At a time when the trend is to leave downtown, Cameron attracts people to the downtown area.
Downtown Cameron won Elizabeth Nhambure’s heart as she drove down the main street for the first time and said she felt like she was home again.
“I wanted a farm,” Nhambure said about returning to drive down Cameron’s main street to see the house where she now lives.
Her home on Carthage Street is zoned rural agriculture, which allows her goats and chickens. There is a barn and garden area where she is building raised beds.
“This is how I grew up,” Nhambure said about living in a town with a farm and a church within walking distance.
According to an ABC report on Feb. 28, people are searching for rural-agriculture-zoned homes, partly because more people work remotely.
Nhambure works remotely for IBM as an end-user communications advocacy leader. She looks at users’ experiences with printers and analyzes how to improve accessibility, and she is the company’s portfolio manager.
She is retired military and previously lived in Cameron’s Harnett County area.
“Never in a million years thought I’d be in this house,” Nhambure said about purchasing the Victorian-era home in the town with a “Mayberry” essence.
The historic “Muse” house was built in 1878 and has been updated and preserved on 1.74 acres.
“It went up for a showing in November, and it didn’t go, and I met a realtor, and by Wednesday, won the contract and closed Jan. 13,” she said.
“Cameron is a sleepy town with great neighbors. I drop off eggs,” she said.
Her son, Eli, 13, will join her in June, and she said they will be busy.
Look for them along the downtown streets because Nhambure volunteers for Cameron’s Beautification Committee.
“I imagine my summers with my son in community service,” she said.
Her life’s motto is to be kind.
Nhambure has three pit bulls; Stella, primarily white and a shy girl; Saint, her new tan puppy; and Stewart, who is black.
With several antique shops down the street, Nhambure said she supports the community by purchasing local furniture to decorate her home. She said she loves items that have a story.
And that is Elizabeth Nhambure’s story about moving to her dream home in downtown Cameron, the other “Mayberry.”
If you know someone who makes Moore County a great place to live and would like to see them profiled in this series, please send your suggestions to [email protected].
Feature photo: Elizabeth Nhambure enjoys her new home with her new puppy, Saint, on Feb. 28, 2023, in Cameron.
~Article and photos by Sandhills Sentinel Journalist Stephanie M. Sellers.
