguests, among them David Crockett and possibly, Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson. One of the last skirmishes of the Civil War occurred on the property.

With original structural integrity and lovely period authentic furnishings, the mansion offers a delightful walk through the Carson family’s experience in the Revolutionary War, Native American struggles, the Civil War, the North Carolina Gold Rush, the political/economic climate of the times, slavery and plantation life.

The Historic Carson House museum is an evolving operation with the continuing acquisition of period pieces and changing exhibits. The most recent addition is the only one of its kind in this area, detailing the slave experience in western North Carolina.