The History
The Home
Built in 1834 by Dr. William Rainey Holt as a wedding gift for his bride, Louisa Allen Hogan Holt. The home is known for its Greek Revival architecture, Palladian windows, and center-hall plan. The house was remodeled around 1892 and 1900, and the rear addition was added in 1949. The Holt House, also known as The Homestead, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The survival of the Civil War is one of the most interesting parts of the home’s history. In May 1865, Union General H. Judson Kilpatrick and the 9th Pennsylvania Calvary were sent to Lexington to establish order as Reconstruction began in the South. Leaving the home to secure his farm named Linwood, Mrs. Holt was left at the home with her three daughters. Afraid that the house may be destroyed, Mrs. Holt offered the home to be used by the army as a headquarters. Kilpatrick and his officers spent two months in the home. The black iron brackets that Mrs. Holt had installed to secure two of the upstairs bedrooms still remain, along with the signatures of two of the girls, Claudia and Frances, have been preserved on the wall. Story has it that Mrs. Holt and her children were treated considerately and that upon his departure General Kilpatrick gave the family gold and sugar, and daughter Amelia a pony she named Kilpatrick.
The People
Dr. Holt was born in Alamance County and settled in Lexington after completing his medical degree in Philadelphia. Two years after the death of his first wife, Dr. Holt remarried to Louisa Allen Hogan for whom he built the Holt House. It was here that they had nine children in addition to the five with his first wife, Mary Gizeal Allen. Dr. Holt was a respected physician and one of the largest slaveholders in Davidson County. He has been recognized for his contributions to agriculture, educational efforts, and the building of the railroad through Thomasville and Lexington.
The Holt’s Linwood farm and Lexington home were cultivated and maintained by enslaved people. Detailed records kept by Dr. Holt reveal there were up to 100 enslaved laborers between the farm and city house. A small dwelling still on the Lexington property was the original kitchen for the home and is also where the enslaved cook lived. It is our hope that over time, we can learn more about the enslaved people that are as much a part of the home’s history as the Holt family, and to share their stories and the stories of their descendants with the public through our site.
For more information on the history of the Holt House and slavery in Davidson County, we invite you to visit the website of the Davidson County Historical Museum.
Sources: