Living

NC home to world famous Siamese twins

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more intriguing tale than the true story of the world famous Siamese twins that called Mount Airy, N.C., home.

Originally from Siam (now Thailand), twins Eng and Chang Bunker were born in 1811. The two were conjoined by cartilage at the breastbone. While both men had their own organs, they did share blood and were never separated because such a risky surgery had never been attempted. Doctors were worried that even if they were able to separate the brothers, that they wouldn’t have the manpower to properly handle each twin’s recovery once they were separated on the table. For years, doctors were enamored with studying the Bunker brothers’ joint anatomy, but none were able to provide a solution for separating them.

Growing up, the boys managed to live a moderately normal life – running, swimming and fishing –though special furniture had to be made to properly fit their bodies.

At age 18, Eng and Chang were brought over to live in America and travel around the world in what was commonly known as Freak Shows, where they would be on exhibit seven days a week. While on tour, the Bunkers became known internationally, from Europe and Dublin to Canada and Antwerp. As their popularity grew, so did their bank accounts! At the age of 21 they completely separated from their ‘managers’ and represented themselves as they continued to tour for 10 more years.

While on display at the Barnum Museum in New York City, a doctor visiting from North Carolina became fascinated with the twins and invited them to Wilkesboro for a vacation and much needed time off from exhibiting. They took the doctor up on his offer and fell in love with the Tar Heel State and decided it was time to settle down with the money they had earned over the years.

Mount Airy provided the perfect location for the brothers to set up their merchandise store and have privacy. They also purchased land to build a home and start their new lives. Eng and Chang eventually met two sisters and got married in a double wedding ceremony.

As the families began to grow, so did the need for space. Tensions were running high with two households functioning under one roof. To try and smooth out the situation, the families bought farmland and built two separate houses a mile apart from each other. The brothers would rotate spending three days at one house, then three days at the other. Over 20 children were produced by the two families.

At the age of 62, Eng and Chang passed away within hours of each other.

Each year the town of Mount Airy hosts a family reunion for descendants of the twins the last full weekend in July. The public is welcome to participate in the reunion.

Interesting facts: The term Siamese twins was coined as a reference to Eng and Chang. It’s also believed the brothers were America’s first Buddhists.

For more information on the Siamese twins, visit surryarts.org.

[ Read more features by Amy Trainum on her website SouthernDeparture.com. ]