Trove of 1800s firearms vanishes from mountain homestead museum, NC sheriff says

An unusual theft is under investigation at one of western North Carolina’s oldest homes, after a trove of 1800s firearms mysteriously vanished.

The crime scene is the 233-year-old Historic Carson House, which is stocked “with period antiques, artifacts, and personal items” belonging to the state’s early settlers.

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office reports the weapons were stolen this week, but investigators have not released details of how the culprits got into the home.

“Several of these firearms date back to (and were used in) the American Civil War and Spanish-American War eras and are considered valuable historical artifacts,” the sheriff’s office reported in a May 11 news release.

“Please help us recover these important pieces of history so they can be safely returned.”

The stolen weapons include:

• A percussion rifle with a curly maple stock from the Civil War era
• 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun manufactured by Russell Arms Co. in Belgium (approximately 37.5 inches in length with a 9-inch stock)
• 16-gauge rifle dated to 1862, missing the forward stock band and ramrod, with the initials “HB” carved into the side
• A U.S. Army rifle manufactured in 1896 by Springfield Armory (Serial #24574), approximately 28.5 inches in length with a 16-inch barrel
• 12-gauge single-barrel shotgun from the 1800s, approximately 49 inches in length

The antique weapons had been donated to the museum by people in the community, officials said.

Historic Carson House dates to 1793 and was built by farmer and entrepreneur John Hazzard Carson, who moved to the region from Ireland in 1773, according to site historians.

The home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is managed by a nonprofit corporation.

“Exhibits highlight the region’s Revolutionary War and Civil War history, stagecoach travel, and plantation life, along with local Native American artifacts,” according to the home’s website.

Anyone with information on the theft is asked contact McDowell County Det. Derrick McGinnis at 828-652-2235, ext. 1235, officials said.

Marion is about a 95-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:26 AM with the headline "Trove of 1800s firearms vanishes from mountain homestead museum, NC sheriff says."