Welcome to The Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home

What is today "The Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home" was built by Captain Fielden Lewis Hale as a thirteen-room three-story home in 1845. The original home was a brick home with four chimneys made in the Federalist style. The Hales were among the wealthiest families in Carroll County which was carved out of Grayson County in 1842. The home is on the highest hill in Hillsville, Virginia and was built on the Wytheville Pike which was the only North-South route through the mountain gap at the time it was built. In 1864 the home was purchased by James Wilkinson, whose daughter Mayetta married George Lafayette Carter. The Carters lived in the home following Mr. Wilkinson's death in 1914. The Carters added significant additions to the home in 1924 to make it a 34 room five-story home.

After Mayetta died, the house was sold to Carroll County in 1959, and was used for governmental offices until the new Governmental Complex was completed in 2000. Until recently, the home was the property of Carroll County, Virginia and should be restored, preserved and used wisely by and for the people. In 2001, the house became a community project under the supervision of the Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home Foundation which has been a 501c3 organization since 2002. The county was able to secure two grants totaling $248,000 over the past two years and has been able to start the restoration process on the home. The work was closely monitored by the county and the Foundation with much more work to do to complete the restoration project.

On January 19, 2010, two members of the Foundation met with the county administrator to discuss the conditions of the potential transfer of the Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home to the Foundation. Shortly afterward, the Board of Supervisors gave their approval for the transfer of the home during a public hearing held at Carroll County High School on March 8, 2010. The Home, located on .557 acres in historic downtown Hillsville, was deeded to the Foundation from Carroll County on April 5, 2010.

The current goals include restoring the home to its condition in 1924, utilizing the facility as a gathering place for public meetings, art galleries, art studios, craft shows, musical performances, plays, sale of local books, and for tour groups interested in the knowing more about the history of the Home. We would also plan to include the following: weddings, reunions, receptions and other community events.

The targeted market includes a wide range of people starting with the local town and county people, surrounding counties and tourists from numerous states and countries. We envision the home being used in many ways including potential businesses being located in the facility.