Alexander, Hezekiah, House
Also known as: Old Rock House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1774 on a tract of land on a branch of Sugar Creek, the Old Rock House in Charlotte was the home of Hezekiah Alexander, a blacksmith turned farmer who lived there until his death in 1801. The house is built of native Piedmont stone laid in a random pattern with oystershell mortar, with walls two feet thick, two full stories and a high basement. Its form reflects the influence of German settlers who moved from Pennsylvania to Mecklenburg and neighboring counties in the 1750s and 1760s, and it is one of the few surviving examples of this type in North Carolina. Alexander served on the Mecklenburg County Committee of Safety, the Salisbury District Committee of Safety and the Fifth Provincial Congress, which wrote the first state constitution, and later served as a regimental paymaster. The house is possibly the only surviving structure belonging to a framer of that constitution. Later alterations changed some original features, and a restoration was being planned.
Significance in brief: The house is possibly the only surviving structure that belonged to a framer of North Carolina's first state constitution, Hezekiah Alexander. It is also one of the few surviving examples in the state of a stone house type influenced by German settlers from Pennsylvania.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000461, listed April 17, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3500 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte |
|---|---|
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| Listed | April 17, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000461 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1722-1801 |
| Architect / builder | Hezekiah Alexander (built the house, 1774) |
| Architectural style | Stone house reflecting German emigrant influence from Pennsylvania |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in fair condition and altered, on its original site, with preservation work in progress and a museum use; a restoration was planned by a private foundation. |
| Acreage | 8.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.23216, -80.76637 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000461.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15713063
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.