In 1982, Edgar Faulcon Thorne, great grandson of Marina Alston, builder of Cherry Hill, donated the house and fourteen surrounding acres to the nonprofit Cherry Hill Historical Foundation, Inc. Mr. Thorne left the remaining 480 acres of Cherry Hill property to the foundation at his death in 2004. The purposes of the foundation are to promote the arts and education and to maintain and preserve Cherry Hill as a site for cultural events that serve the larger community. (from The House Marina Built by Catherine Bishir, 2004)
Three classical music concerts take place each spring, and three more are performed in the fall. In addition, a concert by a promising student, usually from the greater Raleigh area, is held in June. The foundation also has begun an annual Christmas event for its members and their friends, with the old house decorated for the season. In the past, Cherry Hill has hosted arts exhibits and lectures by scholars and writers such as author Reynolds Price and his brother, historian William S. Price, Jr., both of whom grew up in Warren County.
In 2004, the foundation published a book, The House Marina Built, written by Catherine Bishir with photographs by Elizabeth Matheson. The book tells the story of Cherry Hill and the remarkable family that lived there without interruption for nearly 150 years. It is available for purchase at a cost of $20.00, plus shipping and any applicable sales tax. The front cover photograph of Cherry Hill illustrates the home page of this website.
The Cherry Hill Historical Foundation strives to continue the preservation of the house, foster the cultural uses of the property, and expand the development of the property for educational and historical use by the public. With just over 100 members and a mailing list of 400 interested persons, the Foundation is constantly seeking others who wish to be a part of the vision of Edgar Thorne. New members are welcome, and may join on any of several financial levels. A membership form maybe downloaded here. Information can be obtained by emailing mary.b.raiford@gmail.com or by writing to:
Cherry Hill Historical Foundation
PO Box 149
Inez, NC 27589.
Persons interested in visiting the property may contact the foundation at the above addresses.
The foundation has a board of directors, each of whom serves a 5-year term. Members of the board reflect the extended geographical area that supports the dream of Cherry Hill.
| Current members of the board of directors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Noel Robertson Inez, NC | Vice President | Audrey Tippett Warrenton, NC |
| Secretary | Mary Hunter Raleigh, NC | Treasurer | Mary Catherine Harris Warrenton, NC |
| Members | |||
| Julius E. Banzet III, Warrenton, NC | Marvin Newsom, Littleton, NC | Matt R. Johnston, Littleton, NC | E. T. Malone, JR, Warrenton, NC |
| Brooke Holt, Warrenton, NC | Bruce Coan, Chapel Hill, NC | ||
| Non-board positions | |||
| Director of Music | Joyce Roberts, Franklinton, NC | Executive Director | Mary Brodie Raiford, Warrenton, NC |