Maple Grove is an Italianate style, elaborate farm house built in 1883 and restored for the visiting public as house museum. It was originally the home of Adolphus Lafayette Shuford (1832-1885), his wife Mary Adelaide Lindsay Shuford (1842-1900), and the youngest of their 12 children. “Dolph” Shuford was a founder of Hickory Tavern, a village that became the city of Hickory in 1873.
The two-story frame house was built by skilled carpenters adjacent to a smaller 1870’s frame house, one of the oldest standing buildings in Hickory. Shuford bought multiple lots, imported the first Jersey cattle herd to North Carolina, and developed a 70-acre dairy farm shortly before his death. From 1912 to 1970 the then-subdivided property was the home of the Dan and Hattie Boyd family. In 1970, thanks to a gift from Mrs. Wade Hampton Shuford, the Hickory Landmarks Society purchased Maple Grove to restore and preserve as a historic site.
Today, visitors can see and experience Maple Grove as it appeared in the mid-1890’s when Mary Adelaide, the widow Shuford, was its elder matriarch. Original family items and furnishings are among the period room exhibits.
Visitation Hours:
Important Note: Maple Grove is now open to the visiting public from 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. Tours are self guided. Allow for 30-60 minutes. Admission and parking are free.
