Paris stroll reminds man of historic home in Goldsboro
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on November 10, 2005 1:51 PM
Carl Lewis was walking the streets of Paris a few weeks ago and thought about Goldsboro. As he strolled through the housing districts, he marveled at the old, French architecture.
"It reminded me of my home," he said.
Lewis, a native North Carolinian and current resident of Maryland, purchased the historic Cobb house last September for his wife.
News-Argus/Kaye Nesbit
Walking the streets of Paris made Carl Lewis think of Goldsboro and the wonderful homes here. ThatÍs what made him decide to buy the Cobb House at the corner of George and Ash streets for his wife.
"A friend of mine is from Goldsboro, and he and I came down to look at some of the houses on Ash Street," he said. "I saw the Cobb house and thought it was just marvelous."
The house was built by W.E. Stroud nearly a century ago. Since its construction, it has been considered by many city residents as one of the best built homes in Goldsboro.
Lewis said he has always wanted to live out his retirement years in North Carolina, and didn't think twice about what to do next.
"When I saw the outside of that house, I bought it," he said. "I didn't even look at the inside. I told my wife about purchasing the house, and she and I came down to Goldsboro to get a look at the inside," he said. "It took her breath."
Lewis' new home is a two and a half story Colonial Revival that features round windows and dormers and decorative wood molding in the interior.
A black iron fence and hedges guard the house on the corner of George and Ash Street. Lewis said he plans to do some minor repairs, but would not dare make any structural changes.
"It's a marvelous structure," he said. "I just love how it looks and won't change it."
Lewis and his wife have already done landscaping around the property. Last June, they had a house warming party and hosted neighbors, councilmen and the mayor, he said.
Next, the bricks will be power-washed and painted. Lewis said he hopes that these projects will help restore the original look of the home.
"Other than those things, we won't do anything," he said. "There will be no major renovations."
Lewis added that he and his wife are looking forward to moving to Goldsboro and living in the house. They have traveled here every few weeks to do small projects in preparation for the big move next summer.
"We never would have thought or dreamed that the Lord would have blessed us with a home like this," Lewis said.
Dr. Donald Cobb moved into the house in 1936 when the original owners moved to Washington, D.C. He and his wife added brick and the wrought iron fence to the property.