WARD-HANCOCK HOUSE 
In Richard Rustull Sr.'s 1760 Will, he left acreage to grandchildren Mary Rustull and John Rustull, children of Richard Rustull Jr. who died in 1746. In 1785, Mary Rustull Kirtland West and brother John sold 300 acres to Benjamin Cheney. Two years later, Cheney purchased another 125 acres. In 1796, Cheney sold acreage and premises to Thomas Ward. This is the only deed that mentions a premises, or track of land, including a building. As noted in Early Domestic Architecture in Beaufort, North Carolina, Summer Field Study 2011: "Although a date of  'c. 1726' is painted on a plaque on the front porch, evidence suggests this house was most likely constructed at a much later date,  probably in the late-18th or early-19th century." The home was purchased by the Beaufort Woman's Club who donated it to the North Carolina Maritime Museum's Gallants Channel Annex.