The Malcolm Blue House was built during the second quarter of the nineteenth century by Malcolm McMillan Blue, a farmer and civic leader in rural Moore County. Blue's father and grandfather came to North Carolina in the l760s as part of the mass migration of Scottish highlanders. Blue donated land near his farm for the 1860 Bethesda Church (NR) and served as an elder in the historic old Presbyterian congregation for forty years. His house, a vernacular interpretation of late Federal and modest Greek Revival architecture, is one of the c~unty's oldest buildings and possesses strong local architectural significance. With its collection of early twentieth century outbuildings it also forms a farm complex representative of rural life in the Sandhills region and today, as a living history farm, provides an educational and historical focal point for the community.
A trip to the Malcolm McMillan Blue farmstead is a trip back in time to the days the Sandhills area was known as “the Pine Barrens.” The 1825 farmhouse and museum which sits on 7.5 acres provides insight into the lives of early pioneers in the area. The house is filled with authentic furnishings of everyday life during the 1800s. Visitors get a first-hand feel for what life in the 1800s was about by touring the farmstead. The grounds are shaded with 100-year old Darlington oaks and are composed of a windmill, gristmill, water well and numerous barns.
In 1986, a barn-style structure was built for a museum. On the first floor, exhibits have been constructed, with the assistance of the Museum of the Cape Fear, to include Scotland, Cape Fear Scottish Settlers, the Blue Family, Naval Stores, Lumbering, the Pioneer Woman, Tool Room, Farm Equipment and Agriculture. On the second floor exhibits include the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad, Country Store, 19th Century Mourning Etiquette, Pottery, and both Pine Needle and Native American Crafts. There are also displays of Girl Scout and Boys and Girls Club projects completed at the farm. Finally, there is an extensive exhibit on the Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads, one of the last cavalry engagements of the Civil War, which took place eight miles from the farm.
The Malcolm Blue Farm is a Community Heritage Project, certified by the Regional History Sites Program of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. The Society received the Governor’s “Take Pride in North Carolina” Award in 1995, the only group in the state to be so honored. The farm and museum have been designated by the North Carolina Civil War Tourism Council as part of the North Carolina Civil War Theme Trails and the National Civil War Trails. The 1825 farmhouse is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
Malcolm Blue Farm is home of the Historical Crafts and Farmskills Festival and Christmas Open House.
The Farm is located at 1177 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen, NC. For more information or to schedule a tour, please call the Parks & Recreation Department at (910) 944-7275.