J. Wilson Alexander Farm Tenant House

Preserve Mecklenburg Inc. (PMI) has led the charge to save the J. Wilson Alexander Farm Tenant House in Cornelius, NC.

Tenant houses are historic architectural and cultural artifacts presenting a glimpse into the lives of tenant farmers in the early 20th century. These homes have been disappearing from our landscape primarily due to development. The Alexander Tenant House almost suffered the same fate; however, due to intervention by NC State historic officials, it was mandated by their Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that the developer relocate and restore the exterior of this humble structure.

Although the developer moved the house to a corner parcel of the development beneath a shady grove of historic oaks, there was no additional progress due to the financial woes of the first site developers.

Throughout this time, the developers continued to pledge support. On September 27, 2024, Jesse McInerney, one of the developers, reiterated their commitment to this project in an article in Cornelius Today, “We remain committed to the restoration of the tenant house and hope to see that happening soon,” McInerney said.

However, on December 16, 2024, Cornelius Today reported that due to financing issues, the development project was at a standstill.

In January 2025, we learned the project was in foreclosure, and the future of the tenant house remained unknown until we learned of the site development’s…

NOV ‘25 CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP!

As of November 2025, the Alexander Farm site has a new owner. New site plans and reorganization are in process. The new owners are committed to the terms of the MOA and have met with PMI and HEARTS representatives to collaborate on restoration plans and fundraising to support the restoration of Alexander Tenant House.

We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.