Greensboro's Treasured Places

More Clues Revealed in Albright House History

For those driving on Friendly Avenue in west Greensboro, it is clear that work is underway on one of Greensboro’s most highly anticipated restoration projects.

Recent insights on the history of the Albright House have been confirmed by the removal of aluminum siding and interior plaster – part of the scope of work currently being completed. Evidence continued to suggest the home was constructed around 1850, and research work currently underway through a UNCG historic preservation class will likely fill in more gaps in the historical narrative.

With removal of the aluminum siding, the decorative rafter tails – previously only glimpsed through a gap – are now open to sunshine (image, upper right). The rafter tails were a direct influence of Greensboro’s own Blandwood Mansion, whose Italianate details directed a national movement of architecture style. Interestingly, the rafters are not structural. Instead, they are applied beneath the structural rafters solely as a decorative feature.

Inside the house, the wooden sheathing used for ceiling boards in the east parlor are now exposed in the entry hall and beneath the stairs (image, center right). These wide boards are hand planed and affixed to wall studs and ceiling joists using c. 1850s period cut nails. They likely hold information on some original paint colors used in the house before the Civil War.

Structural members such as studs and joists all feature sash saw marks. Sash saws were most often water powered here in the Carolina Piedmont, and their use was quickly supplanted by steam-powered circular saws with the arrival of the Great Fayetteville and Western Plank Road through High Point in 1852. Sash saw marks are a rare treat among preservationists here in Guilford County!

Amid the many features that merely confirm previous findings, one important new find has been identified in relation to the original façade of the house. A notch cut into the front-facing wall studs has revealed the location of the ledger-strip on which the front porch roof rested. The ledger extended across the middle of
the front façade, terminating just inside the existing windows (image, lower right). This clue supports the theory that this house once looked very similar to the Walker-Scarborough House on McGee Street in College Hill. The grand, two-story Tuscan portico currently gracing the house was possibly added in the twentieth century in a lavish “updates” of the home.

The discovery of a previously unidentified nineteenth century home in Greensboro is an unusual gift to the city for its 200th birthday! The Junior League is not taking their newfound treasure lightly as they embark on a thorough restoration of the landmark for their new headquarters. With its historic materials and features recorded, more information will likely be uncovered by historical research. Keep up with new information on the (re)discovery of the Albright House right here!

Keeping Our History Whole

Fisher Park is one of North Carolina’s treasured places. Catherine Bishir, one of the state’s preeminent architectural historians, referred the neighborhood as “one of the state’s premiere streetcar suburbs” with “remarkably varied houses” as well as what she termed a “masterpiece”, the First Presbyterian Church. Bishir
integrated her laudatory comments on the Fisher Park neighborhood (right) to carefully include the richness of its houses and its institutions. As components of the whole, its residences and religious buildings create one of our states richest built environments, that stands as a testament to the accomplishments achieved by Greensboro residents by the 1930s.

Today, however, we are looking at the unfortunate predicament of having two of our great resources at odds with each other. The masterpiece First Presbyterian Church, designed by Hobart Upjohn in 1928-29, and recipient of an award by the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architect in 1930, is at odds with the
Historic District Program Manual and Design Guidelines enforced by the Greensboro Historic Preservation Commission, itself a role model in the state and steward of Greensboro’s second oldest historic district, designated in 1982.

Both entities have made positive contributions to Greensboro’s historic preservation movement. The First Presbyterian Church has kept its sanctuary (right) in an excellent state of preservation throughout its 80-year history at this site. It has remained a steward of its sanctuary while other congregations fled the center city for the suburbs. Additionally, the church has been a steward of its original nineteenth century burial ground, of which efforts have been heightened for this year’s Bicentennial celebrations. The Historic Preservation Commission has worked tirelessly for 30 years to preserve Greensboro’s historic center-city neighborhoods by fostering an environment that encourages reinvestment by homeowners and families.

With such superlative credits to both institutions, it would seem possible to arrive at a superlative compromise in terms of the preservation of the S. A. Holleman House at 701 North Greene Street. This is an important property to the nearby church because of its adjacency to the congregation’s campus. It is also of
great importance to the Fisher Park Historic District. The Holleman House (right) was erected between 1905 and 1910, making it one of the oldest homes in Fisher Park. Its paired Ionic columns, balcony and unusual 45 degree-angled entryway aligned to the street corner is a gateway to the historic district from downtown Greensboro. This house would be a handsome landmark in any neighborhood in the city, but it is part of the fabric of Fisher Park – and a defining feature of the district.

Compromises could include solutions that allow for expanded parking for church attendees in the lot’s side yard – along with rehabilitation of the historic house for new uses. It may be possible to develop a plan that would allow the church to remain the owner of the property, and invite a private investor to partner with the church to enjoy available federal and state tax credits of up to 40% of the value of the restoration. Such a partnership could be constructed to provide a positive cash flow that could be diverted back to the church for outreach initiates. If the Holleman House could be restored in this way – at little of no cost to the congregation while creating a cash flow – it would present a smart alternative to the nibbling away of the historic fabric of one of North Carolina’s treasured places. The property was placed on Preservation Greensboro's Treasured Places Watch List in 2007.

One Wednesday, the Historic Preservation Commission delayed demolition of the Holleman House for one year in order to allow for constructive dialog between members of First Presbyterian Church and the city's preservation community - including Preservation Greensboro. The leadership at First Presbyterian Church has shown interest in discussing financing opportunities, and that is a positive step. I hope that by working together in the spirit of our city’s Bicentennial celebration, we can assure that future generations will admire Fisher Park the same way we do today: as a whole.

Will The Pomona Cotton Mill Be Landfill?

The Pomona Mill located at the corner of Spring Garden at Merritt Drive, appears to be headed for destruction.

The history of the mill dates back to 1897, when construction began on the complex for the Hunter Manufacturing and Commission Company. Later, this company was renamed Pomona Cotton Mill. Its simple two- and three-story, brick buildings stood alongside the main railroad tracks to Winston-Salem. Several wings were added to the original structure throughout the 1910s. Its style of architecture was found throughout the American South, and related Greensboro visually to other textile towns across the region.

Changing dynamics in the textile industry caused the mill operations to close in the 1950s. In the 1970s the sprawling complex was adaptively reused as an outlet mall, among the first examples of adaptive reuse of historic buildings in the city of Greensboro. Cotton Mill Square, as the mall was known, contained dozens of stores, including Linens 'n Things, Famous Footwear, Dress Barn, and Burlington Coat Factory.

Pomona Cotton Mill was listed to Preservation Greensboro's Treasured Places Watch List in 2005. In recent years, the building has been neglected by its current owner. The deteriorated condition of the complex illustrates the practice of "Demolition By Neglect", a process in which owners of historic buildings deliberately allow the structure to fall into a poor state of repair, to the point that demolition becomes an accepted remedy. The process is detrimental to the preservation of our environmental resources, the cultural resources associated with the building, Greensboro's efforts to reduce landfill material, neighboring land values, and the city's tax base.

The property had the potential to take a high-profile role as student housing integrated into the newly dedicated bicycle route along Spring Garden Street to the UNCG campus. The site was listed on Preservation Greensboro's Treasured Places Watch List in 2007. Likely eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, redevelopment could be done in a way that would secure federal and state historic preservation tax credits that would amount to 40% of the project's costs. For the city of Greensboro, the loss of this redevelopment opportunity and recuperation of these credits is money left on the table.

Though its history is little appreciated by some, this example of Greensboro's industrial history illustrates an important chapter in how the city grew to become one of the largest cities in North Carolina. Time will tell how this chapter of history will turn out, but it certainly does not look positive.

NOTE 2/20/08: Greensboro might be losing a landmark property, but the site's owner is doing quite well, with sales of $200,000 per truckload.

Watch List Property Plans Pass Hurdle

On September 10th, the Greensboro Zoning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning of the historic Albright House for office use, paving the way for preservation of the site as the headquarters for the Junior League of Greensboro. Final approval will be requested of City Council.

In 2005, Preservation Greensboro named the Albright House to its inaugural Watch List, a list of ten buildings and places important to the history of our city, whose welfare was a concern of Greensboro citizens. At that time, PGI began to discuss the future of the site with its owner, the Starmount Company. This year, the site was renamed to the Watch List, but an exciting plan has emerged to preserve the structure for the benefit of the city.

The Albright House is an excellent example of historic architecture in Greensboro, sporting a notable two-story Neoclassical portico. Likely built in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, the house stands along a busy city thoroughfare across from the rapidly expanding Friendly Shopping Center. The Starmount Company has owned the house for decades, and it has recently developed a plan to donate the house for charitable use. The surrounding wooded land and stream would be dedicated to the city and preserved for use as a passive park memorializing Blanche Sternberger Benjamin.

In discussing the proposal, Commissioner Cyndy Hayworth likened the project to the Junior Achievement offices at 3220 Northline Ave, three blocks from the site. The project also featured the reuse of an historic house for use by a charitable nonprofit, and retains its original details such as hardwood floors and mantles. The motion to approve the project was made by Commissioner Zack Matheny, seconded by Paul Gilmer.

Preservation of this structure would be a great way to move it from the Watch List. Fingers crossed.

Barn Again!

Historic Barns
Threat: Demolition by Neglect
Rural Guilford County

Since the earliest days of settlement, the family farm has been a vital image in Guilford County. As the main structures of farms, barns evoke a sense of tradition and closeness to the land that seems to diminish each year in our county’s rapidly suburbanizing landscape. Historic barns are threatened by many factors. On farmland near cities, barns are often seen only in decay, as land is removed from active agricultural use. In some regions, barns are dismantled for lumber, their beams sold for reuse in living rooms. Further threats to historic barns and other farm structures are posed by changes in farm technology, involving much larger machines and production facilities, and changes in the overall farm economy, including increasing farm size and declining rural populations.

The Belle of Downtown

Bellemeade Neighborhood
Threat: Neglect and Demolition
Cedar Street, Spring Street, Guilford Avenue

Bellemeade, like other historic center-city neighborhoods, contains buildings that represent a broad spectrum of Greensboro’s history, including the circa-1846 Weir House (Greensboro Woman’s Club), the circa-1895 Pickard House at 231 North Spring Street, and the 1896 Aiken House at 217 Cedar Street. Unlike other neighborhoods on the fringe of downtown Greensboro, the Bellemeade neighborhood enjoys no protection from destruction of historic buildings or inappropriate new construction. If left unchecked, the entire Bellemeade neighborhood could be lost to private redevelopment within the span of ten years.

To Be, or Not to Be

Holleman House
Threat: Demolition
701 N. Greene Street, Fisher Park Historic District

One of Fisher Park’s earliest residences, the Holleman House was constructed between 1905 and 1920 at one of the primary gateways to the neighborhood. The architecture of the house blends Queen Anne massing with Colonial Revival details, such as the Ionic porch columns, the second-story inset balcony, and unusual corner entryway. The house was been purchased by First Presbyterian Church, which is evaluating possible uses for the building. If plans do not include the house, the structure could be destroyed after a 365-day delay.

Milling about

Pomona Mill and Southern Railway Roundhouse
Threat: Abandonment and Demolition
Spring Garden at Merritt Drive

Little appreciated by some, industrial history of the city holds the key in explaining how Greensboro grew to become one of the largest cities in North Carolina. Much of that industrial history can be found associated with the community of Pomona, which holds one of the city’s early cotton textile mills and an unusual railroad roundhouse. Pomona was once a vast industrial complex that included a terra cotta works, a nursery, the mill and its mill village, but the mill and the roundhouse are the most tangible elements that remain standing today. Neglected by its current owner, the mill is in line to be destroyed for falling below city building standards. The roundhouse is currently used for scrap metal processing and enjoys no historic protection.

Houses on the Hill

Wallace Development in College Hill Historic District
Threat: Demolition and Over-scaled Redevelopment
South Mendenhall, Tate, Spring Garden streets

Greensboro’s oldest neighborhood, once considered “safe” by the city’s preservation community, is under mounting pressure for redevelopment. In spite of being the city’s first historic district, rising land values and poorly maintained buildings are steering some of the neighborhood’s early buildings towards destruction for new construction. The Wallace family recently submitted plans for the removal of several 100-year old houses at the corner of Spring Garden and Mendenhall streets, while UNCG presses forward with plans to remove all houses remaining in the 200 block of McIver Street. Without attention and planning, College Hill will begin to decline as its historic resources are destroyed and replaced with modern construction.

The Price of History

J. C. Price School
Threat: Destruction
Warnersville Neighborhood

When Yardley Warner, a Quaker missionary from Philadelphia, purchased 34 acres of land just outside of Greensboro’s city limits in 1867, he established one of the most unique communities planned for African American freedmen in the country. Today, the J. C. Price School is all that is left of this chapter of Greensboro’s history. Much of the neighborhood was destroyed in the 1960s through urban renewal, and a modern subdivision and wide thoroughfares replaced humble homes, gardens, and community church. The school was named for Dr. Joseph Charles Price (1854-1893), the son of a slave who served as a minister, lecturer, and founder and president of Livingstone College in Salisbury. Price School was constructed in 1922, which distinguishes the building among the oldest schools in the city. The school and its property have been purchased by Greensboro College to accommodate needs for expanded practice fields.