CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A historic home that has been a landmark in west Charlotte since before the Civil War is in jeopardy.
"There's not a lot of history left in Charlotte," said historian David Aaron Moore.
The Wearn House, along Tuckaseegee Road, has stood since the early 1840s when it was built by Richard Wearn, who came to the Charlotte area during the height of the Gold Rush.
The house sits empty and could be demolished to make room for future development.
Moore is trying to stop that from happening.
"If you don't know where you came from, how do you know where you are going?" Moore said.
Moore has written about the house and its history. He is a Charlottean trying to help the old house find new life.
"I think it would serve greatly as a museum of history that looks at the west side's history, the history of the Gold Rush and the African-American history of the area," Moore said.
The current owner, listed as Magnolia Acres, bought the property in 2008 at an auction.
The owners have received zoning approval to build a subdivision on the 26-acre property, but since the purchase, nothing has been done with it.
"Whoever owns the property, if they want to demolish the property, for example, (they) would have to come to us first and ask permission," said Historic Landmark Society representative Dan Morrill.
Morrill said if the current owners wanted to tear it down, the Historic Landmark Commission could delay the demolition for up to a year.
"As most people know, Charlotte doesn't have a good history of preserving its history, and I think it's time we do that," Morrill said.
Channel 9 asked an attorney for Magnolia Acres about future development but has not received an answer.