In the Battle of Kings Mountain, Benjamin served as colonel in the militia and led one of the many columns which successfully assaulted the British position. Robert served as captain of a company in his brother's regiment. This victory of the colonial militia was a significant one in that it forced General Cornwallis to withdraw in South Carolina.

Robert Cleveland built his house on the Parsonville Road in Wester Wilkes County around 1779. He farmed and had 13 children by his first wife, Aley Mathis. A set of twin girls were born in 1791. When the twins were two weeks old, their mother and one of the little girls, died on the same day. This was December 18, just one week before Christmas. A few years later, Robert married Sallie Johnson and produced four children by that marriage. He died in 1812 at the age of 68. Hundreds of descendants have visited the house of their ancestory.

For many years the house stood vacant, slowly decaying, a refuge for an occasional stray animals. In 1987, the house was purchased by Old Wilkes, taken apart and brought downtown to Wilkesboro, where the task of reassembling began. The original logs were used with only a few having to be replaced and the mountain rocks which made the chimneys were washed, stacked and reused in the two large chimneys and fireplaces. All the original beams are exposed, however, the floors and rafters had to be replaced. The rafters were cut from the Cleveland land and are held together with wooden pegs, which was the way it was originally constructed. It is believed to be the oldest house in Wilkes County.