City's historic home-makers
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on July 21, 2015 1:46 PM
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Allison Platt of Goldsboro Historic Properties, LLC, left, shows Jim Womble the renovations made to the upstairs of the house at 412 N. James St., during a recent open house.
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A medallion that was revealed under the tile ceiling in the home makes for a beautiful centerpiece in the front room.
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David Ham, left, and Jim Womble talk outside the historic home on North James Street.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
A group examines the renovations to the dining room. Once the home on James Street sells, the home renovators will take on another property. Their goal is to save as many historic homes in the city as possible.
Betty Duncan was worried.
The historic homes that she loves so much were disappearing.
The once glorious homes were dilapidated and broken.
She decided to do something about the growing number of vacant, rundown historic homes in Goldsboro.
Standing in the doorway of a house on 412 James St., she knew she was on her way.
It was the evening of the open house for the first restored home by the Goldsboro Historic Properties LLC.
The motto of the group is "Proud of Goldsboro, Invest in Her Future."
The LLC was formed in June 2014. The 11 original members all owned historic homes near downtown Goldsboro.
"It's hard to have the finished vision," Betty said. "We've all done restorations before, so you know it can be done."
Amy and Jay Bauer, Betty Duncan, David Ham, Ruth and David Glisson, Linda and Kevin Liegel, Allison Platt and Wendy and Denny Town decided to join forces to begin to save the vacant houses downtown.
The two-story on 412 James St. was purchased in August 2014. Jay Bauer was the project supervisor.
He oversaw the new roof, new drywall, new bathrooms, refinished floor, updated plumbing and wiring and restoring the house to its former glory.
He estimates that it was built in 1888.
It was on the condemn list when the LLC rescued it.
"We saved this house," Amy said.
The Coward family lived in the home for 70 years.
"They raised six girls in this house, when you see it, you have to ask where," she said.
There was only one bathroom in the house originally.
When the group bought the house, it had been converted into two apartment units. The construction crew worked on converting it back to a single-family home.
Unlike her work with the Herring-Hulse design home this spring, Amy was not creating a work of art in this house.
They were making a blank canvas for the homeowner.
"There is still work to be done," Betty said.
They hope the homeowner will love the house as much as they do.
In the last year, the original 12-foot ceilings have been unearthed and the original hardware and windows restored. In the living room, Jay's crew found a plaster medallion on the ceiling. It was repaired and a chandelier now hangs from the center.
The old wood floors shine like glass.
The front door was repaired from where firefighters axed into the home to battle a fire some years ago.
There is not even a scar on the indigo blue door.
"Elegant is the word I keep coming back to," Amy said.
Photos of the original and updated house are posted on the Goldsboro Historic Properties LLC Facebook page.
Amy and Jay said they breathed a sigh of relief when the open house started.
They have more work to do elsewhere.
"The design house is done, this house is done, now maybe we can finish our house," she said.
Once the house on James Street sells, the LLC will reinvest that money into another property to fix up.
"Before you know it, we've rebuilt a neighborhood," Amy said.
The James Street house is listed at $99,000. It is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
"It's close to downtown, you can walk to the Jams or Ed's for dinner," she said.
The house must be owner-occupied.
Wendy Town is hoping her new neighbors buy and move in soon.
"This would be a great family home," she said.