Historic Summit Avenue Neighborhood

Traces of nineteenth-century history linger on the edges of the Summit Avenue neighborhood (recently renamed Dunleath), but the greatest architectural legacy dates from the early twentieth-century. In 1898, industrialist siblings Ceasar and Moses Cone constructed a “magnificent boulevard” to ease transportation between their mills and the city center. Named “Summit Avenue” for its destination to the crossroads community of Brown Summit, the avenue was quickly occupied with grand homes with Queen Anne, Romanesque, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival details.

Side streets branded with urbane names such as “Park Avenue” and “Fifth Avenue” were soon lined with homes occupied by engineers and mechanics employed by the mills. Later houses were designed in styles such as Craftsman Bungalows and Rectinlinear Foursquares. The majority of the neighborhood maintained its industrial affiliation throughout the twentieth-century until its ample and affordable residences were re-discovered by artists and educators in the 1980s. Since then, the neighborhood has seen a great deal of reinvestment as a vibrant urban neighborhood.

This event is part of the 12th Annual Tour of Historic Homes & Gardens featuring Dunleath. The walking tours will be led by Preservation Greensboro’s Community Outreach Director Kathryn McDowell. You will gain insights on Ceasar and Moses Cone, James Waller, and other personalities that contributed to Summit Avenue’s distinctive history. Guided walking tours are FREE and will take an hour and a half depending on questions.