1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House is located at 715 Providence Rd., Charlotte, NC 28207.

2. Name, address, and telephone number of the present owners and occupants of the property:
The present owner of the property is:
J. Chadbourn and Rosemary W. Bolles
435 Hempstead Pl.
Charlotte, NC 28207

Telephone: (704) 377-7042

The present occupant of the property is:
El Villa Restaurant
Mrs. Judy Lindsay
715 Providence Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28207

Telephone: (704) 375-5208

3. Representative photographs of the property: Three photographs of the exterior of the structure are included in this report.

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

5. Current Deed Book Reference of the property: Attached you will find a copy of the state of North Carolina, Mecklenburg County deed listing of the property, book 2439, page 560.

6. A brief historical sketch of the property:

Blanche Reynolds, a native of Durham, NC, assembled, by purchases made in 1921 and 1923, the property upon which the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House stands. A woman of refinement, aristocratic tastes, and an independent spirit, Mrs. Reynolds inherited a considerable estate from Mr. Reynolds upon his death – an estate generated by the activities of the Southern Cotton Oil Co. Before beginning construction on the house in 1925, Mrs. Reynolds met Mr. Alexis Gourmajenko, a Russian emigre, in Italy during a tour of Europe. The were married and subsequently moved into the hose upon its completion in 1926. On April 26, 1941, the house was deeded to Mrs. Gourmajenko’s only child, Mr. Morgan Ayres Reynolds. On August 30, 1963, Mr. Reynolds and his wife, sold the house to Mr. J. Chadbourn Rosemary Bolles. Mr. and Mrs. Bolles currently lease the house to Ms. Judy Lindsay, who operates the El Villa Restaurant upon the premises.

*NOTE: On October 2, 2013, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission received a call from Rosalie Reynolds, the Granddaughter of Blanche and William Reynolds, informing them that William and Blanche built the house together and construction ended in 1928.  Mr. Reynolds died shortly thereafter in August of 1928.  Blanche Morgan Reynolds did not travel to Europe until after the death of her Husband, Mr. Reynolds.  In 1934, Blanche met Alexis Gourmajenko and they married shortly thereafter, they were married until his death in 1948.  Mrs. Reynolds-Gourmajenko never remarried.

Mrs. Gourmajenko was a woman who maintained an abiding interest in the arts. This aspect of her makeup no doubt played an important part in causing her to select the forceful and dramatic Tuscan Revival style of architecture for her home. Executed by William L. Bottomley of New York City, a renowned architect who designed several homes in Richmond, VA, where Mrs. Gourmajenko’s sister lived, the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House exhibits features common to this exquisite form of revival design. The low-pitched, projecting roof, composed of tiles imported from Cuba, the walled courtyard with a circular fountain in the center, the piazzas extending perpendicularly forward from both sides of the structure of the dwelling, all attest to the basic Tuscan Revival rendering of the R-G House. The house also possesses a certain Spanish overtone, but this is not unusual, because Tuscan Revival was one of the most flexible styles in American Revival architecture. It was especially popular in the nineteenth century, when it competed for dominance with the more widespread Gothic Revival. It was a composite style ultimately derived from the timeless domestic architecture of the Italian Campagna – of Tuscany, Umbria, Lombardy, and the Veneto – but interpreted in the US with unrestrained freedom and endless improvisation.

Mrs. Gourmajenko spared no expense on the interior treatment of the dwelling. Drawings were prepared for the interior elevations of the principal rooms. These drawings are available from Mr. Davyd Foard Hood, who is presently writing an MA thesis at the University of Virginia on the architecture of William L. Bottomley. Mr. William Griffin, an associate of Mr. Bottomley’s, made several trips to Charlotte to supervise personally the rendering of the interior. Two original paintings were prepared by the head of the Academy of Art in Rome for placement in the dining room. These paintings are now in the Paris apartment of Mr. Morgan Ayres Reynolds. Although the interior elegance of the structure has been tarnished somewhat by the placement of a restaurant in the building the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House still retains the spaciousness and refinement associated with Tuscan Revival interiors.

7. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria set forth in NCGS 160A-399.4:

a. Historical and cultural significance: The structure would seem to meet this criterion because the building is an excellent example of Tuscan Revival architecture. Indeed, there is nothing like it in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County. Also worth noting is the fact that it was designed by an architect of considerable reputation.

b. Suitability for preservation and restoration: The building is in excellent repair, and its overall setting is still intact, including the magnificent grounds. This building is highly suited for preservation and/or renovation.

c. Educational value: The educational value of this structure centers around the fact that it is the only local example of Tuscan Revival architecture with this degree of refinement. It also communicates to the observer the values and tastes of the American aristocracy of an earlier era.

d. Cost of acquisition, restoration, maintenance, operation or repair: The Commission has no intention of acquiring this property. The cost of acquisition would be high. The 1974 tax appraisal for the house was $184,520.00. This suggests that the property and house would cost well in excess of $200,00.00. To restore the house to its original condition would be substantial only for the interior. The maintenance and operation costs for the structure are currently low enough to allow a restaurant to operate in the structure. As indicated above, the building is generally in excellent repair.

e. Possibilities for adaptive or alternative use of the property: This criterion is easily met by the fact that a restaurant currently occupies the structure.

f. Appraised value: As noted above, the 1974 appraised value of the house and property was $184,520.00. The appraised value for the house itself was $46,290.00. Again, the Commission has no intention of acquiring this property.

g. The administrative and financial responsibility of any person or organization willing to underwrite all or a portion of such costs: Since the property will remain in private hands, and since the Commission has no objection to the current adaptive use of the property, this criterion does not appear to be applicable.

8. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria established for inclusion on the National Register: The Commission recognizes that it has no authority to recommend properties for inclusion on the National Register. It is required, however, by State Statute to measure properties which it recommends for local designation against the criteria for the National Register. Recognizing that the National Register ordinarily excludes properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years, the Commission nonetheless believes that the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House might qualify for the National Register on the grounds of Criterion C – (properties) “that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values….” The Reynolds-Gourmajenko House would not meet the other criteria for inclusion in the National Register.

9. Documentation of why and in what ways the property is of historical importance to Charlotte and/or Mecklenburg County: The historic significance of the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House for Charlotte and Mecklenburg County is considerable. As noted above, it is the only local building designed by William L. Bottomley, and only one other Bottomley structure is known to exist in North Carolina. Once part of an elegant residential setting. On balance, the Commission believes that the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House deserves the protection provided for historic properties by State Statute, subject to the approval of an ordinance by the appropriate agency of local government

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.

³ Ibid.; Survey and Research Report on the Funderburk Brothers Buildings, February 22, 1978, Historical Essay by D.L. Morrill.

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.