The Murder of William Deaver

James Deaver was the son of William Deaver and Mary Miller (daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Miller). It is for him that the Deavor house, the oldest standing structure in Transylvania County, which stands near the entrance to Pisgah National Forest, off NC Highway 280, was named. The Deavor House is the oldest standing frame house in the Blue Ridge Mountains, according to the N.C. Division of Archives and History. Archaeological digs have uncovered evidence of occupation of the site from around 4000 B.C. William, a prominent farmer of what was then Buncombe County had holdings totaling by 1862, 5117 acres, second in Transylvania County only to George Vanderbilt. He purchased the house on February 6, 1830 from Benjamin Allison for $1200 and enlarged it to twelve rooms with over two thousand square feet. He was killed at the age of seventy on the front porch one evening by a band of Northern sympathizers (bushwackers) who were searching for his son, Capt. Deavor. According to his daughters, William Deaver went to Kentucky to collect rents on property owned there, stopping in Tennessee where he frequently visited David Crockett.
A short reenactment of this event that took place in 1864. Went one step further, and decided that this would come over better as a silent film. Enjoy!

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Civil
• War
• North
• Carolina
• Historical
• reenactment
• Silent
• Film