What can the history of tenant farming tell us about the people, communities, and changing agricultural landscape of our region?

On Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 2:00 pm, you are invited you to explore this question at HEARTS Harvest ’26: Tenant Times, sharing an afternoon of local history, ecology, music, and more all happening at historic Cedar Grove. Tickets are free, and donations are appreciated. Direct link to tickets here.

This is the fifth installment of HEARTS Harvest, continuing HEARTS’ commitment to creating place-based experiences that bring people together through shared learning and community connection. By exploring the history of tenant farming alongside ecology, live music, and the arts, this happening offers visitors an opportunity to discover new perspectives on the region’s past and present.

This year’s program will dive into the rooted history of tenant farming in our region and why it was important, with a featured presentation by historian Dr. Dan Morrill of Preserve Mecklenburg Inc. Our guests will learn about the J. Alexander Farm Tenant House, its past, present, and future, and explore how tenant farming evolved in the years following the Civil War, offering historical context behind the agricultural systems and lives that shaped communities across the region.

Tenant farming played an important role in the agricultural history in the South, particularly following the Civil War era. By looking at the Alexander Farm tenant house and how it played a broader role in tenant farming, HEARTS Harvest ’26 offers a chance at an opportunity to consider how land, labor, and agriculture influenced the lives of generations of families, the region’s agricultural past and the communities that call it home today.

The event features a keynote presentation on regional tenant farming by esteemed historian Dr. Dan Morrill, produced in collaboration with videographer Frederick Murphy.

Dr. Dan L. Morrill is a historian, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a prominent historic preservationist in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He served for 45 years (1974–2019) as the Consulting Director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, spearheading the identification and protection of hundreds of regional historic landmarks. Following his retirement from the commission, he co-founded the non-profit organization Preserve Mecklenburg to continue saving endangered historic properties and educating the public about local history through podcasts and media.

An Epic Journey

Looking at the corner of West Catawba Avenue and Westmoreland Road in Cornelius, NC, it’s hard to imagine now, but this area was once home to the J. Alexander Farm. A sprawling tract of beautiful rural farmland with cows, pastures, historic barns, the old farmhouse, and a tiny house that once stood in the corner of the field facing West Catawba Avenue: the J. Alexander Farm Tenant House.

Due to development, this bucolic farm is now only a memory, but one important artifact survived and took a five-year journey to determine its final location and preservation plan. Learn more about this home and its future at HEARTS Harvest ‘26: Tenant Times and on the J. Alexander Farm Tenant House website.‍ ‍Thank you to Preserve Mecklenburg Inc., River Rock Development, and Blackberry Ridge Farm for making this significant preservation event possible.

If you have any historic documents, photographs, or information to share on this project or the history of the J. Alexander Tenant House, please email info@heartsco.org.