Greensboro's Treasured Places

High Point's Historic Model Farm House Donated for Preservation

One of North Carolina’s most interesting Civil War-era historic sites has been given by its former owner to Preservation Greensboro’s Development Fund, which in turn plans to sell the property to a buyer who presents the best plan to preserve the property.

The Model Farm is located at 2058 Brentwood Street in the southern section of High Point. The house was constructed around 1867 just after the Civil War by Quakers, and stands as an important site representing Quaker history. It was important for providing new agricultural technology to farmers in the state that were suffering from the devastation caused by the Civil War. During the 1870s and 1880s, the farm attracted a great deal of attention for its progressive and innovative agricultural practices.  It was so successful that North Carolina Governor Jonathan Worth proclaimed the farm as the “only green spot” in the Carolinas.

The two-acre tract of land contains the original farmhouse, a 2,300 square foot home with many historic details such as a wide front porch, a three-sided bay window bay, and arched windows in the walk-in attic. Interior appointments reflect Quaker values of simplicity and include high-ceilings, plaster walls and ceilings, and running water. These amenities were novel in the South in the years after the Civil War. Due to the site’s deep history and unusual features, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

The property was donated to the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, Inc. on December 27, 2011 by former owners Ruth and Bruce Whitten of Manteca, California.  The gift was made through a deed that incorporates preservation restrictions requiring a working dialog between future owners of the Model Farm and Preservation Greensboro to ensure that the house and its charming details are refurbished and remain intact for future generations to enjoy. This is the first property in High Point to enjoy the protection of an easement through Preservation Greensboro, and the ninth in Guilford County. Other historic properties protected with easements established and administered by Preservation Greensboro are located in Greensboro and Whitsett.

According to Benjamin Briggs, a resident of High Point and Executive Director of Preservation Greensboro, “we are grateful that Ruth and Bruce Whitten place such a value on our North Carolina Quaker heritage that they saw the opportunity to donate the house as a way to benefit the entire community. Their generosity will allow the historic Model Farm a chance to be reconditioned for future uses that will secure its place in the twenty-first century!”

The Model Farm will be sold to a prospective purchaser who will enter into a rehabilitation agreement with Preservation Greensboro providing that all plans and modifications to the property as part of its rehabilitation and/or restoration are subject to final approval by the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund.  Interested parties should contact Benjamin Briggs at 336-272-5003 to further discuss Preservation Greensboro’s process for partnering with a purchaser who will acquire and rehabilitate the Model Farm property.

Due to its historic significance, the Model Farm has access to tax credits and deferments. Tax credits from the State and perhaps from the Federal government could be incorporated into restoration plans depending on the property’s final use. In addition, the property is recognized as a Guilford County Landmark, a designation that allows for a 50% property tax deferment in exchange for preserving the historic character of the site.

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund was initially formed in 1988 and completes its mission by acquiring ownership or other legal interests (such as preservation easements) in historic properties, or by identifying partners to rehabilitate and protect historic properties throughout Guilford County.  Its first project was the purchase and resale of the 1845 Troy-Bumpass House, a Greek Revival home in the heart of Greensboro’s College Hill historic district. The house was restored in 1992 and today serves the community as an inn under the jurisdiction of preservation easements. Recent projects include the sale of a Craftsman Bungalow in the Fisher Park neighborhood of Greensboro that had been under a demolition order to a purchaser who will restore it, as well as the relocation of several historic cottages in the Glenwood neighborhood of Greensboro to avoid their demolition in connection with the expansion of UNCG’s campus.

Historic House in Fisher Park Saved from Destruction

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund has sold the Sweeney – Penn House at 910 Magnolia Street in the Fisher Park neighborhood.  The house was purchased by Cheryl Pratt and Tracy Pratt, AIA and stands as one of Greensboro’s best examples of Craftsman design. The couple will commence a meticulous restoration of the property that has been vacant almost ten years.

The Sweeney – Penn House (image, right) was constructed around 1917. The first occupants were Madge and Roy Sweeney. Roy Sweeney was a traveling salesman. The couple owned the home only 18 months before selling it to Sue and John Thomas Penn. Thomas Penn was Vice President of Southern Atlantic Lumber Company, a wholesaler of North Carolina grown pine and oak. In 1921 the home was purchased by Emily and Charles McIver, the eldest son of UNCG founder of the same name.

Ordered to be demolished in 2009 by the City of Greensboro for its deteriorated condition, the Sweeney – Penn House was part of a complicated estate that was unsettled and therefore could not be sold to new owners. The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund worked with the owner of the property to finalize the estate and then sought qualified buyers to purchase and properly restore the home. After several truckloads of personal items were removed by volunteers, the house was featured on Preservation Greensboro’s 2011 Tour of Historic Homes showcasing Fisher Park and Aycock neighborhoods in May when hundreds enjoyed its distinctive architectural details (image, right). This summer, the Fund negotiated an agreement to sell the home to Greensboro residents Cheryl and Tracy Pratt. The couple will thoroughly restore the Craftsman-design of the house, including unusual latticework in the eaves and Arts and Crafts interior design elements.

The property was sold with a preservation easement attached to the deed that will require a working dialog between future property owners of the Sweeney – Penn House and Preservation Greensboro to ensure that the house and its charming details are refurbished and remain intact for future generations to enjoy. This is the first such property in Fisher Park to enjoy the protection of an easement, and the eighth in Guilford County. Other properties protected with in easements the county include the Bumpass – Troy House in College Hill and the Esther Barker House on Cedar Street.

According to Benjamin Briggs, Executive Director of Preservation Greensboro, “we are pleased that we have been able to save this house from demolition. It is one of the best examples of Craftsman architecture in the city. The Pratt’s promise to be wonderful stewards of this home that will now be the best protected in all of Fisher Park!”

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund was initially formed in 1988 and completes its mission by acquiring ownership or other legal interests (such as preservation easements) in historic properties, or by identifying partners to rehabilitate and protect historic properties.  Its first project was the purchase and resale of the 1845 Troy-Bumpass House, a Greek Revival home in the heart of Greensboro’s College Hill historic district. The house was restored in 1992 and today serves the community as an inn under the jurisdiction of preservation easements. The second project involved the purchase of the 1855 D. P. Foust House, a Queen Anne farmhouse threatened by development of a golf course. The home was restored in 1993 and remains a private residence today with preservation easements in place.

Innovative Partnership Works to Preserve Homes in Glenwood Neighborhood

The Glenwood Neighborhood is the scene of an innovative partnership that is working to preserve historic houses as part of the expansion of the UNCG campus.

The partnership includes the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, a think-tank of
preservation-oriented professionals affiliated with Preservation Greensboro Incorporated, and officials from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The collaborative effort will result in fewer structures being destroyed, fewer tons of building materials being sent to landfills, and a stronger neighborhood featuring the craftsmanship and charm of historic homes.

The Development Fund, which maintains a pool of capital that it wields strategically to catalyze preservation projects, is now poised to relocate three houses in the 800 blocks of Highland Avenue and Gregory Street. The Development Fund acquired the houses, which were built in the 1910s and 1920s, from UNCG. The two homes from Highland Avenue are Craftsman bungalows and the house from Gregory Street is a Queen Anne cottage. All three houses will be relocated to vacant lots in the 800 block of nearby Haywood Street where they will join a fourth house that will remain on its original foundations and also be rehabilitated by the Development Fund.

The three houses to be moved are already “jacked up” on steel beams and began rolling through Glenwood to their new locations this morning. The moves are expected to continue into Saturday, December 17 and possibly even Monday, December 19. The Development Fund has contracted with Blake Moving Company of Greensboro, a nationally recognized house mover, to perform the moves. All three houses, once moved and rehabilitated, will be maintained as single family residences, along with the fourth house adjacent to them.

The impending UNCG project will provide a $200 million mixed-use village development for UNCG
that will initially accommodate 800 students just south of West Lee Street in an area formerly
composed of historic houses, light industrial buildings, and vacant lots. The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund has worked over the past year to identify historic houses that were salvageable as well as vacant lots along the fringe of the project to which houses could be relocated.

Preservation Greensboro’s Executive Director Benjamin Briggs remarks, “This project exemplifies the innovative spirit of our city as we find a solution that meets the needs of the University as well as the positive impact of historic preservation in Glenwood. In the end, this will result in a streetscape of vintage houses that otherwise would have been relegated to the landfill.”

Upon completion, all four houses will be restored, and their futures will be monitored through a preservation easement that will focus on the maintenance, appearance, and use of the properties. “This is a way that we can actively work with Glenwood residents to assure that the houses are well maintained into the future. That is what historic preservation is all about.”

All four houses should be restored within the next year, and the Development Fund is seeking interested buyers, who will have the option of taking on some aspects of the restoration work themselves.

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund is an affiliate nonprofit to Preservation Greensboro, and was founded in 1988. It has preserved several historic structures such as the Bumpass-Try House in College Hill, the Bowman House on Bellevue Street, and the Esther Barker House now located on Cedar Street.

Another Preservation Project in Fisher Park?

The J. T. Penn House, a charming Craftsman bungalow at 910 Magnolia Street, might have a new lease on life!

The two-story frame residence was constructed between 1915 and 1920 by Penn, the vice-president of Southern Atlantic Lumber Company. It features extraordinary Craftsman details, including post-on-brick-pier porch supports, multiple-pane upper window sashes, unusual exposed stickwork in the dormer gable, and exposed rafter tails.

In spite of its classic architectural style, the house has gained attention recently for its poor condition within one of the city's most successful historic district. In fact, the property has been the subject of a petition by neighbors requesting city action to clean up the house and grounds. As part of a larger issue in Greensboro of derelict houses in historic districts, the house made the front cover of Preservation Greensboro's Landmarks Newsmagazine in the summer of 2009 as one of our Treasured Places Watch List properties.

Recently, the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund was able to enter into an agreement with the property's owners to seek a buyer for the house. Through the Development Fund, any buyers would be required through covenants to repair the structure in accordance with the Secretary of Interiors Standards. All future repairs and improvements to the house would need to be approved by the Development Fund.

Details are still being determined regarding the sale of the house. Stay tuned to this blog and our Facebook page for information!

Historic House Crosses Safe Line, Jail Can Move Forward

The two-story brick duplex once located at 208 Blandwood Avenue, and considered by some to be an impediment to construction of the new Guilford County Jail, has been removed off county land. It now sits on property owned by the Zenke family, where it will remain and be restored.

Movers dodged rainy weather over the past week to lift the heavy structure off its original foundation where it had stood for approximately 90 years. The house was gingerly hauled across the county-Zenke property line late last week. The mid-block move was made simpler by a lack of overhead wires and cables. It now awaits final placement facing Washington Street directly across from Blandwood Mansion.

The project was coordinated by the Zenke family and the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund. Public and private finances were pooled to make the project happen. The effort should result in a more pedestrian-friendly environment along West Washington Street, and contribute to public initiaves to rejuvenate the downtown Morehead Neighborhood that is centered on Governor John Motley Morehead’s Blandwood Mansion.

I vote for a small restaurant to occupy the duplex. No restaurants exist west of Greene and south of Market!

This Old House Will Hit The Streets

House-moving was so popular in late nineteenth-century American cities, that residents of places like Cambridge, Massachusetts quipped about having to “Start the day early before the houses started moving.”

In twenty-first century Greensboro, overhead wires, traffic lights, and fiber optic lines have made house-moving a rare occurrence. This weekend should be an exception.

The charming two-story Queen Anne-style house that originally stood at 220 Blandwood Avenue…and temporarily occupied the corner of Washington and Edgeworth streets…will make its final move this weekend.

The home is being relocated to make way for the new Guilford County Jail, and is one part of a larger initiative to move a row of historic homes off Blandwood Avenue. The Zenke family home made its way to Washington Street last December, and the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund is engaged in facilitating the relocation of the remaining two structures (this being one) to new sites.

In order to prepare for the move, the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund negotiated with contractors, city officials, insurance agents, and legal advisors to prepare a simple and direct route to the new site. Although savings in access of $30,000 could have been realized had Southern Community Bank allowed the house to cross their property on Bellemeade Street, the bank’s officials refused to grant permission in spite of assurance and insurance that no damage would be caused. As a result of Southern Community’s decision, movers were required to lop the roof off the house for the move process. The roof will have to be reconstructed at the new site.

In spite of the Bank's denial of passage, this much-anticipated move will go on as planned. Movers will assemble at dawn tomorrow (Saturday), and begin the process by rolling the house across Edgeworth Street into the large parking lot owned by the YMCA. After crossing the parking lot, the structure will be rolled north on Spring Street by 8 am. The house will turn west on Bellemeade one block, then north on North Cedar around the Southern Community Bank property.  If all goes well, the house should be at its new home site at 408 N. Cedar by 10:30 or 11:00.

Restoration of the house will take several months. Upon completion, the house will sit among similar-period homes and help reinforce the historic character of the North Cedar Street neighborhood.

Two Old Houses Prepare to Hit The Road

Two historic homes, located within the site for the new Guilford County jail on Blandwood Avenue, are being prepared for new locations.

The structures, a two story brick veneer duplex located at 208-210 Blandwood Avenue; and a two-story frame Queen Anne single family house located at 220 Blandwood Avenue (images, right), were part of an ensemble of historic properties owned by the Zenke family. The Zenkes are recognized by many in the community for their reputation in architecture, interior design, and historic preservation. Upon realizing that expansion of the nearby jail was inevitable, the Zenkes approached county staff with a proposal for a land swap, in which the county and the family trades parcels. The swap benefitted both parties. The Zenke family controlled a majority of land across Washington Street and within view of Blandwood Mansion, while the county’s share of the block was squared and efficiently utilized for new construction.

The oldest of the Zenke properties along Blandwood Avenue was the family’s home. That structure was relocated to Washington Street in December. The two remaining structures were made available for relocation, but increasing costs of moving houses in downtown Greensboro deterred would-be prospects. With deadlines looming, the Zenkes turned to the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund for assistance.

The Fund is an entity borne from Preservation Greensboro in the 1980s. Its purpose is to partner with other real-estate interests to preserve historic places throughout the community. Through the Fund, the frame Queen Anne-style house at 220 Blandwood Avenue will be preserved in a complex agreement involving the Fund, the Zenke family, Southern Evergreen general contractors, the City of Greensboro, Guilford County, and the soon-to-be-owner Mahlon Honeycutt.

The deal will require the timely relocation of the structure from Blandwood Avenue to Cedar Street by Blake Moving, a Greensboro-based house mover with several projects already in its portfolio such as the Chancellor’s House at UNCG. Once the home has been placed on its new site at 408 North Cedar Street, Southern Evergreen will restore the house for residential use before selling the building to end-user Honeycutt.

The project will result the preservation of the Queen Anne-style home on a presently unused lot in the Cedar Street neighborhood, building the community’s historic character and adding property value. With a preservation easement attached to the deed to monitor changes to the property, the house will also help stabilize the neighborhood.

The future of the duplex at 208-210 Blandwood Avenue remains less certain. An earlier proposal for the substantial structure to be relocated within the College Hill Historic District fell through due to the economy. However, there is last-minute hope that the structure might find a home on Washington Street next door to the Zenke home. The placement would result in a buffer of historic structures that would help screen the new jail from Blandwood Mansion, and help create a pedestrian-scaled streetscape along Washington Street. Although this is a compelling vision for the neighborhood, this proposal is far from a certainty.

In the meantime, a crew (image, right) with Blake Moving are hard at work at 220 Blandwood placing steel girders beneath the house that will soon travel through downtown streets to its new home of Cedar Street. With some final agreements signed and delivered, perhaps the duplex next door will find a new home as well.

Rebuilding Greensboro One House at a Time

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund continues focusing on the preservation and renewal of the Asheboro Square neighborhood. Its most recent acquisition is a charming Craftsman bungalow at 926 Bellevue Street known as the Olive and Ross Bowman House.

The house was given to the Fund by Keith Bowman, a native and resident of Greensboro. Bowman didn’t want to see the house destroyed, and saw the Development Fund as the only way to save the historic structure. The Fund was established in 1988 to preserve historic sites throughout the Gate City. Past projects include the Bumpass-Troy House in College Hill, and the D. P. Foust House in Whitsett. Over the summer the Fund began marketing the Breeden House on nearby Randolph Avenue.

The bungalow was built in 1923 by Keith Bowman’s newlywed parents Ross (1894-1972) and Olive Bowman (1895-1981). The couple met while growing up in the Tabernacle community of southeastern Guilford County. Ross was the son of a farmer, with a penchant for catching catfish with his bare hands – a trick he learned at the community’s Company Mill. Olive was the daughter of the Company Mill’s owner, and the two were married in the parlor of her parent’s house upon Ross’s return from service in France during World War I.

Ross made a living as a carpenter, by framing new houses (including his own) and milling customized cabinetry. He built homes across Greensboro, including projects along Westridge Road for the Lane family and homes along Madison Avenue just north of West Market Street. The couple had two boys, Truman and Keith. Elder Truman died in a motorcycle accident in 1945, and younger Keith was active in the service.

Their home is an exceptionally well-preserved classic bungalow, featuring the low-pitched roof, wide eaves with diagonal braces, and generous front porch that is evocative of structures in tropical South and East Asia. Typical of the period, the house features an open floor plan with large public rooms as well as a master bedroom suite on the first floor. The second floor features unpainted beaded-board finish for the boy’s rooms, in tandem with hidden cubbies and closet spaces. The Bowman family saved the building permit for the house, dated August 14, 1923 (image, right).

Over the years in their bungalow, Ross and Olive made numerous contributions to the community. Throughout his career in carpentry, Ross worked on increasingly prominent projects, ranging from renovations at the downtown theaters to department store redesign. He served as a president of the local Carpenter’s Union, and enjoyed fishing and hunting in his spare time. Olive kept the home and children, but found time to volunteer at Calvary Methodist on Asheboro Street where she taught Sunday school for 40 years!

Keith Bowman preserved the house after his mother moved away in 1974 out of respect for his father’s handiwork. In his efforts to avoid property management issues, and in light of city’s strict building standards, he donated the property to the Development Fund. The Fund will now identify a third party to purchase the house and rehabilitate it for residential use.

The rehabilitated house will be protected in perpetuity by preservation covenants administered by the Fund. Representatives of the Development Fund worked closely with Bowman to craft covenants that will protect the house’s primary exterior features and some interior features while allowing flexibility for it to be rehabilitated in a manner that will make it comfortable for a family to reside in today.

The Development Fund is proving to be a useful and productive tool in the redevelopment of historic structures throughout the city. Though efforts currently focus on the Asheboro Square neighborhood, the Fund is also working on projects in other parts of the city. Stay tuned as Preservation Greensboro and the Development Fund forge new partnerships that result in strong neighborhoods and community revitalization.

New Strategies in Historic Preservation

Greensboro has a powerful new tool in historic preservation.

Although the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund (formerly the Revolving Fund) was established in 1989, it has recently enjoyed a surge of energy that will enable a new strategy in saving Greensboro’s defining historic and architectural sites. The Fund is an autonomous sister organization to Preservation Greensboro, and it is governed by a majority of Preservation Greensboro board members.

Initiated to acquire and improve sites of historical or architectural significance in and around Guilford County, the fund has had a hand in several high-profile projects. In 1991, the Fund worked to preserve the 1856 Daniel P. Foust House near Whitsett (image, above right). A year later, the Fund acquired the 1847 Troy-Bumpass House in College Hill (now the Troy Bumpas Inn) and sold the property to a couple who restored the antebellum site for use as a bed and breakfast (image, center right).

Through the next decade, projects including a $20,000 loan to develop the Aycock Neighborhood Plan and a grant to the City of Greensboro to assist the c. 1885 Hanner House restoration in the Old Asheboro neighborhood broadened the Fund’s strategic course.

Stung by the loss of the ca. 1850 Arbor House, Greensboro’s preservation community rallied around the Fund as a proactive tool in engaging the city, developers, and property stewards in preserving historic sites. The organization has opened a dialog with the Redevelopment Commission of Greensboro to sell a 100-year old home at 1120 Randolph Street to an individual under terms to restore the house for single family occupancy. The Fund worked with Guilford College intern Lauren Talley to explore the history of the house. Using Sanborn Maps, Greensboro’s Polk City Directories, and the Guilford County Census, Talley discovered the house was built in 1905 and first housed Breeden family.

The Breeden House stands on a prominent corner in the heart of the Arlington Park neighborhood. The 2,753+ square foot Queen Anne home features an L-shaped porch and a second-floor sleeping porch. Interior appointments include a grand foyer and a spacious stair hall. Three fireplaces exist on the first level which still retains their ornate mantels.

The Development Fund has a bright future. Its role is adaptable and flexible, and can range from purchasing, relocating, or rehabilitating historic structures to utilizing preservation easements, covenants, and rehabilitation agreements to help protect historic properties in perpetuity. Finances raised by the organization through projects will be reapplied to the Fund’s non-profit mission through future projects.

Stay tuned for updates related to the work of the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund. Theirs is an investment not only in history, but in the economic revitalization of Greensboro's neighborhoods and tax base.