Esther Hill and Richard Thomas McDowell Endowment

Richard and Esther Hill McDowell were solid, loyal North Carolinians. Richard was born and raised in Brunswick County and served in President Roosevelt’s CCC service before WWII. He served in the Navy during WWII in Guam and the South Pacific and fought in the Battle of Midway on LST 241. He was the owner of Tar Heel Steel, the first BP Station in Clayton, and McDowell’s Mechanic and Welding. His handiwork as a welder is revealed in his designs all over Clayton. After retirement, he worked for Natvar keeping their tools in excellent condition with his welding skills.

Esther Barbour Hill McDowell’s lineage dates back to the late 1700s in Johnston County, beginning in the Elevation Township in “Barbourville.” Esther was orphaned at 13 during the Depression, raised four brothers ages 2-8, and used that experience for her lifelong mission. She was a foster parent and visited/supported local orphanages. With her seamstress skills and an arrangement with Norwich/Champion products, she made hundreds of t-shirts and briefs for the children at O’Berry Center in Goldsboro for many years. She was honored as a “Volunteer of the Year” by Governor Hunt. She grew up on a sheep farm where Clayton High School (CHS) now stands, and a scholarship is established in her name for a CHS graduate going to JCC where at age 40 she received her high school diploma.