Please Note: The John Blue House is currently closed for renovations.
Heritage Village and the Two museums are open. Please call ahead to to confirm hours:
910-277-2456
John Blue House
The century-old John Blue House provides a glimpse into an important part of Scotland County’s past – the culture of the rural Carolinas – as well as insight into the heart and soul of Mr. John Blue.
Constructed 25 years after the end of the Civil War in 1891, John Blue, Sr. (then only 30 years old) – but a successful inventor and manufacturer of farming equipment) designed the home after visiting family in Mississippi where he became intrigued by the riverboats. Upon his return, he designed the home to reflect this look – including the “bridge” of the home that served as his favorite sitting area. Also contributing to the riverboat design are the rare double circular porches, as well as the ornaments that decorate the porch and railings — all hand carved by Mr. Blue himself. The house is built entirely of heart of pine lumber from trees on the grounds.
Inside there are 12 rooms and 12 exterior doors. The doors display decorative stained glass, a feature of which Mr. Blue was especially proud. Today over 90% of the original stained glass windows remain intact. One window that Mr. Blue especially enjoyed was the red stained glass window in the front door. This window allowed him to look through it, across the road to his cotton fields. The red tint illuminated the fields and allowed Mr. Blue to see his “rose garden.”