Although Greensboro was a small southern village in the mid-nineteenth century, it enjoyed strong associations with northern cities through its architecture. Alongside the work of Alexander Jackson Davis, Greensboro features residences by unknown but creative designers within its architectural history. One such example is the home of Dr. David Weir, a native of Ireland who arrived in…
DetailsFrom time to time, historic places can find reinvention through adaptive reuse that extends their utility into new capacities. Greensboro’s Cultural Center is an excellent example of this “new wine in an old bottle” model of community conservation. Formerly the home of the Greensboro Daily News at 200 North Davie Street, the reincarnated building rivals the…
DetailsVigilant denizens and fans of Fisher Park have noticed the unthinkable in their neighborhood. An historic Eugene Street cottage was razed and is being replaced with new construction…without any design review through the Historic Preservation Commission. What’s going on here? Fisher Park is thought to be one of the most restrictive communities in the city…
DetailsNew investigations made possible by digitized media and web resources such as newspapers.com have revised the historical record of three buildings along South Elm Street. These revelations have uncovered historical narratives that have been long forgotten but now can be used to enhance more appreciation of downtown Greensboro’s historical built environment. Much of our knowledge…
DetailsThe Sellars House at 917 North Elm Street in the Fisher Park neighborhood is among Greensboro’s best examples of Craftsman architecture. It stands along a section of North Elm Street once reckoned to be Greensboro’s Gold Coast, and also features an interesting link to African American heritage. The house was built in 1913-14 for Carl…
DetailsGreensboro, once considered a bastion of new construction and sprawl, has emerged as North Carolina’s Preservation City. A diversity of preservation projects are currently underway or planned in every quarter of the city, representing more than $200 million of private investment in Greensboro. Seven of the projects, including the largest, leverage state and federal historic preservation…
DetailsThe comedy film “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” was released in 1948. It enjoyed a distinguished pedigree – produced by RKO Radio Pictures, directed by H. C. Potter, and showcasing stars Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas. Although the movie attracted modest audiences, it was cleverly paired with a national promotion of “dream…
DetailsWhy is Greensboro’s Blandwood Mansion the best place to learn about North Carolina history? “History happens here” says Benjamin Briggs, executive director of Preservation Greensboro, the non-governmental organization that owns and operates the museum. “The site’s primary associations are with two-term North Carolina governor John Motley Morehead. However, many other key figures in the state’s history…
DetailsThe Treasured Places Watch List is an advocacy and education program of Preservation Greensboro that promotes the importance of historic places and works with community partners to find solutions to challenges in proactive and cooperative ways. Recognition to the Watch List is not legally binding in any way, nor is the program considered to be…
DetailsA concerned citizen notified Preservation Greensboro staff that a demolition permit had been issued on May 3 for the former Christian Advocate Publishing Company Building (now owned by an entity controlled by Greensboro’s Masonic Temple) at 429 W. Friendly Avenue downtown. This discovery set into a motion a frantic rush to avert demolition of the…
Details“Fisher Park was the first Greensboro suburb planned and developed around a park and one of the earliest park suburbs in North Carolina.” – Marvin Brown, 1991 Captain Basil John Fisher was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1851. Little is known of his life before his military career. He was a member of the 5th…
DetailsHillside sits at the head of the table that is Fisher Park at 301 Fisher Park Circle. Begun in 1928 and completed in the spring of 1929, the sprawling residence evokes a rambling English Tudor manor. The house is among a group of Greensboro houses that express the craftsmanship, design talent, and vast wealth that…
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