A Decade of Love at Vesuvius Vineyards

Published in

visionsandeventsinclt

6 min readDec 3, 2019

Historic Wedding Venue in a small town in N.C. Celebrates 10 Successful Years In the Industry

Hidden behind towering walnut trees, down winding roads in small town Iron Station, N.C. sits Vesuvius Vineyards, a 227-year-old Georgian-style house that serves as one of the area’s few wedding venues. As the venue approaches its tenth year in business, owners and family look back on what contributed to its great success over the past decade in the wedding and event industry.

The History

The house built in 1792 stands as the oldest structure in Lincoln County, a nationally historic registered home, and remains in the Lineberger family who originally purchased it from the family of the builder, General Joseph Graham.

Graham, an influential political figure in Lincoln County and surrounding areas, held several authoritative positions throughout his lifetime such as first sheriff of Mecklenburg County, state senator and board of trustee member for the University of North Carolina. Local historian, Daniel W. Barefoot, studies Graham and his influence as founder of the Vesuvius house.

“The original portion of the mansion was erected in the three-room Quaker plan and much of the beauty and sophistication of its Georgian ornamentation has been preserved,” says Barefoot. “Of particular interest are the solid six-panel doors, the exquisite fireplace mantel and the spectacular carved stair ends.”

The house earned the name ‘Vesuvius’ after being built, due to the then functioning iron furnace across the street from the property. According to Sarah Melton of the Lincoln Times-News, “the furnace’s embers and smoke erupting from the top resembled the great volcano, Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii, Italy.”

A Family Business

After years of using the house for agricultural purposes and eventually renting the home out to tenants, the exterior and interior began to deteriorate. In 2007, the Lineberger and Thompson family faced the fate of the historic house with some hesitation. “It was either build it back up or let it fall in,” says John Lineberger III, venue coordinator and son of partial owner. “Our family could hardly imagine seeing such a big part of our lives fade away, so that’s why we worked hard to make it something spectacular that would last for decades to come.”

The decision to renovate and turn the house into a wedding venue resulted as a decision to host current manager and venue coordinator, Jay Thompson’s upcoming wedding at the historic family home. Thompson’s wedding sparked a business plan.

Cousins Lineberger and Thompson presented the business proposition to their family who agreed to support the plan of restoring and repurposing Vesuvius. “The more we talked to people when we were first starting out, they said ‘There is nothing like this out here,’” Thompson says. “ It has really come a long way since then and I’m lucky to have seen it all through since the very beginning.”

Renovations began in 2007 with a plan in mind to keep as much of the history intact as possible. After the addition of the 800-square-foot arbor overlooking the nearby creek, built to accommodate more guests, the family focused on the interior of the house. With fresh wallpaper and paint, updated bathroom fixtures and period appropriate furnishing, Vesuvius Vineyards evolved into its newfound role as a venue.

In order to increase the venue’s appeal, partial owner Libba Thompson suggested the addition of several acres of grape vines in hopes of eventually making and selling a house wine. In looking back on this decision made over ten years ago, Thompson alters her opinion for the purpose of the vineyards.

“For several reasons, the desire to produce and sell our own wine has taken a backseat to the event aspect of the business,” says Thompson. “While the grape vines are still there and provide a nice backdrop for bridal photos, we are focusing more on creating a versatile atmosphere for clients who may prefer different options for their special events.”

Erupting in the Event Industry

Hosting nearly 60 events per year with some double-wedding weekends, Vesuvius Vineyards still prides itself on being a family owned and run business, as well as one of the most popular venues in the area. While weddings make up the majority of the events held at the historic plantation, the space frequently serves class reunions, fundraising events, Chamber of Commerce events and local bridal shows.

The North Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution organization chose to name their 2018 Vesuvius Furnace chapter after the historical influence of the house. This group of forty women hold monthly meetings at Vesuvius and sponsor various events there, as well.

With scenic surroundings and acres upon acres of wide-open land, Vesuvius Vineyards frequents the pages of wedding planner’s and photographer’s blogs from serving as a beautiful backdrop for styled shoot photos that advertise all vendors involved.

As Lincoln County expands by way of incoming restaurants, retail stores and small businesses, Vesuvius Vineyards receives increased advertisement. In an interview on Late Night Cravings with Julie Smith, local Chick-Fil-A spokesperson, Thompson reveals the little known history of the house and guides an extended video tour.

The video features all amenities available for use by guests at Vesuvius Vineyards including the bride and groom rooms, the arbor, the creek, the bridge and more.

Still Expanding

In the fall of 2018, the Lineberger and Thompson families proceeded to expand upon the business and the amenities offered at Vesuvius Vineyards by building a stand-alone structure designed in the style of an old, white chapel. The chapel is suitable for weddings with a smaller guest count, as well as reception parties or cocktail hours. It also provides an additional space for guests to hide from any unexpected inclimate weather during an event.

Several months after the addition of the new structure, manager Thompson and his wife Kristy renewed their vows in the same spot where they first exchanged rings, nearly ten years before when Vesuvius Vineyards first tested the waters of the wedding industry. Since then, over 300 other happy couples chose to tie the knot on the grounds of historic Vesuvius Vineyards.

Looking Into the New Year

With the New Year approaching, the owners and family at Vesuvius Vineyards gear up for the fourth annual New Year’s Day celebration at the venue. Since 2016, local vendors such as Chillin’ and Grilln’ catering and Jazz Street Band join together at Vesuvius for a day of ringing in the New Year with music, food and approximately 400 of Lincoln County’s population members.

“The New Year’s party means so much to me as an entrepreneur, an event coordinator and as a member of this family,” says Thompson. “When everyone in the community and in my family comes together like that to celebrate a year of success, it feels like a promise of good luck for the coming year and so far it’s worked.”

Vesuvius Vineyards’ moto stated on their website: “Take a trip back in time for your special event” encompasses all that the venue aims to provide to guests, no matter what they happen to be celebrating.

Cheers to another decade of love at Vesuvius Vineyards!

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