History

In 1842, seventeen justices of the peace met at the Carson House, home of Jonathan Logan Carson (youngest son and heir of Col. John Carson’s estate) to form a new county from portions of Burke and Rutherford Counties. The new county of McDowell became an official county for North Carolina in March 1843. It was named after local Revolutionary War hero, Joseph McDowell. The new county seat was named Marion, after another legendary patriot, Francis Marion. Fifty acres for the new town of Marion was gifted to the county by Jonathan Logan Carson and Carson was paid sixty-five dollars for an additional thirteen acres. Until the Marion Courthouse could be built, court proceedings took place at the Carson House. The first Superior Court was held in the new courthouse in September 1845.