Later in his career, he formed an alliance of citizens in 1923 to organize the city’s first hospital built to serve African-American residents. Opened in 1927 as L. Richardson Memorial Hospital, the structure remains standing across the street from the Dr. Sebastian House. Martha Sebastian was also a community leader and role model, serving as the librarian at the Carnegie Negro Library on the campus of Bennett College.<\/p>\n
The couple began construction of their English Tudor-style house at 1401 McConnell Road (formerly 1402 East Washington Street) in October 1927. Among those in the community, the house was a touchstone to success and accomplishment as it was finer and grander that houses owned by most white residents. It was designed in the English Tudor style and the two-story house features a brick facade topped by a Jerkin Head (or clipped) gable roof. Other important features include decorative brickwork in the forward-facing gable, half-timbering at the second story, and narrow dormer windows. An article in the Greensboro Daily News<\/em> in March 1928 stated “Recently completed at a cost of around $25,000, this brick structure of English architecture could grace well the finest residential district of the city.”<\/p>\n
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The house remained a landmark for east Greensboro for almost 80 years before developer Allen Sharpe acquired the property for an extensive redevelopment project. Preservation Greensboro and the community supported the preservation of the house in honor of the Sebastian\u2019s community leadership and significance. Sharpe\u2019s plans were drawn to include the retention and restoration of the house for use as offices and a small museum (after restoration in 2007, image right). For its resilience and restoration, the project and its team were recognized with a Preservation Award\u00a0 by Preservation Greensboro in 2006.<\/p>\n