J. Wilson Alexander Farm Tenant House

Alexander Farm Tenant House, now at its permanent home at Blackberry Ridge Farms, is undergoing a full exterior restoration to preserve it for future generations. Dating back to the early 1900s, this house was relocated from the J. Wilson Alexander Farm in Cornelius, NC, to escape commercial development, and now sits on a rural site reflecting its original historical context.

Once restored, Blackberry Ridge Farm looks forward to utilizing the Alexander Farm Tenant House to share local history, nature, and the arts with the community, in partnership with HEARTS Collaborative and Preserve Mecklenburg, Inc. (PMI). Thanks to PMI, a permanent preservation easement has been recorded on this rare historic relic to prevent its future demolition. As regional development causes tenant houses to disappear, this project ensures the physical structure and the stories of those who lived there are not lost.

Tenant houses provide an irreplaceable glimpse into the lives of early 20th-century farmers. Unlike sharecroppers, tenant farmers owned their own equipment and paid rent, maintaining greater independence while cultivating land they did not own. In addition to purpose-built structures such as the Alexander Tenant House, tenant farmers often lived in partitioned plantation homes throughout our area after landowners moved to urban areas, with larger houses frequently divided into multi-family units.

The Alexander Farm Tenant House preservation and relocation has been led by a PMI-led collaboration with HEARTS. In 2022, the house was subject to a 2022 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for relocation and restoration. After progress stalled due to developer foreclosure in 2025, a new owner assumed the site and committed to the original MOA. This enabled the building's permanent move to Blackberry Ridge Farm for full restoration.

The Story of How the Alexander Tenant House Was Preserved at Blackberry Ridge Farm

See below for the history of the Alexander Tenant House’s epic 5-year journey across Lemley, followed by research and media resources on the house.

It’s official! The Alexander Farm Tenant House successfully survived its move.

On August 15, 2026, at midnight, this iconic historic home traveled from its temporary location at Westmoreland and West Catawba, down Hwy 73 to Beatties Ford Road, to its new home at Blackberry Farm. It will be placed on permanent foundations soon (photo below), followed by a complete exterior restoration.

A priceless piece of North Mecklenburg history is being preserved and restored thanks to the collaboration of many. The history of tenant farming is an integral part of our region’s early 20th-century history, and we are grateful this artifact has been saved and remains in Lemley Township on a site much like its original location on the Alexander Farm in Cornelius.

A rural scene with trucks and a weathered wooden building surrounded by green trees.

A wooden building with a sign that reads "Blackberry Ridge Farm" and a white truck parked in front. The building is enclosed with yellow caution tape, indicating it may be closed or under construction. There are trees and a clear blue sky in the background.

A landscape view of a forested area with tall green trees and a radio tower in the background, with a grassy field in the foreground.

A flatbed truck transporting a small, weathered wooden house in a rural area with trees and a blue sky background.

We look forward to updating this page soon with more tenant house history and new documentation on the big move.

See below for the history of this project and additional resource links.

An abandoned, weathered wooden house with peeling paint, a sagging porch, and a brick chimney, surrounded by tall grass and overhanging tree branches.

The Alexander Farm Tenant House in its original location on the Alexander Farm land in Cornelius, NC - Photo courtesy of Lake Norman Publication.

Major Update: A New Chapter at Blackberry Ridge Farm

In an exciting turning point for local preservation, the J. Wilson Alexander Farm Tenant House is officially on the move!

The historic structure is being relocated to Blackberry Ridge Farm, where it will be fully restored and permanently maintained.

In addition, a recorded preservation easement by Preserve Mecklenburg Inc (PMI) ensures a secure future for the property.

After restoration, this unique piece of history will be shared with the community through future HEARTS Collaborative educational programs, ensuring its legacy is preserved for generations to come.

The Journey to Save a Piece of History

Tenant houses offer an irreplaceable glimpse into the lives of early 20th-century tenant farmers. Sadly, these structures are rapidly disappearing from the landscape due to modern development—and this historic home in Cornelius, NC, almost suffered the same fate.

The path to saving the structure has been a rollercoaster of community effort and unexpected roadblocks:

The Initial Rescue: Local historic preservation organization Preserve Mecklenburg, Inc. (PMI) originally led the charge to save the home. Following intervention by NC State historic officials, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) mandated that the original developer relocate and restore the building's exterior. The house was moved to a temporary corner parcel, but progress quickly stalled.
Financial Roadblocks: Despite the developers reiterating their commitment in late 2024, financing issues brought the project to a standstill, culminating in foreclosure in January 2025.

A New Partnership: In November 2025, a new owner took possession of the expansive Alexander Farm site. Committed to the terms of the original MOA, they began collaborating with PMI and HEARTS on fresh restoration and fundraising plans, ultimately paving the way for its permanent relocation to Blackberry Ridge Farm.