Crain house in Currituck Co., NC

Located off U.S. Highway 158 near Grandy. This house bears one of the oldest dates found. High on the chimney in back, was the date 1789, preceded by the letter "N". Lower on the chimney, where a young person might have scratched it in, were the letters F.R.M and the date 2 x 1836. The original English siding is still intact and in good state of preservation, although it shows no sign of ever being painted.

Addendum by Roy E. Sawyer, Jr.--
     Alma Roberts identified this house as a Crain house because a family by that name lived there during the 1950's and prior. The date of construction, or at least the chimney construction was 1789. The house was demolished in the mid-1970's, and Zip Brown built his new home at the site. The house featured a wrap-around porch which led to the kitchen wing, which was at the southwest corner of the main block. The stairwell was also located in the southwestern portion of the house, and the first floor ceilings featured exposed beams with a beaded design which had been planed at each corner. I also remember that the rooms were quite small and that the ceilings were low. I visited the house in 1973, and it was very dilapidated at that time.
     It is believed that this house was the home of Col. Thomas Poyner, Senr. (III) (1759 - 15 Oct 1836) and his wife, Keziah Woodhouse Poyner (dau. of Hadley and possibly Mary Jarvis Woodhouse). Thomas Poyner may have been married prior to his marriage to Keziah Woodhouse. He served as captain in the NC State Militia at age 21, and was Second Major in 1787. He also served as Justice of the Peace and as sheriff of Currituck County. He was state senator in 1803. When the Revolutionary War pensions were commenced on 4 Mar 1831, he received $462.39. His wife, Keziah Woodhouse Poyner, died 3 Nov 1820. Col. Poyner's obituary appeared in the Norfolk and Portsmouth Herald and the date of death is given as 13 Oct, while the family bible of his son, Rev. Nathan Poyner, gives his death date as 15 Oct 1836. It is hoped that he was in heaven two days before the devil knew he was dead. Col. Thomas Poyner encouraged Bishop Francis Asbury to visit Currituck and this began the Methodist movement in North Carolina, and Narrows Chapel, an Anglican house of worship on the former plantation of Richard Sanderson, became affiliated with the Methodists and became Mt. Zion Meeting, the oldest continual Methodist congregation extant today in the state of North Carolina. Col. Thomas Poyner's mother was Anne Sanderson, who married Nathan Poyner (I), and she was a descendant of Richard Sanderson, Hon. Esq.
     Col. Thomas Poyner had five known children:
1. Thomas Poyner (IV), married Polly Whitehall and removed to Fountain County, Indiana, in 1832. Their children were Keziah, Ethelbert, Devina, and Latimore Holmes Poyner.

2. Mary (Polly) Poyner probably married Wilson Woodhouse (I), and their descendants lived on the plantation directly east of the Col. Thomas Poyner homeplace (see Col. John Woodhouse house, incorrectly identified, should have been Col. James M. Woodhouse house)

3. Rev. Nathan Poyner (III)(1805 - 25 Oct 1868) married Lydia Dailey, daughter of Enoch Dailey of Camden Co. Rev. Nathan Poyner was a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal South faith, served Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church South, was a charter trustee of Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church South, Old Trap, NC, was a planter and land speculator. Their children were: Susan Poyner (22 Nov 1830 - 14 Dec 1864), who married Daniel Corprew Lindsey (24 Jan 1825 - 30 Jul 1901); Mary "Polly" Poyner (25 Apr 1832 - 27 Sep 1866) who married Lemuel Griggs; Thomas Poyner (24 Nov 1834 - 27 Mar 1858) who married first Elizabeth and second Adelia Honeycutt Cowell; Jordan Poyner (27 Nov 1836 - 10 Feb 1927) who married Lydia Griggs (17 Sep 1840 - 2 Jun 1916); Martha Ann Poyner (23 Dec 1838 - 4 Nov 1904), who was the second wife of Peter Poyner, who was the widower of her sister, Lydia Jane Poyner; Sarah Elizabeth Poyner (b. 23 Mar 1841); Nathan Poyner (IV) (b. 11 Jun 1843); Lydia Jane Poyner (22 Sep 1845 - 18 Dec 1876), who was the first wife of Peter Poyner, who married second to her sister, Martha Ann Poyner; and Enoch Dailey Poyner (24 Feb 1848 - 7 Jul 1904) married first Laura Woodhouse (28 Jan 1847 - 19 Dec 1872) and had one son, Nathan Woodhouse Poyner (13 Oct 1869 - 5 Jan 1929), who married Luraner "Lula" Newbern (b. 1872). Enoch Dailey Poyner married second to Sarah Frances Pitts (10 Jul 1853 - 16 Jan 1928), daughter of Dr. Virginius L. Pitts and Mary Jane Pitts. Apparently Rev. Nathan Poyner inherited or was given the homeplace, because this was his home, and all of his children were reared here. Enoch Dailey Poyner inherited the homeplace from his father, Rev. Nathan Poyner, and he lived there until his death in 1904. His son, Nathan Woodhouse Poyner built the large home along the highway and directly east of the old homeplace, which was later owned by Jerry and Ola Brown. This house was demolished in the past decade. Directly east of this second house and across the US 158 Highway, and still standing today, is the home of Dr. Virginius and Mary Jane Pitts, which until the 1960's was the home of Jim and Hazel Beasley. There are two front doors and the northernmost one was for the office of Dr. Pitts, and he also operated a private school here.

4. Lancelot "Lanty" Poyner (28 Aug 1807 - 6 Jan 1866) was a planter, attorney at law, and land speculator. He married Sarah White (2 Feb 1817 - 23 May 1872) and their children were: Elizabeth Poyner (10 Aug 1839 - 9 Nov 1875); Mary Frances (Aunt Frank) Poyner (1842 - 19 Jun 1924) who never married, lived with her brother, Thomas Jarvis Poyner; Thomas Jarvis Poyner (9 Oct 1844 - 22 Jul 1903) was superintendent of the Currituck Shooting Club, married Mary Yula Woodhouse (8 Oct 1860 - 29 Apr 1938); and Sarah Jane Poyner (26 Jan 1847 - 14 Feb 1883), who married Dr. Henry Gaskins Land (13 Apr 1839 - 4 Jan 1888).

5. Julia Poyner married William G. Mercer.


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