The Home of Captain J. F. Alston
Gandy Coffee House is located in a National Registry Historic Building, the Captain James F. Alston House.
Captain Alston (1860-1935) was a prominent railroad conductor, engineer, and civic leader whose life and home are deeply entwined with the history of the Town of Pittsboro. Captain Alston worked for the Seaboard Air Line for 46 years and was well known throughout Pittsboro and Montcure.
Living for decades in this distinguished Victorian home with his wife, Octavia E. Daub, Capt. Alston and his wife “Ockie”played an instrumental role in shaping the town’s community and culture. The house stood right beside the Pittsboro rail station-a vital stop on the line from Pittsboro to Montcure. The railroad was the lifeline that brought commerce, visitors, and opportunity to Pittsboro, putting the town on the map and helping it flourish in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Captain Alston’s leadership, generosity, and commitment made him a key figure in the story of Pittsboro’s rise, and many artifacts, including hundreds of news articles about his daily activities, celebrate his impact and the significance of both is home and the railroad to the town’s enduring legacy.
The deed records from the Chatham Historial Society shows the home may have been built in 1886. Captain J. F. Alston purchased this Victorian home from W. L. London in 1892. W. L London was one of Pittsboro’s most prominent merchants and local leaders at the time. Historical records suggest Bennett Nooe constructed the home’s distinctive Queen Anne style of architecture, including its iconic front porch. Bennett Nooe owned a lumber planing mill and was a prominent builder, and many of the beautiful homes he built still stand today.
During this era, it was common practice to physically relocate entire houses: structures were often moved across town, repurposed, or pushed together to create larger, more impressive residences. The Captain Alston home stands as a unique example of this tradition, combining portions of several houses into one-making this home a preservation of layers of architectural history and a patchwork of local stories, craftsmanship, and heritage.
Railroad History.
The Captain James F. Alston home was located next to what once was the Seaboard Air Line, Pittsboro to Montcure Train Depot. In its place today stands the Main Street Station, reminiscent to the days that the train was the heart of the town of “Pittsborough.” Captain Alston ran the train twice a day, and was as well known in the town of Montcure as he was in Pittsboro. We can imagine that after the long days of running the train, an engineer living next door to the railroad stop was a necessity.
A “Gandy” was a tool used to install the railroad and the men who worked on the railroad were called “Gandy Dancers.” The crews of laborers who laid and maintained America’s railroads had strength and their rhythm and Gandy tools kept the steel rails straight and the trains running. Their songs, chants, and teamwork builds the infrastructure that carried commerce and growth to Pittsboro. Though these men are often overlooked, they were vital contributors to the story of our town.
Small Street, where Gandy Coffee House proudly sits on the corner, was first cut through town not for carriages or homes, but to haul massive timbers and ties needed for the tracks. Though the rail line was short-lived, its impact shaped the growth of the town of Pittsboro and connected the community to larger markets and ideas.
Sm