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| Governors Club History |
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 Goldie Towne, the first resident of Governors Club, moved to her new home on Umstead in 1989. She was follwed by Merel Harmel and Ernestine Friedl when they became the first residents in Governors Square.
The following was witten by Cheryl Karlin.
Ewards Mountain, and its magnificient wooded environment , has a long history. It is a part of the Uwharrie Mountain Range which is even older than the Appalachians. From the highest point of Edwards Mountain, one can view the Triassic Basin, a million year old ocean where fossil remains have been discovered. Ancient granite forms most of the mountain. Quartz, amethyst and sapphire are said to have been found during construction of homes at Governors Club.
For the Occoneechee Indians, Edwards Mountain was sacred ground. From the early 18th century until the first European Settlers came, the Occoneechees llived on the back side of Edwards Mountain. There artifacts are still being discovered at Governors Club.
The designation, Edwards Mountain was first used in the 19th century by the Edwards family, who owned most of the land. A thriving plantation, operated by the Carson family, was also located on Edwards Mountain. After the Civil War much of the property was given to former slaves who continued farming the area. More recently, Edwards Mountain was owned by Ligget and Meyers Tobacco Company, which used it to entertain clients on wild turkey hunts. Another owner was William Lanier Hunt, a distinguished horticulturist.
The mighty mountain oaks on Edwards Mountain are chestnut oaks, white oaks, red oaks, post oaks, black oaks and the very rare overcup oak. The present site of Morehead Lake was originally Overcup Creek. Some of those old giant oaks still stand today and the saplings that grew up around them, our present forest, is over a century old. Native azaleas and dogwoods are abundant. The natural growth of wild ginger, polk berry, common Mullheim, butterfly weed, morning glory and sunflower are native wild flowers that appear every summer.
Only if we respect and understand the beauty and ruggedness of Edwards Mountain can we enhance and retain it.
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