NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1975 SESSION

CHAPTER 889

SENATE BILL 631

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF "RICHMOND HILL LAW SCHOOL" IN YADKIN COUNTY.

Whereas, Richmond Mumford Pearson was one of the great legal minds produced in North Carolina, serving on the bench longer than any other man in history to that time, including positions as Superior Court Judge from 1837 to 1848, Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1848 to 1858, and Chief Justice of that court from 1858 to 1878; and

Whereas, Judge Pearson established in 1847-48 a law school at his home above the Yadkin River, called "Richmond Hill"; and

Whereas, at "Richmond Hill" Justice Pearson conducted one of the best known private law schools ever established in the United States from 1848 to 1876, educating there three governors, six Supreme Court Justices, more than a dozen superior court judges, three Congressmen of the United States, one Confederate Congressman, numerous State legislators, and various ambassadors, cabinet officers, and other luminaries; and

Whereas, the building known as "Richmond Hill" has been placed in the charge of the historic Richmond Hill Law School Commission, which with forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) of private, foundation, State, federal, and local funds, has stabilized the structure and forty thousand dollars ($40,000) is now being used to further restore and preserve the structure which played such an important role in North Carolina's history; and

Whereas, a Bureau of Outdoor Recreation grant of twenty-four thousand dollars ($24,000) has been used to develop the surrounding 24 acres as an historic nature park; and

Whereas, a pre-application has been submitted to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Discretionary Community Development grant to aid in the complete restoration of "Richmond Hill"; and

Whereas, there is an urgent need for additional funds to enable "Richmond Hill", including the outside "kitchen" and lawn, to be fully restored; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources, for completing the restoration of Richmond Hill Law School in Yadkin County for the 1975-1976 fiscal year the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), provided a like amount is raised by the Richmond Hill Law School Commission after July 1, 1975; and for the 1976-1977 fiscal year the sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), provided a like amount is raised by the Richmond Hill Law School Commission after July 1, 1976.

Sec. 2.  Funds appropriated in this act shall be expended only in accordance with Section 143-31.2 of the Executive Budget Act.

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1975.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 26th day of June, 1975.