This report was written on 28 May 1991
1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Renfrow Hardware Store is located at 188 North Trade Street, Matthews, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
2. Name, address, and telephone number of the present owner of the property. The owner of the property is:
Mr. Franklin M. Renfrow
Box 67
Matthews, North Carolina 28105
Telephone: (704) 847-4126
Tax Parcel Numbers: 215-013-02
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 maps which depict the location of the property.
5. Current Deed Book Reference to the property: The most recent deed to Tax Parcel Number 215-013-02 is listed in Mecklenburg County Deed Book W25 at page 467.
6. A brief historical sketch of the property: This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property prepared by Ms. Paula Stathakis.
7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains a brief architectural description of the property prepared by Ms. Nora M. Black.
8. Documentation If 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 Renfrow Hardware Store does possess special significance in terms of Matthews and Mecklenburg. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) the Renfrow Hardware Store was begun by Captain Thomas Jefferson Renfrow in 1900; 2) the Renfrow Hardware Store is one of the earliest stores in the Matthews area that is still operational in its original form; 3) the Renfrow Hardware Store continues to be operated by descendants of the founder; 4) the Renfrow Hardware Store is architecturally significant for exemplifying the type of commercial vernacular architecture that was predominant in the small talons of Mecklenburg County in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; 5) the largely intact interior of the Renfrow Hardware Store provides insight into early mercantile complexes; and 6) the Renfrow Hardware Store is a timeless landmark and an essential component of the historic streetscape of Matthews.
b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling, and/or association: The Commission contends that the architectural description by Ms. Nora M. Black included in this report demonstrates that the Renfrow Hardware Store 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 a designated “historic landmark.” The following values cover the entire Tax Parcel and all improvements; tax deferral for the historic portion of the property will be determined later by the Mecklenburg County Tax Office. The current appraised value of the improvements is $111,460. The current appraised value of Tax Parcel 215-013-02 is, $139,500. The total appraised value of the property is $250,960. The property is zoned UBD.
Date of Preparation of this Report: 28 May 1991
Prepared by: Dr. Dan L. Morrill in conjunction with Ms. Nora M. Black
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission
1225 South Caldwell Street, Box D
Charlotte, North Carolina 28203
Telephone: (704) 376-9115
Paula M. Stathakis
The Renfrow General Store was begun and operated by Capt. Thomas Jefferson Renfrow in 1900. T. J. Renfrow went into the general merchandise business after working as captain of operations for the short-lived Rea Gold Mine, which began operations in 1880 and closed at the turn of the century.1 When Renfrow’s store opened on Trade Street, Matthews was little more than a crossroads. In the early nineteenth century, Matthews, known also as Fullwood and later, Stumptown, was a stagecoach stop between Charlotte and Monroe.2 The arrival of the railroad in the late nineteenth century made Matthews the center of economic activity in east Mecklenburg County through the 1940’s.3 As Matthews developed into a distribution center for area farmers, furnishing merchants set up shop adjacent to the railroad tucks. T. J. Renfrow’s establishment was one of many such stores in Matthews, and perhaps one of the most important features of its history is its longevity. Renfrow enjoyed a prime location practically on the railroad tracks. Directly across the street was a major competitor, B. Dewitt Funderburk, who, like Renfrow offered the services of a cotton gin, but who could also provide the services of a grist mill, a blacksmith shop and a livery stable in addition to dry goods. A general merchandise and tinware store operated by Sam Grier preceded Renfrow and Funderburk in the reconstruction era.4 The business that Funderburk and Renfrow were engaged in was not new; these men operated as furnishing merchants in the twilight of cotton production in rural Mecklenburg.
Individuals who supplied farmers with seed, fertilizer, agricultural implements, dry goods and ginning facilities have historically played a significant role in the economic welfare of small farmers. The yeomanries in the antebellum period were traditionally self-sufficient, and were generally regarded as good credit risks. After the Civil War and in the wake of the financial collapse of the South, few yeomen or planters were able to maintain their farms without assistance. The customary sources of credit, Southern banks and cotton brokerages, were casualties of the war. The institution that saved farmers and subsequently trapped them in a financial vise was the regional furnishing merchant. These merchants were willing to conduct business with old customers, even though they had become serious credit risks almost overnight, by demanding mortgages or liens on their growing crops. Since few regional crops were in national demand and could be transported without spoiling, merchants demanded the farmers devoted their energies strictly to cash crops, such as cotton. Cotton would not spoil and could be held for a period of time which allowed the merchant to sell ginned cotton when the price was right. By using crop liens, merchants were able to force small farmers to produce for the market rather than for themselves. As cotton is a labor intensive crop, the energies of a farm family were taken up with planting, maintenance, and harvest, leaving little time for vegetable gardens or for domestic production. This system of credit allowed small farmers to survive on their land, but this survival often came at the expense of complete economic and material dependence on the merchant.5
If T. J. Renfrow issued crop liens, there are no records in the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds to document it, nor is there any indication in the final settlement of his estate that he engaged in this practice. This is not conclusive evidence that he did not engage in this practice; however, records of crop liens and mortgages have not been found in the customary places. Renfrow’s store has not changed a great deal over the decades. The store still carries seed, fertilizer and garden tools as well as calf weaners, horse collars and bull rings, which are available in three sizes. The current owner, Frank Renfrow, still carries on the tradition of selling “rat cheese,” a huge wheel of cheddar cheese shipped from Wisconsin. When the store first opened, area farmers who grew cotton raced to see who would have the first bale of the season ginned for free at Renfrow’s.7 The cotton gin that stood in the back of the store, and that was instrumental in the economy of the region, was removed and dismantled by Frank Renfrow in the late 1980’s. Matthews resident Sandra Donaghy saved remnants of cotton from the Renfrow gin before it was destroyed. The cotton gin was active until 1965.8 Thomas Jefferson Renfrow died in 1935 at the age of 88.
The business was inherited by his son Richard McDowell “Dow” Renfrow. In addition to running the store, E.M. Renfrow farmed and was a salesman for the American Agriculture Company. He served as mayor of Matthews from 1943-1945, and is credited with the creation of the first sanitation department of Matthews, which collected garbage from house to house. E.M. Renfrow died in 1963 at the age of 78. The current owner, Frank Renfrow, has operated the store since his graduation from Davidson in 1957.9 in 1986, Frank Renfrow and other merchants on Trade Street undertook a remodeling project, primarily affecting storefronts, in an effort to create a nineteenth century atmosphere. Renfrow believed this was a good business decision, and he said of the renovations: “I think it gives us a distinctive flavor…I’m all in favor of it.”10 By turning back the clock architecturally, Matthews merchants attempted to enhance the historical role played by the businesses that occupied the buildings of Trade Street. However, Renfrow’s store is the only business left that can claim genuine historical authenticity. It is a legendary place where suburbanites purchase garden tools and listen to the “regulars” chew the fat around the pot-bellied stove. The Funderburk store, formerly across the street, went out of business in 1973. The lively stables associated with Funderburk’s were demolished to make room for a bank. The Renfrow store is the only physical link to the past of rural east Mecklenburg that has been left essentially intact.
NOTES
1 Southeast News, “Rea Gold Mine Began Operation in 1880.” September 2, 1976, n.p. Matthews Public Library Clippings Notebook for Matthews History. The Rea Gold Mine was located in what is now the vicinity of Sardis Road North. Its employees were sequestered in a company town that provided housing and a store. The enterprise failed because the gold mined at this location was of such a fine texture that it was too expensive to process.
2 Southeast News, “Matthews History began in 1880’s.” August 8, 1985, n.p. Clippings notebook.
4 Southeast News, “Matthews History began in 1800’s.” August 8, 1985.
5 This is a highly simplified and condensed picture of the role of the merchant in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Most of the scholarship in this field has been done for the upcountry regions of Georgia and South Carolina. No similar study has been conducted for Mecklenburg County; however, it is not unreasonable to assume that merchant-farmer relations in parts of Mecklenburg County were similar. Records of the C.S. and S.W. Davis General Store in the Croft district demonstrate that business was sometimes conducted in this manner. For further information on yeomen, merchants, and the socioeconomic implications of this relationship, consult: Steven Hahn, The Roots Of Southern Populism; Thomas N. Clark, Pills, Petticoats, and Plows; The Southern Country Store, 1865-1900, Lacy K. Ford, “Rednecks and Merchants: Economic Development and Social Tensions in the South Carolina Upcountry, 1865-1900,” Journal of American History, 71 (September 1984): 294-318.
6 Visit store; Charlotte Observer, “Proprietor Preserving Old Timey Atmosphere,” by Wendy McBane, February 21, 1986, p. 1C; Article in Matthews History Clippings Notebook, Matthews Public Library, n.d., “The General Store Lives,” by Kat Ethridge.
7 Charlotte Observer, February 21, 1986.
8 Mrs. Donaghy and her husband, Henry, own and live in the Grier-Furr House on John Street; Charlotte Observer, “Even Today Store Sells Horse Collars,” by Marion A. Ellis, August 11, 1986.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
Nora Mae Black
The Renfrow Hardware Store, located on the southeast side of North Trade Street, is an architecturally distinguished example of the privately-owned buildings that formed a commercial district to serve residents of Matthews. The store sits in a block bounded on the northwest by North Trade Street, on the northeast by Charles Street, on the southwest by East John Street, and on the southeast by an alley. It is approximately two hundred feet west of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The Renfrow Cotton Gin stood south of the rear of the Renfrow Hardware Store (on the opposite side of the alley) until it was dismantled in the late 1980’s. When established in 1900, the store joined structures from the late 19th century such as the Funderburk Brothers Mercantile Complex directly across North Trade Street. An addition to the Renfrow Hardware Store abuts the southwest wall of the original building, more recently, a large warehouse/storage facility has been constructed behind the store. To the northeast of the original Renfrow Hardware Store is a lot used by “Bonnie’s Vegetable Plants” for sales; beyond the plant sale lot is the Heath and Reid General Store Building which received historic landmark designation in 1981. The Renfrow Hardware Store has a one-story facade on North Trade Street divided into three distinct sections by various types and colors of brick. The oldest section, at the north end of the building, is of yellow-orange and tan bricks laid in common bond with seventh course headers. Tan mortar compliments the old brick; white mortar highlights repairs. The centered entrance on this section is the only working front entry to the Renfrow Hardware Store.
A striped canvas awning shades the wood framed display windows and recessed entry. Paneled window dados have centered ventilation grates. Above the awning is a wooden bracketed cornice. The buck mason added a brick corbel cornice of the same color of bricks. The longest pendant of the cornice is centered over the door; somewhat shorter cornice pendants grace the corners. Between each of the corner pendants and the long center pendant, there are two short, narrow cornices. The corbels project about four inches from the wall giving it a sense of depth and rich detail. Next to the oldest section there is another storefront of roughly equal size designed to resemble the oldest section. It is constructed of red brick laid in running bond joined with white mortar. Some repairs of cracks are evident in this section as well. The centered entrance on this section is used as a display area for many items including wash tubs and an enormous pair of overalls. Like the previously described storefront, this section has a striped canvas awning, wood framed display windows, recessed entry, paneled window dados with centered ventilation grates, and a wooden bracketed cornice. This section also has a brick corbel cornice of the same color of bricks. Again the longest pendant of the cornice is centered over the door, but there is only one shorter cornice pendant at the southwest corner of this section. There is only an illusion of symmetry of the cornice pendants; the illusion uses one of the corner pendants of the oldest section to trick the eye.
Another difference in the brick corbel cornice is the use of only one short, narrow cornice pendant between each of the comer pendants and the long center pendant. Again on this section, the corbels project about four inches from the wall adding depth and detail. The third section of the street facade appears symmetrical at first glance. Upon closer inspection, it is seen to be asymmetrical with six bays. The three doors of this section are not recessed but are flush with the street; this helps give the overall impression of a smooth wall. The dark red brick, laid in running bond, is joined with white mortar. Soldier courses of the same color brick form rectangles above each bay; the corners of the rectangles are squares of white concrete. Soldier courses also form the lintels over the windows and transom lights. A concrete coping tops a parapet built in the form of a low battlement. The first bay of the third section of the street facade has two ten-light windows beneath a transom light. The second bay consists of a double door with each door having a four light window and two wooden panels at the bottom. The double door is beneath a four light transom. The third bay, like the first bay, has two ten-light windows beneath a transom light. The fourth bay consists of a single paneled wooden door and a two light transom. The fifth bay has three large plate glass windows; each has a single light transom covered with latticework. The sixth bay was a large opening that has been infilled with white siding; one full light door and a narrow window pierce the siding. In front of the third bay of this section there is a rustic streetside gas pump. Obviously not in working order, it is a reminder of the past, a of a time before huge gas stations. The side walls and the rear wall are of variously colored brick, predominantly red, laid in common bond with sixth course headers; the header courses are a dark red brick providing lines of contrast on the undecorated walls. The coping on the parapets is of brick rather than concrete. There are six large windows on the southeast side wall; they are covered with plywood panels.
About half of the back of the building is hidden by a new warehouse/storage building; however, there are three windows, one overhead door, one single door, and one double door on the back wall. The north wall of the original section of the Renfrow Hardware Store has no openings. The brick parapet wall steps down from the height of the street facade in three steps. Twelve five-point star heads, made to hold metal tie rods, are visible on this wall. The interior of the Renfrow Hardware Store covers approximately 10,500 square feet. Other small areas are used by other businesses. In the first and second sections (the oldest parts) of the Renfrow Hardware Store, the interior has wooden floors and beaded board ceilings. The third (southwest) section of the building has concrete floors and exposed trusses. Walls are of painted plaster and brick. Most of the Renfrow Hardware Store’s original fittings seem to have survived over the years and are still in use. Open bins beside the front door hold seeds ready to be scooped into brown paper bags for customers. Site walls are lined with display shelves that appear to be original. Lacking strong lighting, the interior is dim and shadowy. The warm summer air is filled with the odors of fertilizer and various oils. Along the long rows of old and new merchandise, one can find almost any hardware item needed around the house. The Renfrow Hardware Store Building provides a solid architectural presence on North Trade Street. Most of the original fabric unchanged and in very good condition; that is a testament to the care the Renfrow family has given the building. But the importance of the building is that it is still serving the Town of Matthews as a functional, viable hardware store after almost a century — one hundred years of nuts and bolts and seeds and overalls.
This report was written on June 3, 1987
1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Reid House is located at 134 W. John Street in Matthews, North Carolina.
2. Name, address and telephone number of the present owner of the property: The owner of the property is:
Mrs. Sarah Carter Redd
400 Edisto Ave.
Columbia, S.C. 29205
Telephone: 803/799-2502
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 reference to this property is recorded in Mecklenburg County Will 86-E-1863. The Tax Parcel Number of the property is: 193-262-01.
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 Laura A. W. Phillips.
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 Reid House does possess special significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) the Reid House, erected in 1890, has been continuously owned by members of the same family since its construction; 2) the Reid House was the home for over fifty years of Dr. Thomas Neely Reid (1868-1946), a prominent physician in Matthews and its environs; 3) Nancy Alexander Reid (1898-1986), a schoolteacher and community leader, was born and continued to reside in the Reid House until her death; and 4) the Reid House is a distinctive local example of a late Victorian Queen Anne style cottage.
b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling, and/or association: The Commission contends that the architectural description included in this report demonstrates that the Reid 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 $47,540. The current appraised value of the 116 by 200 foot lot is $4,640. The total appraised value of the property is $52,180. The property is zoned R20.
Date of Preparation of this Report: June 3, 1987
Prepared by: Dr. Dan L. Morrill
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission
1225 S. Caldwell St.
Charlotte, N.C., 28203
Telephone: 704/376-9115
Dr. William H. Huffman
May, 1987 The Reid House is an oasis of charm and grace in the center of the business district of Matthews. Built in 1890 by Edward Soloman Reid, it is a splendid and rare example of architectural creation from the late nineteenth century. For many years, accompanied by its huge magnolia tree, it has been a distinctive landmark that has been known far beyond the confines of the town.
Edward Soloman Reid (1864- 1934) was born in Providence Township of Mecklenburg County, the son of J. Soloman Reid, a prominent poetical figure who served in county offices as well as the state legislature, and Mary Grier Reid, also of Providence Township. Educated at the Bryant and Stratton Business College in Baltimore, Maryland, E. S. Reid lived in Matthews for a time, then moved to Charlotte, where he engaged in the cotton and yarn brokerage business. His first marriage was to Nancy (Nannie) J. Alexander, the daughter of John O. Alexander, with whom he had four children. The first Mrs. Reid died at the age of thirty-three of tuberculosis in 1898. E. S. Reid was married again to Junius P. Woodall of Charlotte in 1914. In Charlotte, he was quite active in civic affairs, and served as an alderman and member of the school board. 1
From the deed records, it appears that in November, 1889, E. S. and Nancy Reid were given a 200′ by 200′ lot (which now encompasses the house and the Matthews Branch of the Public Library) on John Street by W. W. and M. M. Grier, grandparents of E. S. Reid, upon which they were to build their house, and in January, 1890, sold the property to John O. and Jane E. Alexander (Nancy Reid’s parents), who gave the house and an 89′ by 200′ lot back to the couple as a gift two months later. 2
About 1893, the house (and in 1895, the adjoining lot) were sold to E. S. Reid’s sister, Ellen (Ellie) E. Reid (1867- 1917). 3 Ellen Reid was married to Dr. J. Van Bell of Matthews in 1886, who died in 1890. She subsequently married Dr. Thomas Neely Reid (1868- 1946) of Matthews in 1893. 4 Dr. T. N Reid was born in Sharon Township of Mecklenburg County, the son of Eliza Alexander and Hugh Kirkpatrick Reid. He attended Davidson College and the University of Virginia, then completed his medical studies at the University of the City of New York. 5 For over fifty years, Dr. Reid practiced medicine from the Queen Anne house, and covered a wide area that encompassed parts of Mecklenburg, Union and Cabarrus Counties and parts of South Carolina, originally with horse and buggy. As reported by Louise Matthews,
…when the automobile made its advent he was one of the first in the county to purchase an International Harvester-Runabout. Older residents of the town recall when the sound of his auto was heard children and chickens scattered, and disgruntled farmers had to dismount from their wagons to hold the bridles of their frightened horses.
Dr. Reid’s death in 1946 signified the end of an era when doctors were more than professionals. They were trusted friends and family counselors as well. Possibly the busiest time of his long career occurred during World War I when the extremely cold weather and disastrous flu epidemic caused widespread suffering. Often he would come home at daybreak after ministering to patients all night, exhausted and with his moustache frozen. Many entire families were stricken. In such cases he built up the fires, fed and watered the stock, and even cut wood before leaving. With only skimpy hospital facilities available in nearby Charlotte, his services were demanded at the old Camp Greene where many of the thousands of recruits in training for overseas duty fell victim to the dreaded influenza. 6
In addition to raising a daughter from Mrs. Reid’s first marriage, Mary (Mrs. James Adderton of Lexington), two more daughters were born and raised in the house, Lida Ellen Reid (Mrs. Nash Spenser) Cochran ( 1894-1958), and Nancy Alexander Reid ( 1898-1986). Lida Reid Cochran was a graduate of Flora Macdonald College and a musician of some talent. She won the North Carolina Woman’s Club award for Musical Composition, and for more than forty years was the organist at the Matthews Presbyterian Church. 7 Nancy Alexander Reid was a lifelong resident of the house who retired as a teacher from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system after a twenty-eight year career. She died in 1986 at the age of eighty-eight. 8 In 1980, she wrote some her recollections as a brief “History of the Reid House”:
Prior to 1890, my uncle, Mr. Edward S. Reid, who was also Rosalyn Reid Harris’ grandfather, and Alice Reid Digilio’s grandfather, hired Mr. Howe and his son Clarence to build him a house in Matthews. Uncle Ed, as I called him, had heart pine lumber shipped from the Eastern part of North Carolina to build the house. He, his wife and then one child, who was born in North Carolina, lived in the louse a few years. My mother who had previously married Dr. J. S. Bell, had two daughters; Mary, who was three years old and Jessie who was 9 months when he (sic) died, was at that time about to marry Dr. T. N. Reid. They bought the house from Uncle Ed, who moved to Charlotte, and moved in. My sister Lida Reid Cochran and I were born in the house.
There were three bedrooms on the left hand side of the house. On the right was a living room, dining room, kitchen and pantry. A hall separated the bedrooms from the rest of the house. The house was surrounded by a white picket fence which separated the front yard from the backyard. On the other side of the picket fence was a vegetable garden which was enclosed by a larger, taller picket fence. That fence was one of my favorite walking places. My mother and father planted the magnolia tree in the front yard shortly after they moved in.
The house originally had a red metallic roof, but I loved to hear the rain come down on that roof. It made such a noise, it put me to sleep. In the backyard was a well-house with running water, where Mama kept her milk and butter in a stone trough. When I was very young, Mama and Papa rolled the well house over to the house and made it into a kitchen and pantry. This is the room where Elnora [Elnora Stitt, Nancy Reid ‘s housekeeper -companion] now stays. The original dining room was where the kitchen is now. The dining room was Mama’s and Papa’s bedroom. The rest of us girls stayed on the other side of the house. Bathrooms were later added, as was the now screened back porch. 9
The Reid House has been a distinctive landmark in the Town of Matthews for nearly a century. By virtue of its architecture, long association with the Reid family, and with the town itself, its historical significance is clearly evident, and its preservation is manifestly of great importance.
Notes
1 Charlotte Observer September 11, 1934, Section 2, p. 1; City of Charlotte Cemetery Records, Elmwood Cemetery.
2 Mecklenburg County Deed Book 68, p.386,23 November 1889; Book 70, p. 441, 18 January 1890;Book 71,p.499,7 March 1890.
3 Deed to house lot not in records; for adjoining lot: Deed Book 116, p.66, 15 August 1895; in 1950 the latter was sold for a public library.
4 Charlotte Observer. October 12, 1917, p. 10; Mecklenburg County Marriage Register, 1889-1898.
5 Ibid. November 30, 1946, p. 7A.
6 Louise B. Matthews, ‘A Charming Reminder of a Gracious Era: Mathews Loves The Victorian Home of the Old Doctor,” undated typescript, kindly furnished by Sarah (Mrs. Carter) Redd of Columbia, SC, the heir to the house.
7 Charlotte Observer. March 11, 1958, p. 9A.
8 Ibid., July 27, 1986, p. 29A.
9 Nancy A. Reid, ‘History of the Reid House,’ manuscript dated June 27, 1980, kindly furnished by Sarah Redd.
Laura A. W. Phillips
February 29, 1980 (based on field work of January 10, 1980)
The Reid House is a late Victorian Queen Anne style cottage situated on a spacious lot at the northeast corner of W. John and Freemont Streets in Matthews, North Carolina. Located adjacent to the commercial center of town, the Reid House commands a prominent site in Matthews. Built in 1890 by Edward Solomon Reid, the house was purchased several years later by Thomas Neely Alexander Reid and his wife, and is still occupied and carefully maintained by their daughter, Nancy Reid, who was born in the house in 1898.
Though the Reid House is not large, it displays a wealth of fanciful details typical of the period during which it was built. On the exterior, these details are concentrated on the main facade. The one-story frame house is sheathed in weatherboarding, except for the area of the front porch, which is covered with very narrow molded siding, and the corner tower which is sheathed with scalloped shingles. This tower and the porch are, in fact, the primary exterior decorative features of the house.
Curving around the southwest corner of the house, the rounded shape of the tower contrasts sharply with the angularity of the rest of the house The tiny tower is topped by a polygonal roof which boasts a decorative ironwork weather vane. Serving as a visual counterbalance to the tower, the southeast corner of the house projects forward as a large three-sided bay.
The front porch extends across only a portion of the facade, encompassing the entranceway and the flanking windows. In keeping with the irregular form of the Reid House, the porch projects outward in front of the entrance. The porch is a visual treat with its fluted chamfered posts, curvilinear sawnwork brackets with pinwheel design, frieze with sawnwork panels and turned pendants, and fluted balustrade vaguely related to the Chinese Chippendale style. The front entrance features a door with two narrow glazed upper panels set above two wooden panels. The panels themselves have fluted surrounds with bulls-eye corner blocks, while the door as a whole has a surround detailed by fluted bands.
Other details are somewhat more subtle. The cross gables which project on the front and left side of the house are sheathed in the same narrow molded boarding as found on the porch, only this time placed on the diagonal, forming a chevron pattern. A vertical board and rectangular louvered vent serve as the dividing line for this diagonal boarding. On the original portion of the house the windows are 2/2 sash with wood louvered shutters. Interior chimneys with simple corbeled caps project from the tripped and gabled roof. The roof is edged by a slightly overhanging cornice with boxed eaves and wide frieze board underneath. The house originally rested on a brick pier foundation, though now the spaces between the piers have been infilled with brick.
Noticeable alterations to the exterior of the house include replacement brick front steps with ironwork handrails, a small bathroom nestled between the corner tower and the side projecting wing behind it, and several additions on the rear of the house. The additions have been handled in a manner sympathetic to the original design of the house, and do not significantly detract from the overall architectural integrity.
The interior of the Reid House features a center hall plan with rooms of irregular size and configuration on either side All interior decorative detailing is late Victorian in style. The center hall itself (visually divided into a front hall and a rear hall) is decorated with a beaded board wainscot. To right and left of the front hall, doors lead to a parlor and sitting room. (The doorway to the room on the right has been enlarged.) While the room on the right angles outward to reflect the projecting bay, the room on the left bows outward at the corner reflecting the rounded tower. Behind the two front rooms, and sharing chimneys with them, are the dining room on the right and the primary bedroom on the left. To the rear of these is an assemblage of other rooms, largely additions, including kitchen and sunroom.
Although all the mantels in the house are fairly similar with paneled pilasters, paneled frieze and molded mantel shelf, each differs from the others in detailing, especially in the type of paneling used, The mantel in the tower room to the left of the hall is especially fanciful with its lozenge-shaped raised panels on frieze and pilasters and with the scalloped edge which runs along the underside of the frieze.
Other interior details of note include pine floors, baseboards with beaded upper edge, and four-panel doors with fluted-band surrounds (matching those of the front door), some of which still extend upward and outward beyond the upper corners of the doorway.
Northwest of the house is a one-story outbuilding, probably dating from the second quarter of the twentieth century, which appears to have been utilized as a storage building and possibly as servants quarters.
This report was written on July 30, 1996
1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Ratcliffe- Otterbourg House is located at 2100 Randolph Road in the Crescent Heights neighborhood of Charlotte, near the uptown center of the city of Charlotte in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
2. Name, address, and telephone number of the present owner of the property: The owner is :
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc.
2100 Randolph Road
Charlotte, North Carolina 28207
(704) 375-6145
3. Representative Photographs of the property: This report contains interior and exterior photographs of the property.
4. Maps depicting the location of the property: This report contains a map depicting the location of the property.
5. Current deed book references to the property: The most recent deed to the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House is listed Mecklenburg County Deed Book 8023 at Page 171. The Tax Parcel Number of the property is 155-027-18.
6. A brief historical description of the property: This report contains a historical sketch of the property prepared by Sherry J. Joines.
7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains an architectural description of the property prepared by Sherry J. Joines.
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 history, architecture, and cultural importance: The Commission judges that the property known as the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House does possess special significance in terms of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House was designed by William H. Peeps (1868-1950), an architect of local and regional importance, 2) the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House is the only Bungalow-style house which survives on Randolph Road, once part of Crescent Avenue and a major thoroughfare in the Crescent Heights neighborhood, 3) the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House was originally the home of Louis G. Ratcliffe (1893-1961), whose Ratcliffe Florist shop, also designed by Peeps, is one of the most distinctive early 20th-century buildings in uptown Charlotte and who occupied a prominent place in Charlotte’s business life, and 4) the Otterbourg family, owners and occupants of the house for more than 50 years, was representative of the socio-economic stratum that was predominant in the Crescent Heights neighborhood in the early and middle years of the twentieth century.
b. Integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling, and association: The Commission contends that the architectural description by Sherry Joines included in this report demonstrates that the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House meets this criterion.
9. Ad Valorem Tax Appraisal: The current Ad Valorem appraised value of the .228 acres of land is $179,010. The current Ad Valorem appraised value of the house is $31,770. The total Ad Valorem appraised value is $210,780. The property is zoned O2.
Date of Preparation of this Report: July 30, 1996
Prepared by: Sherry J. Joines and Dr. Dan L. Morrill
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina today is a product of its tremendous growth during the first fifty years of the New South period. The population of Charlotte in 1930 was 11 times greater than it had been in 1880. It is not surprising then, that many new homes in a variety of new suburban developments were built during this era. Until the 1880s, Charlotte’s population had been housed near the center city or on farms in the rural areas surrounding it. The cotton mills near Charlotte flourished, and the city’s businessmen grew wealthy as textile distributors and investors. These new leaders strove to emulate Northern textile cities with newly planned suburbs thriving off of streetcar lines, paved streets, and even skyscrapers. The ring of streetcar suburbs beginning with Dilworth in the 1890s was big business for the numerous land developers in the city.1 The Crescent Heights neighborhood is an example of an early streetcar suburb in Charlotte. On the east side of the center city, this neighborhood began as two developments: Colonial Heights and Crescent Heights. Colonial Heights, including Colonial Avenue, Chase Street, and Vail Avenue was platted in 1907. The streets of Crescent Heights radiating in concentric semi-circles off Providence Road was Charlotte’s first experiment with curvilinear streets when they were platted in 1907. The centerpiece of both developments was Colonial Park bounded by Circle Avenue.2
The first houses in the neighborhood were built during the mid 1910s near the streetcar line on Vail, Colonial, and Crescent Avenues. Many residents were salesmen, small businessmen, and clerks. These people served the distribution based economy of the city. Although staunchly middle-class, the neighborhood’s residents held many of the same attitudes as the wealthy industrialists. There was great concern about the appearance of Charlotte during its rise to recognition. This explains why there were so many talented architects, designers, and planners at work in such a small city. Louis Asbury, Sr.; Fred Bonfoey; William H. Peeps; and Earle S. Draper were nationally recognized professionals who made Charlotte their home in the early years of the twentieth century.3
Peeps, an Englishman, came to Charlotte from Michigan in the early 1900s. At his death in 1950, he had made numerous architectural contributions to the Charlotte area including: Latta Arcade, Ratcliffe Florist Shop, Ivey’s Department Store, and many prestigious suburban homes.4 Louis Ratcliffe began his floral shop in 1917 and returned to his Charlotte business after his infantry service in France during World War I. As Charlotte grew, many service industries, including floristry, thrived.5 Following many of his middle-class colleagues, Ratcliffe planned a new home for his family in the Crescent Heights neighborhood. On March 30, 1923, Ratcliffe purchased a lot at the intersection of Crescent Avenue and Chase Street from Mrs. Pattie S. Long, a widow. The Long family had purchased the lot from Elizabeth Realty Company in 1909, but apparently had never built on the property. The lot measuring approximately 60 feet wide and 190 feet deep was to be used for building a dwelling that cost at least $2500 and should be at least 30 feet from Crescent Avenue. As was typical for the early twentieth century South, the deed covenants also stated that the dwelling was not to be occupied by anyone “of the Negro race or with Negro blood.”6
Ratcliffe hired the prominent Charlotte architect W.H. Peeps to design his bungalow style dwelling. By February 16, 1925, plans were far enough advanced for Ratcliffe to file a Building Permit with the Building Inspector. At this point, Ratcliffe’s address was 512 East 5th Street, near his shop at 322 South Tryon Street. His new home was to be sheathed in stucco and estimated to cost $6000.7 Louis G. Ratcliffe and his wife Hattie resided in their new home at 300 Crescent Avenue from 1926 until 1932. Ratcliffe’s relationship with Peeps did not end with the completion of his home, however. Peeps was commissioned in 1929 to design a new building for Ratcliffe’s Flowers. The unusual building has a Mediterranean flair and still graces South Tryon Street as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmark although it is no longer used as a florist shop.8
Louis Ratcliffe sold 300 Crescent Avenue to M.A. Otterbourg on September 1, 1932. Otterbourg was the Chief Signal and Electrical Inspector and later Superintendent for Southern Railways, an important industry in the distribution city of Charlotte. 300 Crescent Avenue held the large Otterbourg family: M.A. and his wife Katie, Marion A. ,Jr. (a son from a previous marriage), Louis, Edna, and Margaret. These three children of M.A. and Katie Otterbourg still reside in Charlotte and remember well their early years in Crescent Heights.9 Louis Otterbourg was three or four when the family moved into their new home. He and his younger sisters Edna and Peggy grew up on Crescent Avenue during the late 1930s and 1940s. During a recent interview, the three created a sense of Crescent Heights that is difficult to imagine, knowing the area as it is today. Children rode bicycles up and down the sidewalks in front of rows of bungalows. The park, they recall, was the center of their playtime with neighboring children. At home, they remember taking all but the most formal of meals in the breakfast room off the kitchen. And the bedroom adjacent to the kitchen served as a gathering place where favorite radio shows could be heard.
Their father was often away at work leaving their mother, a homemaker, with the children. The Otterbourgs recall that there were a series African-American domestics who helped their mother in the mornings until the end of World War II and a gardener named Emmett Drenan. They remember summers filled with visiting on porches; the smell of oil throughout the house after it had been spread on dusty Chase Street; Victory gardens; a playhouse in the back; and the family enjoying the piano in the corner of the living room.
The Otterbourg family owned the house after the death of M.A. Otterbourg in 1952 until Katie Otterbourg’s death in the early 1980s. Until that time Edna and Margaret had lived with their mother, and they inherited the house, which they sold to Clyde N. Owensby on August 29, 1980. In 1959-1960 Crescent Road Extension was lengthened to reach the Cotswald section; hence, the house is now know as 2100 Randolph Road. Owensby rented the house to a marriage counselor firm and then to Charlotte Radiology, reflecting the dominance of medical offices in the area. The building was sold to Swisher International in 1995 and used as their office until 1996 when it was purchased by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Preservation Foundation for use as a joint office with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission.10
The original address was 300 Crescent Avenue; however the current address is 2100 Randolph Road. Situated at the corner of Randolph Road and Chase Street, the lot measures approximately 60 feet by 190 feet. The house has a small front yard facing the sidewalk and Randolph Road. A very narrow strip of yard on either side of the house gives access to the larger back yard.
Originally, the two-car garage was located in the middle of the back yard, dividing it into two different areas. Louis, Edna, and Margaret Otterbourg recall that the yard was separated from Chase Street by a tall white rose trellis. The space between the house and the garage was densely landscaped, while the area behind the garage had room for a garden and what seemed to them to be a swimming pool. This pool was most likely a garden feature built by the original owner, Louis Ratcliffe. To the children’s disgust, their father, M.A. Otterbourg filled in the “swimming pool.”11 The landscaping in front of the house was thick enough near the sidewalk for young Louis Otterbourg to be unseen by a bicyclist until he jumped into its path. The Otterbourgs remember the yard filled with Norway maples, pecan trees, chinaberries, and spyrea.12
The emphasis on landscaping is not surprising for two reasons. First, the original owner of the house was Louis Ratcliffe, a prominent Charlotte florist. And secondly, the house is in the Bungalow Style. This meant that the house was designed around celebrating and enjoying nature. The most obvious characteristics of a Bungalow dwelling are its low pitched roof, wide front porch, and construction of rough natural materials such as stucco. The result of these features was a sense of coziness and security while blending into the natural surroundings.13 The Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House is an excellent example of these principles. The front facade is a simple configuration of the short end of the house with the protruding front entry porch on its left. Rather than a plain gable end, the roof’s peak is hipped. This motif is repeated wherever the roof ends. Decoratively cut rafter ends extend beyond the wide roof overhangs. Like many bungalows, the house is sheathed in stucco, which the Otterbourgs recall as being soft gray in color. The wide window and door trim, flared porch columns, and stickwork elements over the porch’s arched opening were all cream in color.14 The base of house and porch steps are red brick creating a watertable about two feet high around the house. The one vertical element is the chimney on the left side of the building. The windows are tall, six over six panels, but are generally used in horizontal bands.
The formal front facade is in contrast to the rear of the dwelling which extrudes and is cut back creating several tiny wings depending on the size of the rooms they hold. The back porch is entered up a flight of red brick steps, which are contained by a low brick wall extending off the porch’s watertable. Privatized by lattice work the porch reflects the personal atmosphere that was once present in the back yard. This lattice is all that remains of the lattice that covered the breakfast room windows and ran as a fence along Chase Street. The Bungalow Style was considered a modernization of Victorian era housing standards. Moving away from formality and concentrating on simple efficiency, builders after the turn of the century turned to source books such as Bungalows, Camps, and Mountain Houses (1915) for pre-prepared plans and theoretical planning advice. According to a 1921 plan book writer, the house was to be divided into sleeping quarters, family living space, and service areas. These zones should be linked by neutral spaces such as a hall.15
In the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House, these ideas are executed with great care by the architect, W.H. Peeps. From the front porch, one enters into the living room containing a large fireplace. The hefty mantle mimics the wide roof overhang as it extends nearly a foot from the wall. The living room seems to flow into the dining area from which it is separated by French doors. Through a swinging door one can enter the small breakfast nook with its built in buffet and cupboard. To the left is the generous kitchen and the back door to the back porch. The entire south side of the house is taken up with the three bedrooms reached down a long hall. The bath, a closet, the stairs to the basement and to the attic are also located on this service hall. The Otterbourgs remember the interior window trim, baseboards, and doors being a darkly stained wood. The interior trim is now painted white and the only wood flooring that remains uncovered is in the living room. The red brick fireplace is now painted white and many of the plaster walls have been covered with wall paper. But the most significant change was executed by the Charlotte – Mecklenburg Historic Preservation Fund when they removed the walls separating the front two bedrooms and the end of the long hall to create a large boardroom in the front right quarter of the house. With the exception of this space the building retains much of its original cozy character that made it such a wonderful family home for over fifty years.
CLICK HERE FOR A MORE DETAILED S&R
1 Tom Hanchett, “Overview” (from an unpublished draft in the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission), p.1-4.
2 Dr. Dan L. Morrill, “Crescent Heights,” (unpublished essay in the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission), p.1-3.
3 Tom Hanchett, “Growth of Charlotte: a History” (from an unpublished draft in the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission),p. 28 and Dr. Dan L. Morrill, “Crescent Heights,”p.3-4.
4 Dr. Dan L. Morrill, “C.C. Coddington House,” (unpublished description in the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission).
5 Dr. William H. Huffman, ” A Historical Sketch of the Ratcliffe Flowers Building,”(Survey and Research Report in the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, 1983),pp.1-2.
6 Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Office: deed book 241 page 365, deed book 268 page 205,and deed book 492 page 139.
7 Building Permit on microfilm (In the collections of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library).
8 Huffman, ” A Historical Sketch…”pp.2-3.
9 Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Office: deed book 832 page 10. Charlotte City Directories (In the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library. Interview with Louis, Edna, and Margaret Otterbourg on June 17, 1996 with Sherry J. Joines.
10 Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Office: deed book 4337 page 433 and deed book 8023 page 0171. Charlotte City Directories ( In the collection of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library).
11 Interview with Otterbourg family.
12 Ibid.
13 Clark, Clifford E., Jr.,The American Family Home, 1800-1960, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press,1986),p.173.
14 Interview with Otterbourg family.
15 William P. Comstock and Clarence E. Schermerhorn with new introduction by Tony P. Wrenn, Bungalows, Camps, and Mountain Houses, ( Washington: AIA Press, 1990)p.v-21.
1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Ratcliffe Florist Shop is located at 431 South Tryon Street, in Charlotte, North Carolina. To see a brief biographical video of the Ratcliffe-Otterbourg House go to http://officialcharlottehistory.ning.com and click on “Video” at the top of the page.
2. Name and address of the present owner of the property:
Mrs. L. G. Ratcliffe, Sr.
2128 Sherwood Avenue
Charlotte, N.C. 28207
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 deeds to this property are listed in Mecklenburg County Deed Book W20 at page 340. The Tax Parcel Number of the property is 125-052-12.
6. A brief historical sketch of the property: This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property prepared by Dr. William H. Huffman.
7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains an architectural description of the property prepared by Lisa A. Stamper.
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 Ratcliffe Florist Shop does possess special significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations: 1) the Ratcliffe Florist Shop, completed in 1929, is a strikingly well-preserved example of early 20th Century commercial architecture; 2) the architect of the Ratcliffe Florist Shop was William H. Peeps (1868-1950), an architect of local and regional significance; 3) the Ratcliffe Florist Shop is the best example of the Mediterranean Revival Style of architecture in Charlotte, North Carolina; 4) Louis G. Ratcliffe (1893-1961), the founder of the company, was a prominent figure in community affairs; and 5) the Ratcliffe family continues to operate the business from this location.
b. integrity of design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling and/or association: The Commission contends that the attached architectural description by Miss Lisa A. Stamper demonstrates that the Ratcliffe Florist Shop meet 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 .072 acres of land is $47,250. The current appraised value of the building is $51,730. The total current appraised value is $98,980. The property is zoned UMUD.
Date of Preparation of this Report:April 4, 1984
Prepared by: Dr. Dan L. Morrill, Director
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission
1225 S. Caldwell Street/Box D
Charlotte, North Carolina 28203
Telephone: 704/376-9115
Dr. William H. Huffman
March, 1983
Perhaps the most charming and out-of-the-ordinary small business place in the commercial center of Charlotte is that occupied by Ratcliffe Flowers on South Tryon Street. For over fifty years, it has stood in great contrast to its plainer or more institutional neighbors. When Louis G. Ratcliffe (1893-1961) started his floral business next to the Latta Arcade in the 300 block of S. Tryon in 1917, the area was still a mixture of small businesses, residences and some vacant properties.1 A native of Henrico County, Virginia, he entered the service a year after starting the new business and saw action with the 323rd Infantry in France during World War I, where he was awarded the Purple Heart. After demobilization at the close of the war, Mr. Ratcliffe returned to Charlotte and enthusiastically plunged into over fifty years of activity in the city’s business and civic life. He served variously as a National Committeeman of the American Legion, Mecklenburg County Democratic Chairman, Chairman of the Welfare Board, President of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Red Cross, and as director of Home Federal Building and Loan. In addition, he was a member of the Rotary Club, a Mason, a Shriner and a steward of his church. Clearly Louis Ratcliffe was a man greatly involved with his community.2
As the community grew and prospered in the boom times of the 1920’s, so did the floral concern which supplied flowers for weddings, funerals, church services and special occasions in the expanding city. By the end of the decade, Ratcliffe decided the time was right for new quarters to house the successful business, and so he hired William H. Peeps, a local architect, to draw up the plans. Perhaps Peeps was chosen for the job because he had also done the Latta Arcade, Ratcliffe’s business neighbor for twelve years. 3 William Peeps (1868-1950) was originally from London, England, and had first settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From there he came to Charlotte in 1905 to participate in the growth of this New South community, and for forty-five years thereafter made a significant impact on the architectural history of the city. In his long Charlotte career, which only ended when he fell ill at the age of 82, Peeps was responsible for numerous landmark structures in the city and in other areas of the state.4 Beside Ratcliffe Flowers, he designed a number of important commercial buildings in the city, including Ivey’s Department Store, Eckerd’s Drugs, the Latta and Court Arcades, and the Hovis Mortuary (now Queen City TV) on North Tryon. Of equal significance are the many fine large residences Peeps designed for a number of the city’s wealthy citizens, including that of J. B. Ivey, John Bass Brown, George W. Graham, Jr.5 and others. In early 1929, the plans for the new florist shop were complete, and on March 20th of that year, the contractor, Southeastern Construction Company, located at 210 E. Second Street, took out a building permit to begin work. In the permit it was estimated that the new store would cost $16,000.6 At the time when Ratcliffe Flowers was built, Charlotte was experiencing an unprecedented building boom which reflected the prosperity of the time. A perusal of the building permits of that year clearly reflects great activity in both business and residential, mostly suburban, construction. It was as part of this general prosperity that the new Ratcliffe Flowers shop came on the scene late in 1929.
Unfortunately for many in the community, the boom times ended soon thereafter, and a ten-year depression followed. Ratcliffe Flowers, however, steadfastly weathered the storm in its charming, Peeps-designed two-story store. Over the years, in fact, the business, which is still in the family, expanded into a wholesale division and a greenhouse operation in addition to the city center retail outlet.7 Thus through all the changes in uptown Charlotte over the last fifty-some years, this delightfully unusual retail store, which reflected both the tastefulness appropriate for a floral shop and a confidence in its longevity, has graced South Tryon Street through the best and worst of times, and will no doubt continue to do so for a long time.
NOTES
1 Interview with Margaret Osborne, Charlotte, N.C., March 1983; Charlotte City Directory, 1917, passim.
2 Charlotte Observer, February 16, 1961, pp. 1C and 9D.
3 Charlotte Building Permit No. 9899, 20 March 1929. Ratcliffe purchased the property in 1927: Deed Book 675, p.43, 19 August 1927.
4 Charlotte Observer, September 11, 1950, p.lB.
5 >George W. Hamilton, ed., William H. Peeps, A.I.A., Architect (Charlotte: News Publishing House, 1928).
6 See note 3.
7 Interview with Margaret Osborne, above.
by
Lisa A. Stamper
“Ratcliffe’s Flowers Brighten The Hours” – original slogan
Located on South Tryon Street between First and Second Streets, Ratcliffe’s Flowers is a well preserved example of the Mediterranean Revival Style. Designed by the architect William Peeps, this two-story building was completed near the end of 1929. Built at a time when new business development was at its peak in central Charlotte, this florist shop is very possibly the city’s finest example of early twentieth-century commercial architecture.
More than one-half of the front of the Ratcliffe’s Flowers building is two-stories high, while the back of it is one-story high. The tar and gravel roof is flat on both sections, and the back part contains a gabled skylight. To capture the mood of the Mediterranean, Peeps used a variety of materials and forms in the design of the front facade. The brick is stuccoed, and a decorative wooden gable was placed at the roofline. This gable, which spans the whole width of the facade, has deep sections to hide the flood lights which brighten the front facade at night. A second-story balcony is decorated with a cast-iron balustrade and brackets. Even a few rows of glazed tile separate the front facade from the sidewalk. The neon sign is not original, but was installed shortly after the florist shop opened for business. The deeply recessed first-story storefront consists of two wood and glass doors flanking a protruding wooden framed display window. The plan of the display window is one-half of an octagon shape. It has its own high-pitched roof which is basically semi-circular in shape. The name of the shop is displayed in white letters on the front of the display window roof. Above these doors and display window are five panes of floral patterned glass framed by wood. The second-story of the front facade exhibits three round-arched openings with the middle one being slightly taller in Palladian fashion. These wooden framed openings serve to look like windows and function as doors. Each opening has a half-circle section above a large rectangular section. Each half-circle contains four vertical lights. The rectangular section of each outer opening contains sixteen lights while the inner one contains twenty lights. Four stylized columns with Corinthian capitals separate the second-story openings from each other and the rest of the facade. The shafts of these columns have a spiral groove cut into them; a Mediterranean motif.
The interior reflects the exterior style, employing several exterior elements and motifs. The interior plan consists of a second-story half-attic, a high first-story, and a rear half-basement. Interior finishes include plaster walls, chestnut wood trims, and flagstone floors. Many of the furnishings are original and are kept in excellent condition. The first-story interior has two-levels. The lower one is the full length of the building and is composed of three sections. The upper-level covers the second section only and is used as an office. The first section is the showroom and is defined by the front wall and an interior wall with three round arched openings. It has a barrel-vault ceiling which invokes a grand spacious feeling in the narrow room. The second section is a small work area defined by the arched interior wall and another interior wall with a heavy, arched double door. The third section is contained within the rear of the building and is also used as a work area.
The showroom has a flagstone floor, possibly made with stone from Arizona. Over the years, wax had built-up on the floor, but it has been recently cleaned leaving the original stones in good condition. Six chestnut columns of the molding with quatrefoil motifs add to the ornamentation. A chestnut trellis is an original display device which is still in use. Track lighting has recently been installed on this trellis to illuminate displays on the wall behind it; however, this lighting system is inconspicuous. Original glass and iron furnishings, even a marble top table, are in excellent condition and presently display various floral arrangements. Decorative urns, one from India, are also original furnishings still in use. Even original light fixtures are intact. The arched interior wall which defines the back of the showroom contains three large, high, round-arched openings, reflecting those of the front facade. As one enters the showroom from the front, the left arch is practically the full-height of the wall. It contains a wooden staircase which leads to a second-level landing. The other two arched openings stop at the bottom of the second-level. These openings have been covered with plywood boards, but the arched shapes are still prominent. An iron railing positioned in front of these two arched openings has been temporarily removed to make room for a Christmas display.
Underneath the second-level arched openings is a large rectangular opening. Simple, thick columns support a dentiled lintel at the top of this opening. A cabinet located next to the wall now blocks part of this opening, which allows one to enter the small workroom underneath the second-level office. The small workroom contains very little. It has only a few shelves and thin workbenches for employee use. Since the public can see into this area, it is not used extensively and is more of a transitional space between the showroom and the rear work area. A wooden double-door opens into the back work area. Here most of the preparation of floral arrangements takes place. Since this back room is not in the public’s view, it is more utilitarian in finishes and furnishings. Again, many of the original fixtures and furnishings are still in use and in good condition. Even the first cooler is intact. A wooden staircase, which leads to the second-level landing, mirrors that from the showroom. It seems that accessibility to the total building was a main consideration in the initial design of the second-level office. It was designed so one could look through the arched openings into the showroom or out the open back into the work area. The office is easily accessible to the showroom and workroom by the stairways. In addition, there is a wooden staircase which leads from the landing to the attic. By examination of photographs made shortly after the store opened and in possession of Mark V. Ratcliffe, the interior seem to have had only a few alterations since then. The Ratcliffe’s have gone to great lengths to preserve and maintain their florist shop’s elegant romantic ambiance. Presently, many people come into the store to marvel at the excellent workmanship and care put into Ratcliffe’s Flowers.