Finding Aid for the Overhills Papers, 1886-1985, PC.1983

[Identification of item], PC. 1983, Overhills Papers, 1886-1985, North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, NC, USA.

The papers consist primarily of business information utilized or created by the various property managers of the Overhills estate and span the years 1886 to 1985, with a few maps dated a few years beyond. Materials represented are original property deeds and business records including contracts/licenses, product informaton; financial records such as loose bank statements, deposit slips, bills paid, returned checks, receipts, and information contained in ledgers (not a complete set), such as cash books, cash disbursements, time books, accounts ledgers, and employees' wage information; employee and tax information; business correspondence; maps; some drawings, and miscellaneous oversized materials. Within the Overhills papers there are some materials relating to the predecessor business, the Kent-Jordan Company hunting retreat, dating from 1911 to the early 1920s. The papers has been divided into the following three series: Business Ledgers, 1924-1984; General Business Documents, 1886-1985; and
Oversized, 1909-1985

As received. To more closely match database submitted with the collection, the papers has been divided into three series.

During the 19th century, the McDiarmid family consolidated land holdings in Cumberland County (later Harnett) to create a large turpentine plantation. Toward the end of the century, the property was auctioned and subsequently acquired by the Consolidated Lumber Company, also engaged in large-scale harvesting of pine gum. Eventually the over-exploitation of trees in the region and the decline of the pine gum and turpentine industry in the region led to the sale of the property in 1901. The land was then converted into a private hunting preserve and by 1906 the property was incorporated into the Croatan Club of Manchester, owned by several wealthy investors and sportsmen. Hunts attracted wealthy Northerners, and were often led by James Francis Jordan, a businessman and sheriff (1900-1906) of Guilford County, N.C.

In 1910, the Croatan Club and the adjacent property were sold to Jordan and another entrepreneur, Congressman William Kent from California. They hoped to expand the existing hunting lodge into a premier resort, of about 20,000 acres. Named the Overhills Country Club, the property under the Jordan-Kent partnership made strides toward becoming a premier southern hunt club, offering guest accommodations and amenities such as a clubhouse, servants' quarters, train station, lake, riding stables, and a golf course designed by Donald Ross.

Early investors in the Overhills Country Club included prominent businessmen such as Percy Avery Rockefeller (1878-1934), a nephew of John D. Rockefeller, and William Averill Harriman (1891-1986), of New York, an expert polo player who had inherited his father's fortune in railroads. The two men had first visited Overhills around 1916 and encouraged recreational development of fox hunting and polo at the club. After James F. Jordan died in 1919, Percy Rockefeller became a partner with Kent and purchased additional land around the holdings of the Kent-Jordan Company. Soon Rockefeller held the central role at Overhills and formed Overhills Land Company in 1921 to manage the day-to-day operations. By 1928, Percy Rockefeller had consolidated his holdings in the Overhills Land Company, buying out William Kent and expanding the property to over 30,000 acres. The Overhills Land Company property was in Harnett County but included parts of Cumberland and Hoke Counties.

During the early 1930s, fox and bird hunting and other recreational pursuits had declined as one of the economic side-effects of the Great Depression. Also, during that period Harriman began to pursue sports other than polo and turned from business to a political career (becoming a diplomat and eventually a governor of New York). He left Rockefeller as principal owner and director of the Overhills Land Company. Around 1932, Rockefeller began to transform Overhills into a large agricultural business, leasing half of the property to local tenant farmers. Holdings were divided by two companies, Jumping Run Club, Inc. and Overhills Land Co.

The principle shares of Jumping Run Club, Inc. were held by Percy's wife, Isabel Stillman Rockefeller. Administrative tasks however, were performed by the property manager of Overhills Land Co. Jumping Run Club, Inc. was responsible for the nursery business (Lindley Nursery), later known as Hope Farm Nursery, and a few tenant farms located in the Anderson Creek Township. Additionally, Isabel Rockefeller founded the Hope Farm Preventorium as a philanthropic venture to help local children at risk for or suffering from tuberculosis. The Preventorium operated from 1934 to 1936 and provided medical attention to the children of employee's and tuberculosis patients residing at McCain Hospital. After Isabel Rockefeller's death in 1936, the Preventorium was converted into tenant farms.

With the death of the primary holders, Overhills underwent significant changes. The fertile land of the hunting preserve was divided into multiple tenant farms. The most prominent area was known as The Hill. Dating back to around 1918, this was a compound including almost six thousand acres of landscaped houses and cottages, lake, riding stables, the passenger train station, and the Donald Ross-designed golf course. By 1938, the Hill had become the family winter retreat. During this period, the five Rockefeller children who inherited the bulk of the property created Overhills Farms, Inc. as a managerial company for the agricultural holdings. One of the sons, Avery Rockefeller, assumed the primary managerial role, and Overhills became a thriving tobacco and cotton business.

During the next 50 years the property was divided and sold in small parcels to keep down overhead and to provide agricultural revenue for The Hill. By 1980 the property had been reduced to around 10,000 acres and the agricultural businesses were merged into one company called Overhills, Inc. Farms were also consolidated to accommodate corporate, rather than tenant, farming operations. During the consolidation The Hill also underwent changes as the original clubhouse and Percy Rockefeller's personal residence (The Covert) were demolished. However during a period of two decades, new family residences were built.

Avery Rockefeller died in 1986 at Overhills. Other members of Rockefeller family, however, continued to use Overhills as a retreat until the early 1990s when they decided to sell the property. The sale was completed in 1997, with the U.S. Army paying approximately $29 million. The tract, totaling 10,546 acres is now part of Fort Bragg.

The will of James Stillman Rockefeller, who died in 10 August 2004, provided for the donation of the Long Valley Farm, adjacent to Overhills, to the N.C. Nature Conservancy. About three years later, the conservancy transferred the estate to the N.C. Division of State Parks and Recreation, effective toward the end of 2008. See , April 12, 2007, by Nomee Landis. See additional sources in note at the end of the Chronology of the Overhills Land Tract Development.

Biographical Note on the Rockefeller Family

Percy Avery Rockefeller (1878-1934) was the son of William Rockefeller and his wife, Almira Geraldine Goodsell. (William was a younger brother of John D. Rockeller and a co-founder of Standard Oil.) Percy attended Yale University from 1897 to 1900 and married Isabel Goodrich Stillman, daughter of First National City Bank president James Stillman on April 23, 1901. Another of Stillman's daughter, Sarah Elizabeth (Elsie), married Percy Rockefeller's brother, William G. Rockefeller.

Percy Rockefeller was founder and Vice President of Owenoke Corporation and was a board director of Air Reduction Company, American International Corporation, Atlantic Fruit Company, Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, and a host of other corporations, including mining and public utility corporations.

The five children of Percy and Isabel Rockefeller included Avery, Isabel, Winifred, Faith, and Gladys. Avery (1903-1986) as an adult was the most involved of the Rockefeller children in the operation of Overhills estate. In 1923 he married Anna Griffith Mark (1906-1996), and they were parents of several children. Avery was a co-founder and a chairman of the board of Schroder, Rockefeller, and Co. Avery's double-first cousin, James Stillman Rockefeller (1902-2004)(son of Elsie Stillman and William G. Rockefeller), was also involved in the Overhills estate's operation. He became owner of the Long Valley Farms, one of various separate businesses that related to the farming activiites on the Overhills estate. A banker by profession, he was president (1952-1959) and later chairman (1959-1967) of the of the First National City Bank, subsequently, Citicorp, Citibank, and Citibank, Inc.

Sources include , Volumes I and VII. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, ca. 1942 and 1981; , Obituaries. 1986; . , 2009, in http://www..nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/northcarolina/preserves/art14284.html.

Biographical Note on an Overhills Estate Manager: William Bryan Bruce and his wife, Thelma Puckett Bruce

William Bryan Bruce (October 6, 1896-September 8, 1972) moved to Overhills as a young man and became a stable hand during the early 1920s. He quickly advanced to higher positions and was the manager of the Overhills estate for many years. Mr. Bruce worked with both Percy Rockefeller and with Avery Rockefeller who took over after his father passed away in 1934. The Bruces had a good relationship with the Rockefeller family and were invited to their summer home each summer for a two-week vacation.

Bruce married Thelma Puckett (ca. 1907-February 20, 2000) from the Johnsonville Community in Harnett County. They adopted two nieces, Virginia [Strauch, married name] and Dorothy [Pagter, married name], both of whom they raised and educated. Additionally, they helped educate several other children whose parents were unable to provide them with an education. They were members of The Church of the Covenant (Manchester Presbyterian)in nearby Spring Lake and he was an elder in the church for many years. It was said that Mr. Bruce did much for people who lived on the plantation and were unable to help themselves. As Overhills began to reduce its acreage, Bruce encouraged the selling part the land to local families or to local businesses such as the N.C. Pulp Company.

A tribute in the , March 04, 2000, by Verna Owen, said that Mrs. Bruce helped keep Overhills going for more than 50 years. Her jobs included buying groceries, training the people who worked in the guest houses, supplying fresh flowers for every room and other tasks. When Mr. Bruce took guests hunting, she went along and began plucking feathers from the quail as they walked. In the early days, she and Mrs. Rockefeller often travelled on Saturday to Fayetteville's farmers market to buy baked goods and on the way back to Overhills gave the goodies to farm families they passed.

Sources include N.C. Death Records and biograpical sketch online via the Harnett County Public Library, Local History Room at http://www.harnett.org/library/Biographies/harnettbiostoc.htm. Under Notable Harnett County Residents, see sketch of William B. Bruce submitted by Imogene Holmes.

Biographical Note on an Overhills Farm Superintentdent: Archie C. Cameron

Archie C. Cameron was born in Harnett County, N.C., October 1, 1889 to Kattie Buie and Neil Beaver Cameron and died November 18, 1975. At the time of his death, he was living at Overhills with his wife of many years, Annie McKay Cameron. A grandson, Wayne Aaron provided additional details in an interview that was included article, by Charles Broadwell, August 21, 2005. The primary subject was the Donald Ross golf course at Overhills Estate, but Aaron reminisced fondly about the Overhills estate where he was born and learned to play golf and other lessons. He noted that his grandfather had worked there for 50 years and earned the respect and generosity of the Rockefellers. When retired, Mr. Cameron was given a home on the Overhills estate, and when he died his wife, Annie, was able to live there as long as she desired.

Sources include N.C. Death Records, and article quoted above, available online in the archives of the newspaper at http://www.fayobserver.com.

Note on Historical Sources

Historial notes and chronology written by Fran Tracy-Walls, using a variety of sources, including previously cited sources; the Overhill's papers themselves; U.S. census records and N.C. death records; the Social Security Death Index; the N.C. Secretary of State's corporations' database; biographical sources, including , Volumes I and VII, published by Marquis Who's Who; , Obituaries Section, 1986, , published by Oxford University Press, and the by Kelly Higelmire, edited by Dr. Linda F. Carnes-McNaughton, of the Fort Bragg Cultural Resources Management Program and included with the papers during the transfer to the N.C. State Archives.

1. Overhills Business Ledgers

2. Overhills Business Documents

3. Overhills Oversized Materials

Transfer to N.C. State Archives custody from Fort Bragg Cultural Resources Management Program, June 17, 2009.