Guide to Lake Norman Nightlife – August 14 – 17, 2025 (Posted Each Thursday Afternoon)
- Guide to Nightlife in Lake Norman
Mount Mourne is an unincorporated community in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States. It is located on North Carolina Highway 115, 3.5 miles southwest of Mooresville. The Mount Mourne post office was established on April 5, 1805, with James Houston as postmaster. It has been in continuous operation since 1805 and currently has a ZIP code of 28123. Early settlers named the community after the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.
Rufus Reid (1787-1854) built the Mount Mourne Plantation in Mount Mourne in 1836.
Reid worked as a merchant and plantation owner in Rowan County, North Carolina. He moved to Iredell County, North Carolina, and commissioned the construction of a mansion on his property.
As early as 1831, he served as the postmaster of Mount Mourne. He was still serving in this capacity in 1841. He was elected as a member of the Iredell County Court. Additionally, he was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons in 1842 and 1844.
On 10 March 1828, Reid purchased the property for the plantation. He began with 50 acres, for which he paid $250. By the time Rufus Reid died, he had a total of about 3625 acres of land and his home.
He grew cotton, wheat and corn. In 1850, the plantation was one of the largest in the area and the second largest in Iredell County. This made Rufus Reid one of the wealthiest and most prosperous planters in the area and the state as a whole.
That plantation lent its name to the modern-day community of Mount Mourne, North Carolina, right where that old home still stands tall. It is currently privately owned and closed to the public.
I have lived in Huntersville my entire life. We actually trace my family’s history back for eight generations. When folks hear this, they ask, “What was life like before the lake?” That question inspired me to research the history of the area. This new feature is the result of those questions. I plan to write many articles about “Life Before The Lake” and post them on www.Lknconnect.com’s website.
