Near Charlotte, neighbors fear historic barn is in trouble. Owner wants to reassure
Some residents in Matthews have taken to social media to express concern over the condition of an early 1900s landmark barn. It’s the oldest and only remaining barn of its kind in Mecklenburg County.
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But the barn’s owner and the county’s historic landmark commission had a reassuring message: the over 100-year-old structure is doing just fine.
On Monday, Facebook posts about the Morris Barn in downtown Matthews began to circulate, with many residents worried the barn was falling into disrepair.
The Morris Barn isn’t any old structure. It’s considered a “town barn” and the only such remaining structure from when Matthews and Mecklenburg were covered in farmland as opposed to townhomes and towering office buildings.
The barn was designated a historic landmark by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commissions in 2014. With that designation, the owner has a responsibility to maintain the property and the commission enforces that responsibility.
The consensus for some on the social media posts were clear, the landmark commission needed to check whether the Morris Barn was actually deteriorating.
“Matthews protects [it’s] historically significant structures,” one commenter said on Facebook.
The owner, Joy Greer, agrees with the commenter and she’s been preserving the barn since she purchased it in 2018.
“The barn is precious to us as a family,” Greer wrote to The Charlotte Observer via Facebook. “We have absolutely made some repairs over the years … Simply keeping it standing strong for another 100 years is the goal.”
The commission agrees.
The commission visited the site approximately last year, according to historic commission Director Stewart Gray, when it was checking on similar deterioration concerns.
All was well.
“It is a barn,” Gray said. “This is an actual utilitarian barn-like building. With the dirt floor. To some folks eyes it may appear to be … very rustic but it is. It’s an old-weathered building.”
Gray called the look of the building “the patina of history,” meaning the Morris Barn looks its age. But that doesn’t mean the building will fall down anytime soon.
At the turn of the 20th century, Mecklenburg County was a leader in agricultural production, particularly cotton.
Barns and farmhouses weren’t just rural staples, they were also built-in towns.
Those barns were called “town barns,” according to the landmark commission. Town barns were typically smaller and housed transportation animals such as mules and horses as opposed to livestock. Occasionally a cow would be housed in there as well.
So, the town barns were used as transportation stops to move and store goods. Essentially, they were garages, Gray said.
“There were no cars, so you need to keep your horse somewhere,” Gray said.
The Morris Barn was built around the late 1800s to the early 1900s, according to the landmark commission. In the 1920s, the Phillips family built a house near the barn to use for storage, a cow and their horses.
The Phillips also helped bring electricity to Matthews. Later, Pete Phillips was named Matthews’ Post Master by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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Not only does the family have historic ties to the town, so does the barn. While barns exist throughout rural areas of Mecklenburg County, the Morris Barn is the last remaining town barn.
While barns exist throughout rural areas of Mecklenburg County, the Morris Barn is the last remaining town barn.
In 2014, the landmark commission purchased the barn and house from the Phillips family for $200,000, according to county property records.
And in 2018, the commission sold the property to the Greers for $300,000. The property now has a preservation easement on it, which requires the owner to maintain the historic property.
Greer said she’s done that. The roof was replaced with the approval of the landmark commission, Greer said. And her family has been in touch with a contractor to identify any needed repairs.
In 2024, Greer was looking to rezone the property to allow for more outdoor uses. That included perhaps a pickleball court, food truck area, farm-to-table food options, an outdoor beer garden and seating.
During the public meeting, Greer said she wanted the property to be a green space for others to enjoy. That enjoyment would also help pay for the barn’s preservation.
But the plan wasn’t well received by the public who spoke during the hearing.
Greer later withdrew the rezoning plan and declined to comment on whether she would reconsider the request again or why she withdrew it.
With the preservation easement, Greer has to maintain the barn. And again, maintaining the barn is Greer’s goal.
We are an open book,” Greer said. “And (we) welcome any communication from individuals concerned about the status of this piece of Matthews history.”
The commission also enforces the easement requirements. That enforcement could include putting a lien on the property.
That rarely happens, according to Gray, who has worked with the commission for 20 years.
He added that the commission will be making a visit to the Morris barn to quell residents’ concerns, although it’s unclear when.
But Gray noted that the commission’s last visit showed the barn was well-maintained and in similar condition to when the Greers purchased the site.
“Land is so valuable here and people don’t let their building deteriorate,” Gray said. “This is a rustic building. When you look at the building you have to use a different lens then you would a modern building.
“I don’t know what anyone would expect a well-preserved barn to look like other than a weathered wooden building.”
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