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This report was written on May 2 1988

1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Mayer House is located at 311 East Boulevard, Charlotte, N.C.

2. Name, address and telephone number of the present owner of the property: The owner of the property is:

Jack F. Apple
307 East Boulevard
Charlotte, N.C., 28203

Telephone: 704/377-1357

The occupant of the property is:

Eli’s Restaurant
311 East Boulevard
Charlotte, N.C., 28203

Telephone: 704/375-0756

3. Representative photographs of the property: This report contains representative photographs of the property.

4. A map depicting the location of the property: This report contains a map which depicts the location of the property.

5. Current Deed Book Reference to the property: The most recent deed to this property is recorded in Mecklenburg County Deed Book 3948, Page 225. The Tax Parcel Number of the property is: 123-075-03.

6 A brief historical sketch of the property: This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property prepared by Dr. William H. Huffman, Ph.D.

7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains a brief architectural description of the property prepared by Mr. Joseph Schuchman.

8. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria for designation set forth in N.C.G.S. 160A-399.4:

 

a. Special significance in terms of its history, architecture, and/or cultural importance: The Commission judges that the property known as the Mayer House does possess special significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) the Mayer House, erected c. 1907-08, is one of the older houses in Dilworth, Charlotte’s initial streetcar suburb; 2) the Mayer House makes an important contribution to the integrity of the East Boulevard streetscape, Dilworth’s principal trolley thoroughfare at the turn of the century; 3) Carson McCullers (1917-1967), noted author, wrote part of her famous work, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, while living in the house; and 4) the Mayer House is an outstanding local example of adaptive re-use of an historic structure.

b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling, and/or association: The Commission contends that the architectural description by Mr. Joseph Schuchman which is included in this report demonstrates that the Mayer House meets this criterion.

9. Ad Valorem Tax Appraisal: The Commission is aware that designation would allow the owner to apply for an automatic deferral of 50% of the Ad Valorem taxes on all or any portion of the property which becomes “historic property.” The current appraised value of the improvement is $142,100. The current appraised value of the .209 acres of land is $38,680. The total appraised value of the property is $180,780. The property is zoned B1.

Date of Preparation of this Report: May 2, 1988

Prepared by: Dr. Dan L. Morrill
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission
1225 S. Caldwell St.
Charlotte, N.C., 28203

Telephone: 704/376-9115

 

 

Historical Overview  

Dr. William H. Huffman
January, 1984

The handsome bungalow at 311 East Boulevard in Dilworth that presently houses Eli’s restaurant was originally built about 1907-8 by Robert Andrew Mayer (1875-1969) and his wife, Mina Caldwell Brem Mayer (1874-1943).

Mrs. Mayer was born in Morganton, N.C. to Walter and Hannie Caldwell Brem, and came to Charlotte with her parents when still an infant. Her father was actually a Charlotte native who, for most of his life, was in the insurance business, and her mother was a daughter of Gov. Todd R. Caldwell of Morganton. Educated at the former Charlotte Female Institute (a forerunner of Queens College), Miss Carey’s School in Baltimore and Pratt’s School in Brooklyn, N.Y., she and R. A. Mayer were married in 1903 at the old Trinity Methodist Church on Tryon Street. ¹ Mrs.Mayer’s father, Walter Brem, had built a fine, large residence in the first block of East Boulevard in 1902-3, ² and, after their marriage, it appears that the Mayers took up residence in the house on the northeast corner of East Boulevard and Cleveland Avenue, just four doors from the Brems. ³

Robert A. Mayer was also a Charlotte native, and was educated in the Charlotte schools, Major Baird’s School for Boys and Duke University (then Trinity College), which he attended from 1892-96. (He was Duke’s longest-serving trustee, from 1897 to 1964). From the time of his graduation from Trinity to 1912, he worked in his father’s wholesale grocery business in various capacities, but left to become an agent for the Travelers Insurance Co. and joined the firm of his father-in-law, Walter Brem, who represented the same company. For the next fifty-seven years, R. A. Mayer was active in the insurance business in Charlotte, and continued to drive his auto to the office every day until his death at the age of ninety-four. His boyhood recollections of Charlotte pictured a small town that had not yet experienced the rapid growth brought on by the growing New South industrialization based on textile manufacturing in the late 1880s and beyond: the business district essentially ran only one block in each direction of the Square, and

 

You walked over stepping stones to get down Trade and Tryon. If you missed the stones, you sank to your shoe tops.

As youngsters, he and his friends used to ‘skinny dip’ in Sugar Creek at the culvert under the Seaboard Railway and Siegle Avenue. ⁴

About 1907, four years after their marriage; the Mayers decided to build a bungalow-style home two doors to the east of the corner house they were in on East Boulevard, next to the Crutchfield house. The owner of the property was the Charlotte Consolidated Construction Company (known locally as the 4C’s), which undertook the construction of the house for the prospective buyers. The 4C’s was Edward Dilworth Latta’s company he set up for the development of Dilworth, the city’s first streetcar suburb, in 1890. A big attraction of the new residential area was Latta Park, which contained a large lake, pavilion and walks, and to which the new electric trolley ran from the Square. It was located at the edge of a grid pattern of the first part of Dilworth to be developed (1891-1911) bounded on three sides by East and South Boulevards, and Morehead Street. Dilworth was developed to include a wide variety of types of homes, ranging from mansions on the grand boulevards to solid middle class dwellings, to small ones and even mill houses (for the Atherton Mill, built by New South industrialist D. A. Tompkins). ⁵

When construction of their new home was completed in May, 1908, the Mayers took possession of the property upon payment of $3801.49 to the 4C’s . ⁶ They lived in the house until 1916, when Latta’s great rival, George Stephens, convinced them to build a house on Harvard Place in his own subdivision, Myers Park, and even eased the way by having his own firm, the Stephens Company, buy the Mayer’s East Boulevard property. Stephens had also convinced Walter Brem, Sr. to give up his large house and move to Myers Park as well, also on Harvard Place. The Stephens Company also bought the Brem’s house, but after two year the Brems decided Myers Park was too far out in the country, and moved back to East Boulevard, this time into the Crutchfield house, next door to the one their daughter and son-in-law had built. ⁷ (Stephens was a close friend of the Brem family: he started in business in Charlotte with Walter Brem Sr. and his college roommate, Walter Brem Jr. in 1896.)

The Stephens company finally sold the Mayer house to E. B. and Nettle Gresham in 1919, but they in turn sold it five years later and built a new place in Myers Park, on Edgehill Road. ⁸ The 1924 owners, John B. and Janie Myers lost the house in a foreclosure sale in August, 1932, during the depths of the Great Depression, and it was bought by Eli Springs II, who was a stock broker in New York, as an investment. ⁹ Springs (1894- ? ) was the son of Brevard Davidson Springs and the nephew of namesake Eli Springs (1852-1933), the former mayor of Charlotte (1897-99) and a member of the Springs textile family. The house stood vacant a couple of years after Springs bought it, but in 1934 it was rented by Walter T. and Janie M. Branson, and was used both for their home and the office of his heating contractor business. ¹¹

In April, 1937, the Bransons bought the property, and, in order to make ends meet during the economically difficult times, rented furnished rooms in the spacious dwelling. ¹² The following month, a young man named J. Reeves McCullers arrived in town, and, while staying with an uncle, John T. Winn, Jr., found a hard-to-come-by job with the Retail Credit Corporation. By September, even though his finances were tenuous at best, he and his fiancee, Carson Smith of Columbus, Ga., decided they would wait no longer to get married, which they did on the 20th. The newlyweds arrived back in Charlotte not long afterward and settled into a commodious two-room apartment at the Branson’s home on East Boulevard that Reeves had secured a few days before going to Georgia. ¹³

Carson McCullers (1917-1967), who had given up the idea of a career in music to pursue her writing, had studied at Columbia and New York Universities, but had returned to Georgia to recover from an illness in 1936. While there, she began to conceive and shape the major ideas for her first novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which centers around a deaf mute in a small Southern town. When she and Reeves moved to Charlotte, work on the book began in earnest in the apartment at 311 East Boulevard. After about two months, the McCullers moved to another apartment in a house at 806 Central Avenue (no longer extant), where at the end of another six months Carson had completed the first six chapters and an outline in detail of the work. When she submitted it for, and won, a Houghton Mifflin Fellowship Award (2nd place) and a publishing contract, her very successful writing career was launched. On the coldest days of her stay in Charlotte, she worked in the public library and kept warm by continual reference to the sherry in her thermos. In March, 1938, the McCullers moved from Charlotte, where they had been very happy, to Fayetteville (he was transferred there), where they never were. ¹⁴

Since she wrote the first six chapters of her book in Charlotte, which sets the stage in describing the town where the story takes place, and was in the habit of taking long walks in the afternoon, it is not surprising to find descriptions of the fictional town, including mills and mill workers, that are reminiscent of how much of Charlotte must have been at the time. Old Sardis Road is specifically mentioned as the location of the farm (Billingsville?) belonging to the grandfather of Portia, the black woman who worked in the Kelly household. ¹⁵ In any case, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, an American literary classic, and Charlotte, including the house at 311 East Boulevard, are closely intertwined.

In recent years, ownership of the Mayer house passed, in 1959, to William R. and Ethel M. Jamison (a Branson daughter), and in 1977 to the present owner, Jack F. Apple. ¹⁶ As with some of the other older houses on the street, it has been used for commercial purposes, including restaurants, for the last several years. Presently, (since August, 1981) Eli’s on East Restaurant occupies the former Mayer home, but much of the original architecture has been retained, both interior and exterior. With it’s rich heritage of association with early Dilworth, the Mayer and Brem families, and Carson McCullers and her famous novel, the Mayer house amply deserves to be considered historically significant.

 

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NOTES

¹ Charlotte Observer, Feb. 24, 1943, p. 6.

² William H. Huffman, “A Historical Sketch of the Brem House,” Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission, August, 1981.

³ Charlotte City Directories, 1904-1907.

⁴ Charlotte Observer, August 1, 1969, p. 1.

⁵ Thomas Hanchett, “Charlotte Neighborhood Survey,” Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission, Sept., 1983; II, 1-6.

⁶ Deed Book 237, p. 74, 25 May 1908.

⁷ See note 2; William H. Huffman, “A Historical Sketch of the Crutchfield House,” Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission, August, 1981; Deed Book 349, p. 474, 15 Feb. 1916.

⁸ Deed Book 417, p. 97, 20 Oct. 1919; Ibid., Book 533, p. 568, 14 May 1924.

⁹ Ibid., Book 818, p, 346, 31 Aug. 1932.

¹⁰ Katherine Wooten Springs, The Squires of Springfield (Charlotte: Wm. Loftin, 1965).

¹¹ Charlotte City Directories, 1932-37.

¹² Deed Book 919, p. 253, 22 April 1937.

¹³ Virginia Spencer Carr, The Lonely Hunter (Garden City, N,Y.: Doubleday, 1975), pp 67-75.

¹⁴ Ibid., pp. 65-81.

¹⁵ Ibid., p. 79; Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (New York: Bantam, 1953), p. 40.

¹⁶ Deed Book 2098, p. 145, 25 August 1959; Ibid., Book 3948, p. 225, 26 May 1977.

 

Architectural Description  

by Joseph Schuchman
September 25, 1985

The Robert Andrew Mayer House is one of Charlotte’s most intimate and charming turn of the century structures. Completed in 1907-08, the house was originally occupied by Robert Andrew Mayer (1875-1969), an insurance agent, and his wife Mina Caldwell Brem Mayer (1874-1943), a granddaughter of North Carolina Governor Todd Caldwell. In present times, the house is known to Charlotteans as Eli’s, a popular restaurant. In addition to its being an excellent example of adaptive reuse, the Mayer House recalls an earlier time when Dilworth was the Queen City’s newest and most fashionable neighborhood and East Boulevard was a prized residential address. One can almost visualize the clanging of the trolley car which traveled passed the house and which provided quick and easy access to the central business district.

The house is recessed from the street; the path leading to the main entrance is framed by two towering trees. The diminutive one and a half story cottage stands in contrast to the more substantial early twentieth century houses along East Boulevard, most of which are two or two and a half stories in height. The Mayer House is of frame construction and is weatherboarded. While Neoclassical inspired detailing predominates, the asymmetrical massing is an element commonly associated with the Queen Anne style. One/one sash is the primary glazing material and appears in a variety of lengths and widths. Exterior openings are framed by plain surrounds. Plain cornerboards rise to a roofline entablature composed of a simple architrave and frieze and a molded cornice; the architrave forms the lintel of most of the first story openings. The house rests upon a raised foundation composed of stretcher bond brick. A series of symmetrically composed ells project from the rear of the double pile main block. On each side elevation, a gabled dormer rises from the tripped roofline. Slate, arranged in monochrome rectangular blocks, is the dominant roofing medium.

The main facade handsomely responds to the street. An engaged porch, with grouped Ionic columns, shelters the main entrance and continues across the east side of the elevation. The Ionic columns rest upon weatherboarded rectangular bases and rise to a gable roof; a simple balustrade runs between the bases. Egg and dart molding ornaments each column’s capital. The porch gable is sheathed in rectangular cut wood shingles and is framed by a boxed pediment. A tripartite arrangement of vertical casement windows is centrally placed within the gable. Elongated panels of beveled glass highlight the double leaf entrance doors. In order to provide additional dining space for the present occupant, Eli’s on East restaurant, a major portion of the porch was enclosed in 1981. The decorative lattice screen, which covers glass panels, evokes the charm and flavor of turn of the century ornamentation and provides a perfect complement to the existing structure. Main facade window openings are set beneath an oversized transom. A diminutive eyebrow window, a feature commonly associated with the contemporary Colonial Revival style, rises from the main block’s roofline.

A bay window is centrally placed on the west elevation; its center opening displays an oversized transom. A gabled dormer is placed above the bay; plain cornerboards rise to an entablature. The molded gable ends return upon the eaves. An oversized one/one sash is centrally placed within the gable. A similarly detailed dormer projects from the roofline of the linear east side. Louvered window shutters cover two of the elevation’s openings. A handicapped ramp, which rises from the rear of the elevation, is a recent addition. The ramp is set behind a concrete-faced cinder block wall; decorative latticework cleverly screens the handicapped entrance, which is placed on the porch’s east side.

On the rear elevation, the main block terminates in a jerkinhead on gable roofline. Paired two light casements are set within the gable. A series of symmetrically arranged one-story ells rise to hip roofs and run across the rear. Two centrally placed projecting ells are flanked by recessed appendages. A porch, in the projecting ells, was sympathetically enclosed about 1977. A weatherboarded shed, which rests upon a cinder block base, projects from the westernmost ell; the shed, a later addition, had been constructed by 1977. The adjacent meat locker is a more recent installation. Although the rear elevation has been modified to service the needs of restaurant operations, its original character has been respected.

The house contains two chimneys and two flues, all of brick construction. An exterior end chimney is placed between the first and second bays of the east elevation. Built of brick arranged in stretcher bond, the chimney displays a single step shoulder on its north side and ascends sharply above the roofline. An interior chimney rises from the west half of the main block to a rebuilt cap. The flues are placed on the rear elevation and at the rear of the west side respectively.

The interior is largely unaltered and conveys a sense of turn of the century middle class respectability. In keeping with the Neoclassical influence, detailing is handsome yet notably restrained. The house follows a center hall plan. The main block’s first story contains four main chambers, identified as front right, front left, rear right and rear left, as the original use of each is uncertain and all presently house dining facilities. The kitchen is located within the rear appendages. The second story originally contained two bedrooms, each of which has been subdivided to serve as office and storage space. Walls and ceilings are plastered. Floors are covered with pine. Rooms are encircled by a two-part baseboard and a molded cornice. A molded edge delineates the plain surrounds which frame interior openings. Mantles are strongly Neoclassical in spirit and incorporate Tuscan columns.

The main entrance leads into a narrow vestibule. Paired doors, similar to those in the main entrance, separate the vestibule from the house proper. An Ionic columned screen divides the entrance(front) and stair(rear) halls. The Ionic columns rest upon a paneled base and rise to a molded entablature. The entrance hall has been faced with mirrors. A molded chair rail encircles the rear hall. A handsome four tread stair is nicely detailed. Plain rectangular banisters and posts support a shaped handrail. The newel post displays molded rectangular panels and rises to a crown molding. Rectangular panels ornament the rises while drop pendants are placed beneath the posts.

A molded chair rail encircles the front left chamber, which may have originally served as a drawing room or parlor. The mantle is placed on a forty-five degree angle. Tuscan columns support molded mantle and overmantle shelves. A rectangular beveled mirror highlights the overmantle. Paired six panel sliding doors are set within the rooms’ two interior openings, from the hall to its right and to what may have originally served as the dining room, at its rear.

The dining room (rear left) is notable for its octagonal shape. The mantle, which is also placed on a forty-five degree angle, contains a squat overmantle. More simply detailed is the mantle located in the space to the right of the entrance hall. The Tuscan columns rise from a rectangular base and support a molded shelf. Passage to the enclosed porch is through a pair of French Doors, which may have replaced a window. The porch retains its weatherboarded facing and a tongue and groove ceiling.

On the second floor, a simple rectangular balustrade separates the main stairs and the narrow center hall. Although the floor plan of the upper floor has been altered, some original detailing survives including two-part baseboards and molded ceiling cornices. A molded chair rail encircles the hall. One former bedroom, although now subdivided, retains its original mantle. In detailing, the mantle is similar to a first-story mantle. Tuscan columns rest upon a rectangular base and rise to a molded shelf.

The front yard is nicely landscaped; a brick walkway connects the Mayer House with the adjacent Crutchfield-Brem House, another of East Boulevard’s notable historic structures. The east side and rear yards of the Mayer House now contain parking facilities.

The Mayer House is notable not only for its historical associations but also for its distinctive architectural characteristics. It is an excellent example of the preservation of an architectural and historical resource while simultaneously breathing new life into an older structure and neighborhood.

This report was written on November 7, 1984

1. Name and location of the property:November 7, 1984 The property known as the Old Matthews School is located on South Trade St. in Matthews, NC.

2. Name, address, and telephone number of the present owner of the property:

Town of Matthews
Box 398
Matthews, NC, 28106

Telephone: (704) 847-4411

3. Representative photographs of the property: This report contains representative photographs of the property.

4. A map depicting the location of the property:

5. Current Deed Book Reference to the property: The most recent deed to this property is recorded in Mecklenburg County Deed Book 4734, page 802. The Tax Parcel Number of the property is 227-211-34.

6. A brief historical sketch of the property: This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property prepared by Dr. William H. Huffman, Ph.D.

7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains an architectural description of the property prepared by Mr. Joseph Schuchman, edited and revised by Dr. Dan L. Morrill.

8. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria set forth in N.C.G.S. 160A-399.4:

 

a. Special significance in terms of its history, architecture, and/or cultural importance: The Commission judges that the property known as the Old Matthews School does possess special significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) the Old Matthews School served as the educational centerpiece of the Matthews community from 1907 until the early 1980’s, and 2) the complex exhibits an evolution of architectural styles and motifs associated with public building architecture in Charlotte-Mecklenburg during the first half of the 20th century.

b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling and/or association: The Commission contends that the attached architectural description by Mr. Joseph Schuchman, edited and revised by Dr. Dan L. Morrill, demonstrates that the Old Matthews School meets this criterion.

9. Ad Valorem Tax Appraisal: The Commission is aware that designation would allow the owner to apply for an automatic deferral of 50% of the Ad Valorem taxes on all or any portion of the property which becomes “historic property.” The current appraised value of the 1.01 acres of land is $3000. The improvements show no appraised value, but one must assume that the records of the tax office have not been amended to reflect the transfer of the property to the Town of Matthews. The total current appraised value of the property is $3000. The property is zoned R9.

Date of Preparation of this Report: November 7, 1984

Prepared by: Dr. Dan L. Morrill, Director
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission
1225 S. Caldwell St.
Charlotte, N.C., 28203

Telephone: (704) 376-9115

 

 

Historical Overview  

Dr. William H. Huffman

Few institutions, from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth, were so intimately a part of a community as the local school. A place where children of different religious faiths and economic background were brought together, its development and growth were a direct reflection of the society it served. So it was for the old Matthews School.

The town of Matthews itself was incorporated in 1879. Prior to the Civil War, it had been little more than the location of a stagecoach inn with a post office on the run between Charlotte and Monroe. With the end of the war, it became a village known as “Stumptown” because of all the pine stumps left in the fields after the new saw mill had turned the trees into lumber for houses and a general store. The town’s history took a decisive turn in 1874 when the Carolina Central Railway routed its track through the village to link up Tennessee, through Charlotte, to Wilmington. It was the railroad officials who named the village “Matthews,” which is presumed to be after Watson Matthews, who was a director of the railway.¹

In 1880, Matthews had only 191 residents, and for the next fifteen years, as it was for the rest of the country, education in the town remained a private, most often church-related affair. The first public school was built in 1895 in what was known as the Carpenter Grove on Trade Street. The three-room schoolhouse was under the direction of principal Prof. Judge E. Little, who, with an assistant, appeared to constitute the teaching staff. For eleven years, the wood-frame school served its purpose, but by the end of that period, growth in the community taxed its capacity such that larger quarters were clearly needed. Consequently, in January, 1907, two acres of land for the present school site were acquired from Mrs. S. E. Griffin.²

That same year, the General Assembly passed a bill to help establish state-supported rural high schools throughout the state, and Matthews and Huntersville were designated as the Mecklenburg locations. Although the state only provided part of the funds needed for a school, previously they were financed completely by the local residents. Plans proceeded for the construction of a “modern brick building,” which was to be built for the total sum of $14,000. The actual building of the schoolhouse was truly a community enterprise, whereby the townspeople provided the building materials, teams and wagons for hauling them, and doing the grading work.³

When it was completed later in 1907, the Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Board of Education, William Anderson, characterized it as a “model of beauty and perfection.” The impressive two-story building had three classrooms on the first floor and an auditorium on the second, and the entryway was topped by a decorative cupola (whether or not it contained a schoolbell is not known). In the first term, 1907-8, there was a dedication ceremony in which Dr. W. E. Abernathy gave the school a Bible and a flag from the Junior Order. At the time, the school was supervised by a five-member board, and the principal was Rev. I. O. Hinson. The teaching staff consisted of Annie Lyle Jennings, Intermediate Department; Kate Neal, Primary Department; and Willie Kilpatrick, Music Department.

J. M Matthews, a Princeton graduate who became principal by 1909, set high standards for the school and it began to attract boarding students from adjacent communities, who were put up in the homes of local residents. By the time of the first graduating class in 1911, the school was already overcrowded, and the following year, 1912, the school board, headed by Capt. T. J. Renfrow, sold bonds on the New York market to finance major improvements and expansion of the school. The twelve thousand dollars raised by the bonds paid for the renovation of the 1907 building and expanding the school by adding the present auditorium and more classrooms at the rear third of the structure.⁵

Under the principalship of Boyce S. Plaxco, 1921 to 1924, three classrooms were fitted up in the basement area of the rear addition, which were used for the primary grades and the science department. (These are presently used for special education programs, and at one time also housed the cafeteria). During this time the school also acquired a library, and by 1924, Matthews High School was given full accreditation as a secondary school, and topped it off by winning the county basketball championship that year.⁶

Sometime during the tenure of the next principal, George Neal, 1924-28, another major addition, the last, was made to the school building: the front entryway was enclosed in a two-story addition of six classrooms, and the classical revival porch with columns became the new building front. About the same time, a two-story building was built for a teacherage nearby. Despite this expansion, however, the continually growing community needed more schoolroom space by the next decade, and during the Depression years of the Thirties, a junior high school building was put up as part of the Matthews school facilities. It contained an office, gymnasium and six classrooms. The Agriculture building was another Depression-era project that was built by labor provided by the Works Progress Administration.

Through the years 1907 to 1950, the Matthews school delivered exclusively all the primary and secondary education for the community. Bringing joys and sorrows, triumphs and trials, the halls and classrooms of the school hold special memories for many residents of Matthews and beyond. Many of the principals went on to become school superintendents, and one became a college president.

The inevitable changes and growth of the county as a whole, however, brought about some permanent alterations to the familiar pattern. Starting with the 1950-51 school year, the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades went to East Mecklenburg High School, and the old Matthews school became a junior high. Primary students were sent to Idlewild and Lansdowne elementary schools.⁸

Because of the construction of newer facilities and the expense of repair and renovation required by the old building, the school authorities were, in recent days, considering demolishing the building. Fortunately for the old school, the Matthews principal let it be known that the building was being abandoned, and the mayor and the Matthews Community Club were able to successfully negotiate its sale to the Town of Matthews in August, 1983. The Community Club had been sponsoring the Stumptown Festival for the previous eight years to raise money for a community center. When the school building came up for sale, it presented the opportunity to both preserve a building which has so much meaning to the community as well as provide the needed space for the center. With extensive renovation and repair, which will restore the old school to a sound and nearly original condition, it will once again serve the citizens of Matthews, now including youth groups, senior citizens, and college-extension classes, and will remain both a memorable and useful part of the town.

 

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NOTES

¹ The Southeast News, Nov. 10, 1975, pp. 1-5.

² Ibid., p. 2; Deed Book 268, p. 346, 12 Jan. 1907.

³ News, cited above, p. 2.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid., p. 3.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Interview with Suzanne Gulley, Editor, The Southeast News, 24 May 1984; interview with Clay Lefler, Mayor, Town of Matthews, 24 May 1984; interview with Ted Kiker, Chairman, Matthews Community Club, 24 May 1984.

 

 

Architectural Description  

Joseph Schuchman

In a period when the frame schoolhouse was commonplace and the one-room school was still utilized, the construction of a substantial two-story brick schoolhouse in Matthews in 1907 was indicative of the importance placed upon education in the community at that time. By 1912, the already crowded building was expanded and enlarged with the erection of a rear ell, housing the auditorium and classrooms. Between 1924 and 1928, the Old Matthews School assumed its present size. Built onto the front of the structure was a two-story block with a columned portico and six classrooms. Moreover, the original front entrance and belfry were enclosed and incorporated into the expanded facility. The walls of the belfry are still intact.

The original block reflects the influence of the Italianate style, particularly in the appearance of decorative brick courses. The Italianate style was more commonly used for commercial and residential edifices in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Consequently, its use in the Old Matthews School is a distinctive architectural element. The front block and, to a lesser extent, the rear ell allude to the Neoclassical style, which was extremely popular as a motif for public buildings at the turn of the century.

The building is roofed with rectangular slate blocks. Elevations are symmetrically arranged, and openings are framed by molded surrounds. The 1907 T-shaped block is highlighted with decorative handmade brickwork arranged in common bond. The corbled courses run across the eight-bay side elevations, but the front and rear elevations were covered by later additions to the building. The water table consists of handmade corbled brick and is composed of a single row of headers above a double row of stretchers and beneath a single row of stretchers. Remaining courses, including the roofline cornice, are of manufactured yellow brick.

Double brick headers comprise the first-story window heads, and a belt course, between the first and second stories, forms the cornice of the first-story window heads. The roof line cornice forms the lintel of the second story windows. 9/6 sash, the primary light, are placed above limestone sills. The roof is low tripped in shape.

The gable-roofed rear ell houses the auditorium on the raised first story and classrooms in the full basement. The structure is of handmade red brick laid in a 1:6 common bond pattern. Second story windows are 6/1 sash; first story lights are primarily 6/6 sash. A soldier course serves as the lintel; each sill is composed of flush vertical headers. A corbled belt course separates the basement and first story. Side elevation windows are paired; second story lights are set within a recessed bay and placed above a blind brick panel. A closed string metal stairway leads to the two rear entrances.

The hip roof front block is Neoclassical in spirit. Stone steps recede in width as they rise to the raised entrance. An entry portico dominates the front elevation. Hollow fluted Doric columns rise to a full entablature and pediment. The words, “Matthews School” in wooden block letters run across the frieze. Columns rest on rectangular bases and rise to plain rectangular capitals. 9/9 sash are set in single, paired, and triple groupings and are the dominant light. A soldier course serves as the lintel, and the sills are composed of brick headers. The exterior is of common bond brick laid in a 1:5 pattern. A cast concrete water table runs across the elevations. The main entrance is set within a round arch, ornamented with a header course and a central keystone.

As one would expect in a structure used for educational purposes, the interior is functional in appearance and largely intact. There is a great deal of similarity in the interiors of the three separately-constructed blocks. Halls and classrooms have vertical tongue and groove wainscoting, set between a baseboard and a chair rail. The chair rail is composed of a wide frieze set between a molded architrave and cornice. Transoms are set above the entry doors to the classroom. Tripartite movable transoms are located in the front (1924-28) block, while the remaining transoms are stationary single-pane lights. Classrooms are located off center and side halls. Openings are framed by simple surrounds. Closed string stairways rise from stair halls located at the front and rear of the original block. The walls are sheathed in plaster.

The auditorium, in the rear ell, occupies most of the first story and is the most notable interior space of the Old Matthews School. The auditorium is encircled by a wainscot, similar to that found in the rest of the building. The exposed wooden truss system contours to the trapezoid-shaped roof, which is sheathed in horizontal tongue and groove ceiling.

An Agricultural Building, which dates from the 1930s, stands near the north side of the Old Matthews School. The rectangular-shaped building is frame construction with a stretcher bond brick veneer. Elevations are symmetrically arranged. 6/6 sash are the dominant glazing light. A single-bay porch, with wooden pier supports, shelters the centrally-placed front entrance. The site slopes, providing a full basement on the sides and the rear. The tripped roof is covered with asphalt shingles.

Three fieldstone posts serve as an entrance gate to the school complex. The center post contains a stone tablet, which reads, “In memory of T. L. Renfrow, Superintendent of Schools.” Flanking posts, to the right and the left, have inset tablets which state respectively, “Class of 1936,” and “Class of 1937.”

1.  Name and location of the property: The property known as the Former United States Post Office Building in Matthews is located at 195 North Trade Street in Matthews, North Carolina.

2.  Name and address of the present owner of the property:

Aana Lisa Johnson, Trustee of the Aana Lisa Johnson Trust

504 South Main Street

Matthews, N.C., 28105

3.  Representative photographs of the property: This report contains representative photographs of the property.

4.  Maps depicting the location of the property: This report contains a map depicting the location of the property.   UTM Coordinate: 17525352E 3886040N

5.  Current deed book and tax parcel information for the property:

 

The Tax Parcel Number of the property is 0193-262-09. The most recent deed reference to this property is recorded in Mecklenburg County Deed Book 9189, Page 280.

 

6.  A brief historical sketch of the property: This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property by Matthew S. Thomas and Dr. Dan L. Morrill.

7.  A brief architectural and physical description of the property: This report contains a brief architectural description of the property by Matthew S. Thomas.

8.  Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets criteria for designation set forth in N. C. G. S. 160A-400.5:

 

a. Special significance in terms of its history, architecture, and/or cultural importance: The Commission judges that the property known as the Former United States Post Office Building in Matthews, N.C. does possess special significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.  The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations:

1) The Former United States Post Office Building was the initial building in Matthews to serve exclusively as a post office and functioned as a post office from 1939 until 1962.

2)  Leading citizens of Matthews, especially nine-term Mayor W. Alexis Hood, who designed the building, and prominent businessman Lester Hunter Yandle, Sr., who provided private  financing, were instrumental in bringing this imposing post office building to Matthews.

3.  Architecturally , the Former Matthews Post Office Building is significant as a refined example of the Neo-Classical Revival style, particularly for one of the outlying railroad towns of Mecklenburg County.

b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling and/or association: The Commission contends that the physical and architectural description which is included in this report demonstrates that the Former United Post Office Building in Matthews, N.C. meets this criterion.

 

9.  Ad Valorem tax appraisal: The Commission is aware that designation would allow the owner to apply for an automatic deferral of 50% of the Ad Valorem taxes on all or any portion of the property which becomes designated as “historic landmark.”

 

Date of preparation of this report: December, 2004

Prepared by: Matthew S. Thomas and Dr. Dan L. Morrill

Historic Context Statement

The Former United States Post Office Building in Matthews, N. C. is located at the northwestern corner of the town’s historic central business district. The casual observer might take the freestanding brick structure for granted; yet it played a crucial role in the daily lives of Matthews’s citizens during its years of operation (1939-1962). Indeed, the town’s post office, along with the Seaboard Airline railroad tracks to the immediate north of the building and the Charlotte-Monroe highway that bisected the town one block south of the post office, were the essential components of the built environment that connected Matthews to the outside world.1

Not unlike many of Mecklenburg County’s small towns, Matthews owes its origins to the railroad. Historian Richard Mattson explains that during the years following the Civil War:

“… new and rebuilt railways not only stimulated Charlotte’s continued expansion but also spawned smaller shipping and trading points along their routes. In 1872 the Carolina Central Railway completed its line from Wilmington, North Carolina to Charlotte, locating one of its depots southeast of Charlotte, beside a stagecoach stop known as Fullwood’s Store. In 1879 the Town of Matthews was born on this site, named, in fact, for a member of the Carolina Central’s Board of Directors.”2

Created as one of Mecklenburg’s outlying “railroad-oriented” towns, Matthews provided provincial farmers access to both Southern seaports and Northern markets and prospered as the principal cotton processing center in eastern Mecklenburg County. Farmers also came to Matthews to purchase essential supplies. In the late nineteenth century an increasing number of businessmen established themselves along the ordered streets of the expanding downtown business district.3 It is not surprising, therefore, that Matthews acquired a United States Post Office.

Historic Overview

It became evident by the 1930s that the small, yet growing community of Matthews was ill-served by the meager quarters and frequent relocations of its post offices. Lester Hunter Yandle Sr., owner of the Matthews Drug Store, therefore stepped forward and personally financed the town’s first structure built exclusively to serve as a post office. “Doc” Yandle, as he was nicknamed by locals, decided to locate the new post office on two contiguous vacant lots he had purchased in 1919 and 1924, respectively. The two properties were situated in an ideal location, lying approximately 400 feet from the Seaboard Airline Railroad Depot and abutting the westerly intersection of Trade and Charles Streets.4 Yandle commissioned W. Alexis Hood, an engineer with the Southern Engineering Company (later to become a nine-term mayor of Matthews serving from 1945-1963), to design an appropriate structure, and solicited Congressman A. L. Bullwinkle of the Tenth Congressional District to lobby the United States Postal Department to authorize the project. Congressman Bullwinkle’s lobbying efforts proved successful, and the Postal Department approved the new building under the department’s Commercial Leasing Program. A 10-year lease agreement, with an option of renewal following the expiration of the term, was negotiated and accepted by both parties.5

Front of Program of Official Dedication Ceremony

The Federal Government granted a modest amount of leeway in the exterior design of most buildings intended for Federal use, but by 1939 it had established standardized interior plans for post offices. Hood almost certainly would have consulted the publication detailing post office stipulations entitled “Instructions to Private Architects Engaged on Public Building Work Under the Jurisdictions of the Treasury Department.” The most common architectural styles employed in the exterior design of most Depression-era post offices were either the Colonial Revival style or, as Hood chose, the Neo-Classical Revival style in which Hood blended modern and classical elements. Locals claimed that Hood had been inspired by a similar building then situated on Tryon Street in Charlotte.6

By April 1939 the much-needed and long-awaited post office was almost ready, and a grand dedication was planned. Oscar L. Phillips, appointed Postmaster of Matthews by the Roosevelt Administration in 1933, served as Chairman of the Arrangements Committee. Fifteen of the town’s most prosperous and well-known citizens were members of the committee, including Lester “Doc” Yandle and Edward Funderburk, president of the Bank of Matthews.7 The impressive new post office was a significant contribution to the civic development of the community. It sent a powerful signal to Matthews’s citizenry that theirs was a motivated, forward-looking community.

Congressman A. L. Bullwinkle addresses the audience on May 3, 1939.

The official dedication of the Matthews Post Office began on May 3, 1939, at 5 o’clock p.m., when the U.S. Army 105^th Engineer Band assembled beside the specially constructed stage that spanned the post office steps and began to play “America” in front of a crowd of approximately 3,500 people. Postmaster Phillips then delivered a stirring introduction, followed by congratulatory remarks from Professor C. L. Pearce, principal of the Matthews High School. Paul R. Younts, Postmaster of Charlotte, next addressed the cheering crowd and introduced Congressman A.  L Bullwinkle. Fourth Assistant Postmaster General of the United States. Smith W. Purdam, who had traveled from the nation’s capitol to serve as the representative of the United States Post Office, delivered the principal address. At the closing of the ceremony, the Reverend S. J. Hood, Pastor of the Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, gave the benediction. The 105^th Engineer Band ended the ceremony with the “Star Spangled Banner,” and the dignitaries retired to the Matthews Baptist Church to enjoy a specially prepared dinner.8

The Former Matthews Post Office Building was a vital part of the local community for more than two decades. Sisters Margaret and Mary Louise Phillips, long-time Matthews residents and daughters of  Postmaster Oscar L. Phillips, described a typical day at the post office:

“Mr Pete” Phillips, as the postmaster was affectionately known, would arrive at the post office at six o’clock a.m. Either he or Green Lee Stewart, the post office’s African-American custodian, would then walk to the depot and pick up the locked mail bags which had been delivered by rail at 5:00 a.m. They would spend the next two hours readying the office for the day and opened the doors to the public at eight. Numerous residents kept post office boxes and the many more who received their mail in general delivery were almost always waiting at the doors. As mornings such as these were repeated, the post office quickly became indispensable to the daily lives of Matthews’ residents. People would continue to flow in and out of the office all day, and ‘Mr. Pete’ would finally close the doors at 5 o’clock p.m. Again, either he or Stewart would then take the outgoing mail to the depot to be picked-up by the train that evening. Thus, the office was routinely in operation eleven to twelve hours a day.” 9

Mary Louise Phillips explained that residents came to rely on the post office not only as a place where they could pick-up and/or post their mail, but also as a place to visit with friends, catch-up on the comings and goings in town and exchange gossip and pleasantries. The post office, she said “was essential in tying the community together.” Her sister Margaret echoed this observation: “people would often say that ‘I saw so and so today at the post office.’ Now, people say ‘I went to the post office and I didn’t see anybody I know.’”10

Farmers and others who lived in the surrounding countryside were served by three mail carriers who often packed scales and stamps in case rural residents wanted to post mail. According to the sisters, “Mr. Pete” made a habit of going the extra mile for the post office’s rural customers. If, for instance, a shipment of biddies, or young chickens was delivered by the train on a Saturday, “Mr. Pete,” they said, would often take it upon himself to deliver them. The Phillips sisters told a touching story.  The death notice of a young serviceman arrived at the post office during World War II. “Mr. Pete” did not want the notice just simply to be “delivered” to the young man’s family who lived well outside Matthews. He took it upon himself to take the letter personally to the family so they might receive the devastating news from a friend who cared. Actions such as these soon earned Postmaster Phillips a well-deserved place in the hearts of Matthews’s citizens. In February 1957, four years after his retirement, “Mr. Pete” was selected Matthews’s “Man of the Year.”11

By 1960 the Matthews Post Office had outgrown the Depression-era building, so the Postal Department began soliciting bids for the construction of a replacement office.12 On September 23, 1962, after twenty three years of service, the “Old Matthews Post Office” received, sorted and delivered its last batch of mail; and its days as a post office were no more.13 However, it has been occupied by numerous businesses of various sorts over the ensuing years.

The former United States Post Office building stands as a significant, integral component of the historic development of Matthews. The building resulted from private funds invested for the public good by the “kindest man in town,” Lester “Doc” Yandle.14 It was designed by one of the most popular figures in Matthews’s political history, nine-term mayor, W. Alexis “Lex” Hood. Finally, it was operated by Matthews “Man of the Year,” Oscar “Mr. Pete” Phillips.

Architectural Description

Special Note:  The information contained in the architectural description is largely taken from Richard L. Mattson, Nomination: Matthews Commercial Historical District. United States Department of the Interior, 1996.

The Matthews Post Office is a single story, flat roofed, dark red brick building of Neo-Classical Revival styling. It is a rectangular, five-bay-wide and five-bay-deep structure and is set-back with front and side lawns. The front and side elevations are characterized by formality, featuring symmetrical fenestration, continuous stone cornice and a stepped parapet topped with metal flashing that conceals the flat roof. As one faces the main facade, one is met by five stone risers, enclosed within two brick cheek walls which are capped with thick, flat stone. Situated on the portico are two stone Tuscan columns in antis. The front elevation boasts two pairs of tall, narrow twelve-pane windows with prominent stone sills which flank the central double-door entrance which is topped by a lunette transom. The double doors and lunette transom are enclosed by a brick, stacked-header arch. Wider metal framed, multi-paned casement windows, also with stone sills, but with the added addition of metal security bars, grace the side elevations. The rear three-bay facade is characterized by the central double-door entrance which is sheltered by a shed roof. The interior of the structure is unobstructed, and birch hardwood floors run the length of the building. Crown molding wraps the tops of the walls, and the ceiling is set at 11 feet. Every detail described above is original to the structure except replacement leaded glass which is a recent addition to the front double door entrance.

The building derives its structural integrity by its 8-inch thick brick walls, and the interior flooring of the structure is supported by numerous brick piers situated at regular intervals in the crawl space. The exterior veneer is comprised of a 4-inch scratch-faced brick laid in a running bond. Soldier courses line the tops of all window lintels. At floor level, a single out-set header course comprises a belt that runs the entire perimeter of the building. Two striking brick patterns distinguish the parapet. The first is a rectangle composed of two stacked, opposing header courses connected at the top and bottom by two rowlock courses (the front elevation’s rectangular pattern is highlighted by a half-arch at the center of its upper rowlock course). Running bonds fill the square. The second is a square, similarly constructed. A single brick chimney, once used to vent the coal- fired furnace, rises from the roof on the northwestern side of the building. Immediately behind the post office sits a small outbuilding originally used for coal storage. It is constructed with a shed roof, and its brick walls are laid in a running bond.

1. Paula H. Lester, Discover Matthews: From Cotton to Corporate (Matthews, North Carolina: the Town of Matthews Tourism Council, 2000), p. 56.2 Richard L. Mattson, Historic Landscapes of Mecklenburg County: The Small Towns. July 1991.

2. Richard L. Mattson, Historic Landscapes of Mecklenburg County: The Small Towns (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission).

3. Ibid; Claudia Brown and Richard L. Mattson, Nomination: Matthews Commercial Historical District. United States Department of the Interior, 1996. Sec. 7., p. 1; One of the most intriguing features of Matthews’s historical development is that it did not developed a robust cotton milling industry during its formative years of 1880-1920 as did its sister railroad towns of Pineville, Huntersville and Cornelius. Matthews, therefore, escaped the paternalistic and exploitive nature so often associated with textile manufacturing in North Carolina’s Piedmont during the early twentieth century. As a result, Matthews’s remained unencumbered by “mill village” development.

4 John Long, ed., “Matthews, Post Office History Intertwined,” The Southeast News, 30 August, 1978; Deed Book 418, p. 63. 15 November, 1919; Deed Book 533, p. 168. 27 February, 1924; According to sisters Margaret and Mary Louise Phillips, long-time Matthews residents and daughters of Oscar L. Phillips, Matthews’s Post Master from 1933-53, the two lots sat vacant for fifteen years while “Doc” Yandle concentrated on establishing his drug store. During that period, the Phillips sisters recalled, the lots were frequented by a “snake oil salesman” who would pitch several large tents and sell his elixirs in a “carnival” like atmosphere. Mary Elizabeth laughingly remembered sitting on the front porch of her father’s home adjacent to the lots watching the “Medicine Man,” as he was known by locals, and the crowds he attracted “hoop and holler.” Both sisters believed that the lots were also the site of the towns watering trough.

5. Interview with Lester H. Yandle Jr., Matthews, North Carolina. 13 October, 2004.

6. Beth M. Boland, “How To Apply The National Register Criteria To Post Offices,” National Register Bulletin 13 (1994); p. 4; Interview with Margaret and Mary Louise Phillips, Matthews, North Carolina. 14 October, 2004.

7. Program of Dedication: Matthews Post Office, 3 May, 1939.

8. Program Dedication; Interview with Margaret and Mary Louise Phillips.

9. Interview with Margaret and Mary Louise Phillips.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid; “Matthews Man of the Year,” The Charlotte Observer, 14 February, 1957.

12. “Matthews to Get New Post Office,” The Mecklenburg Times, 1 September, 1960.

13. “A Dedication – And a Rally,” The Charlotte Observer, 23 September, 1962.

14. Lester, Discover Matthews. p. 19.

 

 

1. Name and location of the property:  The property known as the Massey-Clark House is located at 232 North Trade Street in Matthews, North Carolina.
2. Name and address of the present owners of the property:

The Town of Matthews

232 Matthews Station Street

Matthews, North Carolina 28105

(704)-847-4411

3. Representative photographs of the property:  This report contains representative photographs of the property.
4. Map Depicting the location of the property:  Below is a map depicting the location of the property.  The UTM coordinates are 525412E  3886083N.
5. Current deed book reference to the property:  The most recent deed book reference to this property is recorded in the Mecklenburg County Deed Book 3988, page 416.  The tax parcel number is 21501203.
6. A brief historical sketch of the property:  This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property.
7. A brief architectural description of the property:  This report contains a brief architectural description of the property.
8. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria for designation as set forth in N.C.G.S. 160A-400.5:

 

Special significance in terms of its history, architecture, and/or cultural importance:  The Commission judges that the property known as the Massey-Clark House does possess special historic significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.  The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1.) The Massey-Clark House is one of the oldest extant buildings in  Matthews.  2.) The Massey-Clark House is an excellent example of  hall-and-parlor style architecture.  3.)  The Massey-Clark House is an important remnant of a once rural small town community and is, therefore, reminiscent of a way of life that has virtually disappeared in Mecklenburg County.

 

9. Ad Valorem tax appraisal:  The Commission is aware that designation would allow the owner to apply for an automatic deferral of 50% of Ad Valorem taxes on all or any portion of the property which becomes designated as a “historic landmark.”  The current appraised value of the lot is $83,100.  The appraised value of the building is $39,300.  The total tax value is $122,400.

 

This Report was prepared by Hope L. Murphy (May 2006).

 

Historical Overview:

The Massey-Clark House is one of the oldest extant residences in Matthews, N.C., dating from the late 19^th Century.  Matthews was originally known as “Stumptown,” for the many stumps left by farmers as they cleared the land to build houses and fields.  In 1872 the Carolina Central Railroad, as it completed its line from Wilmington, North Carolina to Charlotte, located a depot beside a stagecoach stop in Stumptown.  Seven years later, in 1879, the town of Matthews was incorporated. It was named after Watson Matthews, a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Carolina Railroad.  Beginning in the 1890’s, Trade Street began to develop into a bustling center for commerce frequented by local farmers and the passengers and crews of the many trains that stopped there daily.

The house had a wraparound shed porch

Though local lore credits the house with being built in 1845 by W.W. Orr, it is more likely that the structure was erected soon after 1880.  It was then that E. J. Funderburk sold the lot on which the house rests to Dr. Henry V. Massey, a medical doctor and Civil War veteran.[1] Funderburk, a prominent farmer, most likely theretofore used the land for growing crops.[2]  The home remained in the Massey family until 1925.  It was then that Dr. Massey’s children, Daisy Massey Alexander and Henry Massey,[3] sold the house to C.C. (Clarence Coatsworth) Clark and his wife Susie Elmore Clark.[4]  Mr. Clark was employed by the Southern Railroad as a section foreman. The couple had five children Paul, Ralph, Ruth, and Helen, who died tragically as a young child of 4 or 5, and an infant who died shortly after birth.[5] When the Clarks lived in the home Matthews was still very rural, and a field next door to the house was used to grow cotton.[6]  Later, in 1950, the Matthews Town Hall was erected next door at 224 North Trade Street.

Clarence Clark

 

Susie Elmore Clark

Paul and Lucy Clark

In 1953, Paul Clark, his wife Lucy, and their children, Jane and Oliver, came to live with the aging Susie shortly before her death. Jane recounts that while her grandmother was alive, her family used one side of the house and her grandmother the other.  Susie had her own living room, to the left of the entrance, and Jane’s family had their own across the hall.  Both families had their own kitchens at the back of the house, though everyone ate meals together in her Susie’s kitchen.  When Susie died, Paul and Lucy removed the second kitchen and put in the bathroom.

Clarence Clark Showing Wraparound Porch In Background

Paul Clark was employed by Williams and Shelton, a wholesale distributor on South Boulevard that sold wares to dry goods stores in Charlotte and its environs. There he managed the Men & Boys Department.  Jane remembers that when she was growing up the house was always full of visitors, because it was located so near to Town Hall and  people often stopped in.  Neighborhood children also frequently ran in and out of the house, the doors of which were never locked.   Mrs. Clark was well known for the Raggedy Anne dolls that she made and gave out to children in the community.  Jane Clark lived in the house until she left for college.  After studying at Emory University, Clark stayed in Atlanta where she became a nurse and received her doctorate.  When her parents died Dr. Clark put the house on the market.  Concerned that the house would be razed for development she sold the house to the Town of Matthews in 1977.[7]

Beginning in November 1979 the Massey-Clark House was occupied by the Matthews Help Center.  The Help Center provided the community an  array of services from the small six-room home, including tutoring for students, a thrift store that provided inexpensive used clothing, helping the elderly in filling out tax and social service forms, and providing emergency funds for Matthews families in need. The center was staffed by members of the Matthews Woman’s Club, Matthews Ministerial Association, and other community volunteers. The founders hoped that the center would make services more accessible to the residents of Matthews, who traveled into Charlotte for such assistance before the opening of Help.[8]  Joan Uhrich, who has worked for Help for 25 years, credits the house and its architecture with creating a nurturing environment for the organization.  She explains that the staff, volunteers, and clients all believed that the offices felt “like home;” providing care was easy in such an environment, Uhrich related.[9]  In recent years a retail store occupied the Massey-Clark House.  The house presently has no tenant, and the Town of Matthews is seeking a preservation solution for the property.

 

 

Architectural Description:

 

The Massey-Clark House was most likely originally built in the hall-and-parlor form.  This type of house is characterized as being two rooms wide and one room deep.  Virginia and Lee McAlester write that this type of house “remained the dominant folk housing over much of the rural Southeast until well into the 20^th century.”[10]  The house is presently cross-gabled, by a later addition.  The back side of the house also has a shed addition, adjacent to the earlier addition. The house is located on a small lot on North Trade Street, a busy thoroughfare in Matthews.

The front of the house is three bays wide. Six over six double-hung sash windows are found on either side of the front door. The front door is wood paneled with a six-pane inset window and is flanked by three pane side lights The front stoop is a concrete slab set on a low brick. A 1979 photo shows that the stoop was originally accessed by brick steps; it is now reached by a concrete ramp, to allow for handicap access. Iron rails flank the ramp.  The small gabled front porch is covered by a low-pitched roof supported by two posts. Green tar shingles cover the building’s roof.        .

Side Elevation

Immediately inside the front door is the central hall.  This approximately 11’ by 4’ space is lined on three walls by shelving, added by Help.  To the right of the entrance is a small room (approximately 11 foot square).  The room contains a non-working fireplace, with a wood mantle. A walk-in closet is accessed through a door in the same wall.  Both the ceiling and walls are covered with beadboard.  A carpet is laid over the floors, which are likely hardwood like many other rooms in the house.  At one time this was a bedroom for room for Paul and Lucy Clark. The room was used by the Help center initially as a meeting room and later as an office and staging area for organizing in-home meal deliveries.

The room to the left of the entrance is a little larger in size, it also has a fireplace on its most rear wall.  The fireplace surround is of a pale brick with a wood mantle painted white.  The floor is also covered with carpet.  The ceiling is covered with a textured spray on application. There is a ceiling fan with light fixture in the ceiling.  The rest of the house is lit by industrial neon lighting.  This room served C.C. and Susie Clark as a living room, and later as a checkout area for the Help organization’s thrift store.

Rear Elevation

Behind the front two rooms, is the dwelling’s most substantial addition. The first two rooms both have wood floors and one six over six double-hung sash window.  They are connected by a small hallway.  To the rear of these rooms is the home’s kitchen.  The kitchen has painted wood cabinetry, and light beige wood paneled walls.  Over the sink, located on the rearmost wall of the house, is a single fixed-pane window.  Joan Uhrich, relates that the kitchen served many purposes for the organization, serving both as a food preparation area, place to consume meals, and as a work area.

Interior

A shed-roofed addition was added adjacent to the kitchen.  This addition contains a bathroom, back hall, and storage area.  The bathroom has a glass paneled door that leads to the front hall.  Jane Clark recalls that the bathroom was added when she was a small child in the 1950’s, which accounts for the door which originally led outside.  Until then the property had an outhouse.  The bathroom floor is linoleum, as is that of the kitchen, back hall, and storage space.  The back hall area’s walls are wood clapboard and six over six sash window opens from the kitchen, showing that the space was added to the house.

 

[1] Mecklenburg County Deed Book, 45, page 211, March 10, 1880.

[2] Born on July 1, 1836, Funderburk was reared near the Lynches River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He had migrated to Mecklenburg County soon after the end of the Civil War, a conflict in which he served the Confederacy. Dan L. Morill, “Survey and Research Report, The Funderburk Brothers Buildings,” for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission

[3] Henry Massey was married to Mamie Renfrow Massey, the daughter of local dry goods merchant T.J. Renfrow.  From interview with Mary Louis Phillips, March 3, 2006.

[4] Mecklenburg County Deed Book 585, page 171, April 8, 1925.

[5] Interview with Jane Clark, May 8, 2006.  Interview with Tony Clark, May 8, 2006.

[6] Paula Hartill Lester, Discover Matthews: From Cotton to Corporate (Charlotte: Herff Jones Publishing Company, 1999), p. 38.

[7] Interview with Jane Clark, March 10, 2006.

[8] “Help Center Opens Saturday,” Southeast News,  November 7, 1979 and Cheryl Mattox Berry, Charlotte News, “There’s HELP in Matthews for those who need it,” April 16, 1979.

[9] Interview with Joan Uhrich, March 2006.

[10] Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984), Page 94.

This report was written on April 2, 1980.

1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Masonic Temple is located at 329 S. Tryon St. in Charlotte, N.C.

2. Name, address, and telephone number of the present owner and occupant of the property:
The present owner and occupant of the property is:
Masonic Temple Association
327 S. Tryon St.
Charlotte, N.C. 28202

Telephone: (704) 332-7862

3. Representative photographs of the property: This report contains representative photographs of the property.

4. A map depicting the location of the property: This report contains a map which depicts the location of the property.

 

 

Click on the map to browse5. Current Deed Book Reference to the property: The most recent deed on this property is recorded in Mecklenburg County Deed Book 290 at Page 326. The Tax Parcel Number of the property is 125-051-01.

6. A brief historical sketch of the property:
The initial grand lodge of Freemasonry was established in London, England, in 1717. This fraternal organization, officially known as the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was brought to the American colonies by English masons during the first three decades of the eighteenth century. The First Lodge of Boston, organized in 1733 by Henry Price, is the oldest Masonic grand lodge in the United States. The movement prospered in this country, counting among its participants such eminent citizens as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Freemasonry draws its inspiration from the rituals and ceremonies of the guilds of stone workers or masons in medieval Europe. Believing that God is the “Great Architect of the Universe,” masons obligate themselves to advance the brotherhood of man and to live in accordance with the highest ethical standards. Men who accept any monotheistic faith may join. ¹

The origins of the Masonic Temple in Charlotte date from May 19, 1869, when the three lodges in this community created the Masonic Temple Association. ² Samuel Wittkowsky, a leading Jewish resident of Charlotte, headed the organization, the sole purpose of which was to secure funds for the construction of a temple. Its initial fund-raising event was a Masonic Fair and Festival, which occurred in July 1869 on the grounds of First Presbyterian Church. On December 28, 1874, the consecration of the initial temple transpired. Situated in leased quarters on the third floor of the Hutchinson Building in the first block of N. Tryon St., it served the Charlotte masons until January 1902, when they occupied the top floor of the Piedmont Building on S. Tryon St. In 1904, the Masonic lodges in this community purchased a lot at W. Trade and Church Sts. on which to build their temple. The Masonic Temple was not erected at this location, however. ³ On January 22, 1912, the Masonic Temple Association voted instead to sell its property on W. Trade St. and to build on a parcel at S. Tryon and Seconds Sts. which it had bought from Edward Dilworth Latta, president of the Charlotte Consolidated Construction Company. ⁴ The Charlotte masons had hoped to occupy their temple by early 1913, but plans were delayed for almost a year because of a disagreement with the City concerning the location of the southwestern corner of the lot. Finally, on January 2, 1913, the dispute having been settled, the Masonic Temple Association announced that it would move ahead with construction. ⁵ Charles Christian Hook and Willard G. Rogers, two local architects who had formed a partnership in 1907, were awarded the contract for the Masonic Temple on July 24, 1912. ⁶

C. C. Hook (1870-1938) was the first architect who resided in Charlotte. A native of Wheeling, W. Va., and graduate of Washington University, he moved to this community in 1891 to teach in the Charlotte Graded School, which was located at the corner of South Blvd. and E. Morehead St. ⁷ Most of his early commissions were for structures in Dilworth, the streetcar suburb which the Charlotte Consolidated Construction Company, locally known as the Four Cs, opened on May 20, 1891. ⁸ Among the significant edifices which he designed were the Charlotte City Hall, the clubhouse of the Charlotte Woman’s Club and White Oaks or the James B. Duke House on Hermitage Rd. ⁹ Indeed, C. C. Hook occupies a place of preeminent importance in the architectural history of Charlotte, N.C.

It was altogether fitting and proper that Hooks & Rogers selected the Egyptian Revival style for the Charlotte Masonic Temple. Tradition holds that stonemasonry originated in ancient Egypt among the builders of the great pyramids and that it was there that the Hebrews learned the skills which enabled them to erect the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. ¹⁰ In the United States, the Egyptian Revival style attained its greatest popularity in the 1830’s, manifesting itself in such notable edifices as the Philadelphia County Prison, the New York Halls of Justice and the County Courthouse at Newark, New Jersey. ¹¹ Not surprisingly, the motif enjoyed an enduring popularity among Masonic organizations.

A gala ceremony occurred in Charlotte on March 4, 1914, when masons from across North Carolina joined with their local counterparts in witnessing the laying of the cornerstone of the Masonic Temple. ¹² The new temple will become an edifice of adorning beauty to one of the city’s principal streets and Charlotte will be proud of the moment it lifts its proud head toward the heavens,” the Evening Chronicle declared. ¹³ The Charlotte News predicted that the building would be “one of the crowning glories of the city.” ¹⁴ The Charlotte Observer called it the “Only exclusively Masonic temple of distinctive architecture in the South.” ¹⁵ The most compelling statements concerning the building were made by Francis D. Winston, past Grand Master of the masons of North Carolina. “Other great buildings, designed for commercial uses, may rise here from time to time in the years that are to come. The world can do without them,” he intoned, “but the world today is demanding – more than it ever demanded – the idea that every man owes something to every other man as his brother. This building will stand through the ages for the eternal principle of the brotherhood of man.” ¹⁶ In the opinion of the Evening Chronicle, the Masonic Temple was “a mighty fortress.” ¹⁷

The J. A. Jones Construction Company erected the building. The cost was just over $90,000. ¹⁸ Tragedy struck the Masonic Temple in the early morning hours of March 4, 1937, on the twenty-third anniversary of the cornerstone ceremony. Flames engulfed the structure, completely destroying the interior. Every available piece of fire-fighting equipment was summoned,” The Charlotte Observer reported. ¹⁹ The Masonic Temple Association considered relocating its facilities in the suburbs, where adequate parking could be provided. ²⁰ Happily, it decided instead to rebuild the temple within the extant walls. The architect was Willard G. Rogers, formerly of Hook & Rogers. Construction began in February 1938, and the temple reopened on October 11, 1938. ²¹

 

 

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Notes:

¹ William James Hughan, “Freemasonry” in the Encyclopedia Britannica Eleventh Edition (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge & New York, 1910) Vol. XI, pp. 78 85. Hereafter cited as Encyclopedia Britannica.

² The Masonic lodges in Charlotte in 1869 were Charlotte Chapter No. 39 Royal Arch Masons, Phalanx Lodge No. 31, and the Excelsior Lodge No. 261 F. & A. M.

³ Historical Sketch of the Masonic Temple Association of the City of Charlotte (Charlotte, 1950). Hereafter cited as Historical Sketch.

⁴ The Charlotte News (January 23, 1912), p. 2. The Charlotte Observer (January 24, 1912), p. 5. The Evening Chronicle (January 23, 1912), p. 1.

⁵ The Charlotte News (January 3, 1913), p. 7. The Charlotte Observer (January 3, 1913), p. 6.

⁶ Historical Sketch. The Evening Chronicle (March 4, 1914), p. 1.

⁷ The Charlotte News (September 17, 1938), p. 12.

⁸ The Charlotte News (May 20, 1891), p. 1.

⁹ Jack O. Boyte & Dan L. Morrill, “Survey and Research Report on Lynnwood for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission,” (January 5, 1977); Jack O. Boyte & Dan L. Morrill, “A Survey and Research Report on the Mecklenburg County Courthouse for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission,” (April 5, 1977); Ruth Little-Stokes and Dan L. Morrill, “A Survey and Research Report on the Clubhouse of the Charlotte Woman’s Club,” (April 1, 1978).

¹⁰ Encyclopedia Britannica.

¹¹ Marcus Whiffen, American Architecture Since 1780 A Guide to the Styles (The M. I. T. Press, Cambridge, MA, 1969), pp. 48-51.

¹² The Evening Chronicle (March 3, 1914), p. 1. For a photograph of the ceremony, see the Evening Chronicle March 5, 1914, p. 6.

¹³ The Evening Chronicle (March 3, 1914), p. 4.

¹⁴ The Charlotte News (March 4, 1914), p. 4.

¹⁵ The Charlotte Observer (March 5, 1914), pp. 1,3 & 7.

¹⁶ The Evening Chronicle (March 5, 1914), pp. 1 & 6. For a text of Winston’s speech, see The Charlotte News (March 14, 1914), p. 7.

¹⁷ The Evening Chronicle (March 4, 1914), pp. 1,5 & 8.

¹⁸ Historical Sketch

 

7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains an architectural description of the property prepared by Laura A. W. Phillips, architectural historian.

8. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria set forth in N. C. G. S. 160A-399.4:

 

a. Special significance in terms of its history, architecture, and/or cultural importance: The Commission judges that the property known as the Masonic Temple does possess special historic significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) it is the only building in Charlotte which was erected to serve as a Masonic temple; 2) it is the only example of the Egyptian Revival style in Charlotte-Mecklenburg; 3) it was designed by Hook & Rogers; C. C. Hook is an architect of local and regional importance; 4) it serves as the symbolic landmark of the Charlotte masons.

b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling and/or association: The Commission judges that the architectural description included in this report demonstrates that the property known as the Masonic Temple meets this criterion. It is true that the interior of the structure was destroyed by fire in March 1937. However, Willard G. Rogers, a co-designer with C. C. Hook of the initial interior, supervised the refurbishment of the building; and, while not restoring the interior, he did remain sensitive to the initial design. The exterior dates from 1914. The Evening Chronicle stated on March 5, 1914, that the Masonic Temple in Charlotte, “for significance and conformity to the Masonic traditions,” would be “unequaled south of Washington.” (The Evening Chronicle (March 5, 1914), pp. 1 & 6.)

9. Ad Valorem Tax Appraisal: The Commission is aware that designation would allow the owner to apply annually for an automatic deferral of 50% of the Ad Valorem taxes on all or any portion of the property which becomes Historic property.” The current Ad Valorem tax appraisal of the .234 acres of land is $255,000. The current Ad Valorem tax appraisal of the building is $465,000. The property is exempted from the payment of Ad Valorem taxes. The building contains 30,000 square feet of floor space. The land is zoned B3.

 

 

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Bibliography

Jack O. Boyte & Dan L. Morrill, “A Survey and Research Report on Lynnwood for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission ,” (January 5, 1977).

Jack O. Boyte & Dan L. Morrill, “A Survey and Research Report on the Mecklenburg County Courthouse for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission “, April 5, 1977).

The Charlotte News.

The Charlotte Observer.

The Evening Chronicle.

Historical Sketch of the Masonic Temple Association of the City of Charlotte (Charlotte, 1950).

The Charlotte Observer (March 4, 1937), p. 1. For photographs of the fire, see The Charlotte News (March 4, 1937), p. 1. and The Charlotte Observer (March 4, 1937), p. 1.

The Charlotte Observer (March 5, 1937), p. 1.

Historical Sketch.

William James Hughan, “Freemasonry” in the Encyclopedia Britannica Eleventh Edition (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge & New York, 1910) Vol. XI, pp. 78-85.

Ruth Little-Stokes & Dan L. Morrill, “A Survey and Research Report on the Clubhouse of the Charlotte Woman’s Club for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission“, (April 1, 1978).

Records of the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Office.

Records of the Mecklenburg County Tax Office.

Date of Preparation of this Report: April 2, 1980.

 

Prepared by: Dr. Dan L. Morrill, Director
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission
3500 Shamrock Dr.
Charlotte, N.C. 28215

Telephones (704) 332-2726

 

 

 

Architectural Description  

The Masonic Temple is a monumental Egyptian Revival building prominently located on the corner of South Tryon and Second Streets in downtown Charlotte. The architectural firm of Hook & Rogers designed the Masonic Temple, which was built in 1913-1914 by contractor J. A. Jones. A disastrous fire on March 4, 1937 gutted the building, leaving only the four exterior walls. Plans were immediately started for the rebuilding of the Temple under the supervision of Willard G. Rogers as architect and with J. J. McDevitt & Co. serving as general contractor. The rebuilding project began in February, 1938 and a dedication service for the completed project was held on October 11, 1938. Thus the Temple as it presently stands is the result of a 1913 exterior design with major rebuilding — primarily on the interior — in 1938.

In planning their Temple, the Masons were striving for a structure which would be reminiscent of King Solomon’s Temple, as described in the Bible in 1 Kings, Chapter 6 and 2 Chronicles, Chapter 3. In doing so the temple would symbolically reflect the Masonic goal of constructing better men of its members, creating “human temples.” The simple but elegant massiveness of the Egyptian style seemed appropriate for fulfilling these requirements.

With its massive quality, smooth wall surfaces, battered walls with narrow windows, roll-and-gorge cornice and decorative details, the Masonic Temple is a typical representation of the Egyptian Revival style. This style was first popular in America between 1830-1850 and was again revived in the twentieth century, primarily in the 1920s. The Egyptian Revival was never an especially widespread and prolific style, but rather one which tended to be used in specialized cases where the symbolic nature of the style could be played to the fullest. With the occurrence of buildings in the Egyptian Revival style being therefore rather limited, the surprise of finding this building on South Tryon Street, coupled with the boldness of its design, makes the Masonic Temple one of most dramatic buildings in downtown Charlotte.

The primary exterior decoration of this four-story building is concentrated on the South Tryon Street facade, with secondary attention paid to the Second Street facade. The left side and rear of the building are devoid of decoration and are purely functional in design.

The South Tryon Street facade is sheathed in smooth ashlar blocks. Verticality is emphasized in the battered walls (creating perspective distortion), broad and narrow pilasters, narrow-paned windows, and heavy lotus bud columns which flank either side of the entrance and rise to half the height of the building. These typically Egyptian columns, with their lotus flower and basket weave bud capitals, are topped by spheres -a terrestrial sphere above the left column and a celestial sphere above the right. Between the columns is the main entrance, which seems a miniature version of the primary facade itself with its battered jambs and roll-and-gorge cornice, this time accented by a lotus blossom design. The narrow pilasters which extend upward from the entrance way lead the eye to the great vulture-and-sun-disk symbol — Egyptian sign of protection — found just beneath the roll-and-gorge cornice.

The Second Street facade carries out the Egyptian theme with elegant simplicity. It retains the roll-and gorge cornice and ashlar base of the Tryon Street facade as well as two entrances which are essentially identical to the main entrance. The remainder of the wall surface is a combination of tan brickwork, sash windows and a minimum of stone trim. This facade is eight bays in depth, divided by brick pilasters which terminate at their upper ends with banded caps. A strongly vertical feeling is created by these pilasters which dominate over the horizontality of the slightly recessed window spandrels. Interestingly enough, the resulting effect is similar to some of the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright as seen especially in his Larkin Building (Buffalo, N. Y.) of 1904.

Upon entering the Masonic Temple, one is immediately struck by the magnificently detailed Egyptian Revival vestibule. The richness of its Egyptian qualities are seen both in the details and in the colors used. The walls are deep red, the corner pilasters are bright yellow, the doorways are crisp white and the other decoration is polychromed. The corner pilasters are topped by Egyptian male heads. Encircling the top of the room is a lushly decorated coved cornice with geometric and lotus flower designs. The doorways of the vestibule have battered jambs and a roll-and-gorge cornice. The transom area of the doorway leading to a side waiting room features the vulture-and-sun-disk symbol, artistically polychromed. The waiting room to which this doorway leads is generally more classical in feeling, with its pilastered doors, garlanded panels and Adamesque medallions.

Most of the interior is divided into rather nondescript meeting rooms and offices, although in several of the more prominent rooms special attention has been given to details. The main lobby of the building on the first floor is of generally classical design with heavy Doric pilasters and full entablature with triglyph and metope frieze encircling the room. Behind this is a large dining room and kitchen. The lodge hall on the second floor has columns and/or pilasters with simple acanthus capitals at front and rear and a colonnade of the same type of columns along either side. On the third floor the former Scottish Rite room features an auditorium with seating for approximately 300 and a stage with decorative classical surround. On the fourth floor is a room for other affiliate organizations. It features a slightly arched ceiling and a pointed-arch arcade along either long side.

Although much of the space in the Masonic Temple is currently being under utilized, the building — both interior and exterior — has been well maintained.

For more information…

Photo Gallery 6: Gone But Not Forgotten: Lost Buildings of Mecklenburg County