|
North Carolina's Governors
David Stone (1770-1818), a follower of Thomas Jefferson politically, was the builder of the now-restored "Hope" plantation near Windsor. Born in Bertie County, he graduated in 1788 from the College of New Jersey (what is now Princeton University) with honors. He studied law under William R. Davie at Halifax and was admitted to the bar. Stone was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 1799 to 1801. It was while in Congress that Stone switched his political affiliation from Federalist to Republican, supporting Thomas Jefferson for president in 1800. The following year he resigned from the House to accept a seat in the Senate. There he remained until 1807. Stone returned to North Carolina and to the state judiciary in 1807, and the following year, was elected to the first of two terms as governor. As chief executive, he struggled to protect property owners from the land claims of Lord Granville's heirs, encouraged broad-based education, and urged improvements in agriculture, transportation, and finance. It was during his second term as governor (1810) that the State Bank was chartered. Stone ended his governorship in December 1810. In 1812 he again was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served for two years. As senator, Stone's opposition to the War of 1812 provoked censure from the General Assembly, whose members supported the war by a substantial margin. Stone defended his actions as based on principle, but in 1814 resigned his Senate seat and returned to North Carolina. Stone's landholdings were quite extensive, both through inheritance and acquisition, his principal plantation residences being "Hope" in Bertie County and "Restdale" near Raleigh. Renewing his earlier interest in internal improvements, he endeavored during his last years to improve navigation along the Neuse River. Stone died at his Wake County plantation and was buried there on the grounds.
|
