by Kathy Huffstetler
Cheryl Crooms Williams is the 5th generation owner of Turner House, the beautiful two-story white house that sits in Oberlin Village at 1002 Oberlin Road, walking distance from our church. Cheryl lives in Garner but wants to preserve this historic house and share it with the public. Therefore, she formed the nonprofit Historic Turner House Foundation and Turner House Tours in August 2022. The home was built in 1889 by John Turner whose mother was previously enslaved at the Cameron Plantation nearby. Ten years later John Turner and his wife, Mary Turner added a two-story Victorian front to the house which has a treasure trove of photos, antiques and cultural artifacts inside. When you’re visiting, it’s easy to feel what daily life must have been like in this home that was continuously owned by generations of the Turner family since the Civil War.
Cheryl and her daughter, Brooke, graciously hosted eleven of us from West Raleigh last December. Joining the house tour were Jim House, Ken Cobb, Sarah McCracken Cobb, Emily Grant and Petie Szabo. Touring the home as well as the cemetery were Katherine Rick-Miller, Pam Wilson, LaMae Fields, Amy Simes and Susan Baker and Kathy Huffstetler.
Last Sunday, February 12th, Cheryl visited our church and gave an eloquent and moving “Minute for Mission” on her vision for Turner House and what it means for her to share this story of a newly freed African American family living in the thriving Oberlin community. This was a family who attained wealth and prestige through hard work and perseverance and enabled future generations to stand on their shoulders and achieve success as well. To make a donation to the Historic Turner House Foundation to help preserve this valuable piece of history through this Sunday’s Special Offering linked below.
Enjoy photos of our December tour below and read this great article about the Historic Turner House in the November 2022 edition of Walter Magazine.