Cornelia Alice Norris

Cornelia Alice Norris (née Norris; August 27, 1857 – June 22, 1935) was an American socialite, clubwoman, and genealogist. Born into an affluent farming family in Wake County, North Carolina, she married Matthew Tyson Norris, a wealthy dry goods merchant and cotton factor, and lived in the Norris-Heartt House, a mansion in downtown Raleigh that was deeded to her by her parents. She was known for her elegant soirées, which were written about in the local papers. Norris was active in women's organizations including the Ladies Auxiliary of the Young Men's Christian Association and Sunday school at First Baptist Church. She was the founding Regent of the Caswell-Nash Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and worked as a genealogist in her later life.

Biography Cornelia Alice Norris was born in Wake County, North Carolina on August 27, 1857, to Jesse Allen Norris and Amy Ann Adams. Her father was from a wealthy farming family residing in Holly Springs. Her grandfather, Needham Norris, was a Baptist minister and the owner of the Norris-Holland-Hare House, a Federal-style farmhouse that is the oldest structure in Holly Springs. Her parents deeded the house exclusively in her name, not her husband's name. The Norrises lived their entire married lives in Raleigh. She worked as a genealogist in her later years, assisting clients in tracing their ancestry and family history.