John Tucker Battle purchased the 449 acre Mount Pleasant tract and its improvements on January 1, 1937 (Surry County Deed Book 42:490; Plat Book 4:75-76). Battle and his wife, Rosemary Brandenburg Battle, retained Mount Pleasant until March 28, 1941, at which time they sold it to Franz von Schilling Jr. and his wife (Surry County Deed Book 44:493).