Aired on December 28, 2025

• Historic Architecture, Enslaved People, Jordan Lake

Invited visitors to the historic John A. Mason house start in Durham and take a three-mile driveway that ends at the house located in Chatham County. Built around 1850 in the Greek Revival style and situated on a 600-acre parcel originally acquired by John Acree Mason in 1835, the house reflects Mason’s rise within the middle-echelon planter class. Over time, he expanded his holdings to more than 1,000 acres, establishing a prominent plantation that contributed significantly to the region’s agricultural economy.

The house features notable interior elements exemplifying the craftsmanship of the period. The property includes the Jesse Mason Cemetery, where both family members and formerly enslaved individuals, such as Sallie Mason, “Our Black Mammy”, are interred, underscoring the complex history of the estate. Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard, the current caretaker of the house, beautifully describes the house, the respect she has for the former residents and their modern descendants, and the honor she feels living in this vital link with the past. Listen in and meet our guest:

Elected as a Chatham County Commissioner in 2014, Karen Howard is a former attorney who lives in Northeast Chatham. Commissioner Howard served as a member of the Chatham County Board of Education from 2012-2014. Born in New York, Commissioner Howard spent much of her childhood in the Bahamas. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgetown University and a LLB in Law from the University of Buckingham in England. In addition to serving as Chair of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, Commissioner Howard serves on the Governor’s Crime Commission, and the Central Carolina Community College Board of Trustees. 

“On The Porch” is hosted by Randolph ”Randy” Voller. He is also the publisher of Chatham County Line. Randy welcomes guests to the show who are from the communities of art, academia, business, and politics for friendly and informative conversations. “On The Porch” airs every Sunday at 11:06 AM, and is repeated at 5:06 PM and 8:06 PM on WCHL-FM 97.9. The show also streams on ChapelBoro.com
Current and previous shows of “On The Porch” are posted as on-demand, ad-free podcasts at ChapelBoro.com, Spotify and Apple Podcasts
To be a guest on the show or send us a comment, email: ontheporch@wchl.com