Trove of 1800s firearms vanishes from mountain homestead museum, NC sheriff says
An unusual theft is under investigation at one of western North Carolina’s oldest homes, after a trove of 1800s firearms mysteriously vanished.
Read more Garner Amazon worker’s message to founder Jeff Bezos goes viral with 10M+ views
The crime scene is the 233-year-old Historic Carson House, which is stocked “with period antiques, artifacts, and personal items” belonging to the state’s early settlers.
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office reports the weapons were stolen this week, but investigators have not released details of how the culprits got into the home.
“Several of these firearms date back to (and were used in) the American Civil War and Spanish-American War eras and are considered valuable historical artifacts,” the sheriff’s office reported in a May 11 news release.
“Please help us recover these important pieces of history so they can be safely returned.”
The stolen weapons include:
The antique weapons had been donated to the museum by people in the community, officials said.
Read more Deadly gunfight erupts after driver shoots into police station, NC sheriff says
Historic Carson House dates to 1793 and was built by farmer and entrepreneur John Hazzard Carson, who moved to the region from Ireland in 1773, according to site historians.
The home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is managed by a nonprofit corporation.
“Exhibits highlight the region’s Revolutionary War and Civil War history, stagecoach travel, and plantation life, along with local Native American artifacts,” according to the home’s website.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked contact McDowell County Det. Derrick McGinnis at 828-652-2235, ext. 1235, officials said.
Read more Mecklenburg County teams win big at NCHSAA 2A, 4A track finals in Greensboro
Marion is about a 95-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.
