Biographical/historical information

Born on 13 May 1885, Herbert Converse Kennerly moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina, in 1916 as a greenhouse manager for Pinehurst, Inc. He continued in that capacity until his death on 5 April 1937. He was an active member in local and regional floral organizations. Mr. Kennerly's wife was Murdena Susan "Margaret" Logan Hardee, a native of Nova Scotia and later a resident of Boston, Massachusetts. She was married first to C. E. Hardee in 1915, but he died in the flu epidemic of January 1919.

Scope and arrangement

Correspondence (1916-1962) is largely of a personal nature. Of particular interest is a letter (20 April 1933) to Mr. Kennerly from the Department of Revenue mentioning a bank holiday declared by President Roosevelt. The Revenue Department felt that the holiday came at a particularly bad time, namely during the heaviest part of the income tax filing period. Several letters mention the bank problems during the Depression and one letter mentions the National Relief Administration operations. Additional items comment on activities in Maine (1936) and describe life in and around Boston (1937), namely Decoration Day, tax rate increases, and strikes.

Income tax forms of both Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Kennerly reveal their financial activities from 1917-1945 and a financial record (1937-1939) reflects the H. C. Kennerly estate. Other financial data includes automobile insurance policies and stock and social security information.

There are numerous contracts which include information on the terms of Mr. Kennerly's employment as greenhouse manager for Pinehurst, Inc. Personal legal records include land deeds and marriage and death certificates.

Miscellaneous items include a ledger book (1932), automobile licenses, a biographical sketch of Herbert C. Kennerly, several membership cards of the Southern Florist Association, by-laws and rosters (1912-1920) for the Palestine Lodge A.F. and A.M. of Everett, Massachusetts, World War II items concerning rationing and the aircraft warning service of the U.S. Army, and clippings.

Administrative information

Custodial History

January 20, 1970, ca. 120 items; Correspondence, contracts, financial records, certificates, legal papers.

April 30, 1986, 10 items; World War II rationing records. Gift of Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives, of Greenville and Enfield, N.C.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives

Processing information

Processed by K. Gunnet; M. Elmore, March 1998

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration

Key terms

Personal Names

Kennerly, Herbert Converse

Corporate Names

Freemasons--Massachusetts
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Pinehurst, N.C.)

Topical

Depressions--1929
World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects--United States

Places

Boston (Mass.)--Social life and customs

Container list