The William Howard House - 108 East Park Avenue
Authentic Victorian Town Home circa 1906
Suburban Beauty - Designed by Renowned Architect George F
Barber
Queen Anne home has been fully restored and is offered at less
than
its
restoration cost - 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths plus separate
2
Bedroom Garage Apartment overlooking Charleston-Style garden
with pergola
Faces the Historic Town Common and features a Gourmet
Kitchen,
2 Porches, Private/Fenced Rear Yard, 2-Car Garage,
Faces
Historic Town Common |
History
This lot was originally part of
the Grove, built in 1808 by Thomas Blount and acquired by
Wilson County's namesake, Louis Wilson in 1830. Mr. Wilson
lived in the Grove until his untimely death during the
Mexican War (1847). Soon afterward Robert R. Bridgers
purchased the Grove, occupying it until 1880. In 1860, Mr.
Bridgers sold some 1-2/3 acres from Blount's original
property, which reached to the Town Common, to David Pender,
brother of General William Dorsey Pender. In March 1901 the
Pender heirs, Mary C. Pender, Henry Pender, and W.L.
deRosetta conveyed a portion of this parcel to James Pender.
Later that same year, he sold this lot to William. O.
Howard, a local attorney, for $600.
Construction on William O. and wife Katherine's new Queen
Anne style home most likely began in 1904 when they acquired
a $1000 mortgage on the lot. William O. Howard with wife
Katherine expanded their family through the years to include
daughters Katherine, Margaret, and Page. Long-time neighbors
to the Penders, the Howards became prominent leaders in
their local church, St. James United Methodist Church, where
Mr. W. O. Howard served as the Superintendent of Sunday
School and Mrs. W. O. Howard as President of the Women's
Missionary Society.
By 1930 the house was rented to Walter Lanne and wife Mary,
son Allen, daughters Louise, Mildred, Winnifred and Helen,
with boarders Milford Haynes and Victor Rawlings. In the
1950's it was purchased by Vinton E. Fountain and remained
in the Fountain family for some fifty years.
Restoration/Renovation - 2004-2007
Complete Structural/System Restoration –
New Roof –
House & Garage – rafters replaced as needed
Foundation
Stabilized/Perimeter Brick Foundation Rebuilt
Plaster Repairs
to Walls & Ceilings Throughout
New Electrical
Systems - House & Garage – Utilities Buried
New Plumbing
Systems - House & Garage
New 2-Zone HVAC System in
House
New HVAC System – Garage
Apartment
New sewer line, including
pumping station, installed - Garage Apartment
Insulation
Installed – attic/under floors and all exposed
walls/ceilings
3 Existing Baths Remodeled
1 Full and 1 half-bath
Added
Gutted modern pine-paneled
side porch and installed window-wall for sunroom.
Gutted kitchen/breakfast
room and incorporated existing rear porch area for
gourmet
kitchen, including professional range and hood.
Enclosed and remodeled
existing exterior rear staircase, landing area and sleeping
porch to create 4th bathroom and laundry room on
2nd floor
Repaired structural damage
caused by the installation of a whole-house fan in 2nd
floor
stairway ceiling and installed drop-down stair for
attic access.
All windows re-roped, reglazed and new glass installed where necessary.
Interior redecoration
throughout including refinishing and repairing original
hardwood
floors and plaster repair throughout, tile/tub
restoration in baths.
Complete
Exterior Restoration –
Removed vinyl
siding, uncovered original gable shingle detail. Paint
stripped, entire house painted, front porch rebuilt, columns
restored, trim replaced where necessary and siding repairs
made where necessary
Added Rear Porch – 10’ x 18’
Installed private rear garden in Charleston style, including
pergola with antique-brick floor, center formal boxwood bed
and surrounding brick patio area.
Fencing installed for
privacy and pets.
New Gutters –
House & Garage
Design
A self-taught architect and a masterful marketer, George F. Barber
established his practice in Knoxville, TN in 1888. He created architectural designs, both stock catalog plans and
custom designed houses, for prominent small-town
professionals, merchants and farmers who often had money to
spend on "convenience, comfort and good taste" but no local
access to an architect capable of building their dream.
From 1888 to 1913 his firm produced as many as 800 separate
house plans and is said to have sold as many as 1,000 mail
order plans annually for mansions, seaside cottages and
stables to national and international clients, including
some of the top business leaders of the time, such as
millionaire North Carolina tobacco baron R.J. Reynolds.
By the early 1900s his firm, George F. Barber & Company, was
the largest in Knoxville and one of the leading mail-order
architectural firms in the United States, employing
approximately 30 draftsmen and 20 secretaries, publishing
numerous periodicals and even maintaining its own publishing
company, The American Home Publishing Co., which Barber had
established in 1898, to distribute his house designs in the
form of pattern books and mail-order catalogs for house
kits.
Barber's publications include The Cottage Souvenir (1891),
Cottage Souvenir No. 2 (1892), New Model Homes and How Best
to Build Them (1894), Artistic Homes (1895), Art in
Architecture (1902-3), and Modern Dwellings (1901-1907).
Containing order forms and price lists for the drawings, his
catalogs were not the first to sell private homes to the
public on a widespread basis, but the first to give
customers the opportunity to participate in custom-designing
their own houses. These catalogs included questionnaires and
sketch pads so customers could define or draw changes.
Barber urged his readers to customize, using such
encouragements as "Keep writing till you get just what you
want." and "Don't be afraid of writing too often. We are not
easily offended."
Part of a Barber house's appeal is the nostalgia it
represents. Barber houses were an integral part of the
small-town streetscape at the turn of the last century and
can still be seen in every state of the nation as well as
overseas. Often they represent the most ornate Victorian
houses in many cities, such as the Castle in Drain, Oregon.
Many are now on the National Register of Historic Places.
As Barber's designs progressed through a series of styles,
the ones built in the 1890s became most associated with his
name. These are best described as Eastlake, Queen Anne, or a
mixture of the two romanticized Victorian styles. Elaborate
in their detailing with rich but simple ornamentation and a
variety of materials and textures, they contained such
features as patterned slate roofs, a lively irregular
roofline with many dormers and chimneys, multiple
fireplaces, elaborate brick work, pressed metal bays and
turrets, fishscale shingled wall coverings, bays, expansive
verandas topped with second-story balconies, spindle work,
beaded spandrels, scrollwork, and windows decorated with
stained glass.
In Tarboro, a front porch is more than part of a house.
It symbolizes a way of life that's easy, open, and
relaxed--yet casually elegant--a way of a life growing so
unique that Tarboro has become a regular stop on tours
associated with The History Channel, The Victorian Society,
The Smithsonian and Historic Albemarle.
Rich in history and steeped in tradition, Tarboro, nestled
in a bend of the Tar River became the head of navigation on
the Tar. This important colonial river port was chartered in
1760 and is one of North Carolina's oldest towns. Tarboro
still has its original Town Common, a 15-acre park canopied
by tall oaks that marks the threshold to our 45-block
Historic District and renovated Downtown, all listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Each Spring the North
Carolina Symphony holds an annual concert on The Common.
Although it is generally agreed that the area around Tarboro
was settled by 1733, Mosley's map of that year shows only
Tuscarora Indians. Tarrburg, as the town was called on maps
of 1770-75, was chartered November 30, 1760 as Tarborough by
the General Assembly. In September of the same year, Joseph
and Ester Howell deeded 150 acres of their property to the
Reverend James Moir, Lawrence Toole (a merchant), Captains
Aquilla Sugg and Elisha Battle, and Benjamin Hart, Esquire,
for five shillings and one peppercorn. As commissioners,
these men were to lay out a town with lots of not more than
1/2 acre and streets not wider than 80 feet, with 12 lots
and a 50-acre "common" set aside for public use. Lots were
to be sold for two pounds, with the proceeds to be turned
over to the Howells; however, full payment was not received
for all of the 109 lots sold, and some were not sold for the
40 shillings price.
Tarboro has been the county seat of Edgecombe County since
the county was established in 1741. The North Carolina State
Legislature met here once in 1787 and again in 1987, and
Tarboro has continued to maintain a position of importance
in eastern North Carolina.
Many citizens ventured early into manufacturing, though
agriculture has long been the major industry. The area
prospered, and by 1850 was widely known as "Tawboro", a name
attributed to "Taw", the Indian word for "river of health".
Tarboro, as a community of some 11,000, has preserved much
of its history and has developed one of the most active
historic preservation programs in North Carolina. Numerous
public and private residential and commercial restorations
can be found in one of the largest historic districts in
this part of the country. The town's historic downtown has
been recently revitalized and recognized by the National
Trust for Historic Preservation "Main Street Program". An
Historic District National Recreation Trail guides visitors
through the scenic older neighborhoods of the town.
Tarboro's cultural center is the Blount-Bridgers House, the
early 19th century plantation house "The Grove" of Thomas
Blount, an important figure in North Carolina's history. He,
along with numerous Edgecombe County residents, served as
officers in the Continental Army. Blount (1759-1812), a very
young officer spent time in England as a prisoner of war,
but returned to participate in one of the largest
merchant/shipping companies in late eighteenth century
America. Here, at the Blount-Bridgers House, artifacts and
antiques tell the story of Edgecombe County, while the
Hobson Pittman Collection of 20th century art, located in
the same building, recalls the career of one of North
Carolina's most celebrated artists.
A variety of shopping centers and modern residential areas
compliment the Historic District, providing residents with
convenient goods and services and quality housing of varying
styles and prices.
Tarboro has a great mix of small shops, restaurants and
business opportunities. On the Square Wine Bar and
Restaurant, run and operated by young chef/sommelier Stephen
Ribustello and his wife Inez, former Beverage Director at
Windows on the World in New York City, provides an exquisite
food and beverage experience. Main Street CafeŽ is a popular
gathering spot along with Cotton's Grill for morning tales
and enjoyable conversation.
The Edgecombe County Military Veteran's Museum and Blount-Bridgers
House Gallery and Museum both provide cultural insight into
the local historical character of the community.
Residents can also enjoy the many recreational facilities
the town offers its citizens: a fifteen-acre Town Common,
three recreation Centers (including a state-of-the-art
senior citizens center), a community pool complex, 10 tennis
courts, three major parks and several neighborhood parks,
two boat ramps accessing the Tar River, and Indian Lake, a
52-acre natural park. From golf and tennis and to hunting
and fishing, there are numerous venues, including The Links
at Cotton Valley, an 18-hole course with $75 per month dues,
the Tarboro Softball Complex which houses five regulation
fields, shad and herring fishing on the Tar River, an
abundance of turkeys and deer during hunting season, and a
bike trail throughout the town.
Only 22 miles southeast, via a four lane highway, East
Carolina University, home of East Carolina Medical School,
is recognized as having one of the top cardio vascular
programs in the country. The local Heritage Hospital is
affiliated with the East Carolina Medical School through the
University Health System of Eastern North Carolina. Locally,
the Fountains at the Albemarle, a local upscale retirement
complex, offers five levels of living from independent to
Alzheimer's care.
Edgecombe Community College and North Carolina Wesleyan
College can provide great opportunities for adult degree
programs as well as a variety of engaging educational
courses that are stimulating and thought provoking. Both
schools have state of the art auditoriums where concerts,
plays and various other programs are presented regularly.
Centrally located for those who enjoy the excitement of
North Carolina's cities and the relaxation of its coast,
Tarboro is strategically positioned between the Piedmont and
the Outer Banks. Located on the banks of the Tar River in
the northeastern section of the state's Coastal Plain,
easily accessible by Interstate 95 and U.S. 64, Tarboro is
only an hour's drive to Raleigh, the state capital and an
additional quarter hour to the Raleigh-Durham International
Airport. The Atlantic coast with its many beaches is an easy
drive during the summer months.
Best of all - this beautiful home situated in the heart of
the 45-block Tarboro Historic District is offered below the
restoration cost at only... $465,000
To arrange for your private showing of this historic gem,
please contact:
Rusty Holderness via email:
rusty@historictarboro.com or via phone 252.823.7295 / 252.903.9498
(cell)
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