An Old House: 130 Years of Change

House progression as evidenced by Sanborn maps. This image is the scaled down version of a poster that I made. (Note: I accidentally put 1866 rather than 1886, but it's correct on the larger image).

As an old house fanatic, I'm lucky to have years ago befriended a local contractor who works almost exclusively on old houses. Through our friendship, he's graciously given me a chance to earn some extra money by way of doing the smaller jobs that often seem tedious to him. Through this and our friendship, I've also learned a little bit about the tricks of the trade and the idiosyncrasies of repairing an old house.

My friend, Micah Robinson, most recently acquired the property at 1021 Main Street. As an address, the house is unrecognizable, but by name it's immediately identifiable: Hope Harbor. I won't be going into how he acquired the property, the price, or the downfall of Hope Harbor. Sad, though the situation is, it's not pertinent to this blog.

What is pertinent, however, is the fascinating (though incomplete) history I've developed on the property. As with my best friend's mom's house, I've been recruited to use my research skills to find information on the house. Partially for what Micah would like to ultimately do with the property, partially to find a build date, and also to help him in his restoration of the beautiful house.

The house at 1021 Main Street predates most of the houses around it. Southerlin Mansion notwithstanding. The earliest record that I have found so far is a map that shows the house in 1877, with the name of the property owner listed as N.B. Norman, who is also the first person listed in any city directory living in the house. The area around it has barely been developed save for a few houses. Nine years later, when the first Sanborn map was released, the area was slowly developing. 126 years later, that area is well known for housing Main and Holbrook Exxon, the Wednesday Club, Danville Fine Arts and History Museum, and Midtown Market. In 1886, when it was the western border of Danville, it was far from what we would come to know.

Beers (1877) Map of Danville and Pittsylvania County.
Forgive the blurriness...I took it with my iPhone one day when I was at the City Clerk's Office

The numbers are incorrect. 1802 is 1021 Main Street (aka Hope Harbor)
Legend: 2 = 2 stories
1 = 1 story
Dw'g = Dwelling

The lot listed as 1802 is what we now know as 1021 Main Street. Why the numbers are wrong, I can't tell you. But the 1880 City Directory and the 1892 City Directory list the same person living at 1021 Main Street. It's important to note that at this time, upper Main Street was relatively empty. It would be another 15 years before "The Wedding Cake House" would be built, and some 20 years before the corner lot at Main and Holbrook Avenue would become relatively close to what we know now.

The area encompassed on this map by 1803-1807 Main Street constitutes what we know now as Main and Holbrook Exxon. Somehow, though it boggles my mind how, there were all of those buildings placed firmly within that lot. The next map, dated 1890, does not show the building listed as a Roller Skating Rink and Gymnasium, but the other four shops remain through 1920, but have disappeared by the 1951 revision.

Why is this important? Well, it's just a little side-note I guess. For you see, the corner lot remained relatively unchanged for decades. But through every revision of the Sanborn Maps, there were additions made to the house at 1021. For example, the rounded area to the left of the porch was added onto an existing porch between 1894 and 1904.

1890

1894

1904 -- Note the distinctive circle at the edge of the porch

1910

1915

1920 -- Here is where we see the first iteration of what was to become Main and Holbrook Exxon

1951 -- That building at the back of the lot of 1021 still remains today.

Through these maps, we see the distinct changes that took place at the property and surrounding area for nearly three quarters of a century. Although these maps are supposedly drawn to scale, I've come to realize that eventually they stopped being extremely detailed with the features of houses, such as the rounded porch.

From working for Micah, I've explored every nook and cranny of that house. We've noted where former exterior walls are, and I've even pointed out a few things he hadn't noticed. But the greatest find of all came on the night we were moving bookcases. As we leaned an 8+ foot tall bookshelf over, what should fall on Micah's head other than an old blue print. We debated for a few minutes over whether it truly was the house, until I noticed the attic windows with their distinct wood work (which I still call sun rays). It was from this blue print, of unknown vintage, that we learned just how much has been changed on that house.

Unless you've gone walking down Main Street and taken a look down the side of the house (or been inside of it) you'd never know that there is an extremely ornate window as you walk up the staircase. The location is rather odd as it's basically invisible to all but the next door neighbors. This wasn't always the case, however. Where there is now a nice bay window on the upstairs of the house, was once that ornate window. And where there is window close to the rounded corner of the porch; that was the front door. A stained glass window that once adorned the front of the house now sits awkwardly facing Main and Holbrook Exxon.

Inside of the side window. I'm not sure it's possible to get a decent one from the outside unless I went into the neighbor's house, but there wasn't a lot of time to figure out another way.

Outside of the stained glass window facing Exxon.

And from the inside.

 

Without a date, it's hard to pinpoint when these changes came or why. Logic might dictate the changed porch as a reason to change the front door, as there wasn't a porch at the time. Or perhaps the use of the house created a need for change.

For years it was a single family residence. In the 1920's, however, it became a boarding house under the ownership of the Estes family. While a variety of people lived here during their ownership, the most notable boarder is Lefty Wilson. In 1929 and 1930, he lived in the house while teaching at G.W. High School, then located just behind the house. After his marriage in 1930, he and his wife both resided in the house.

An interesting side-note here is that in the late 1920s, there were a few teachers listed as boarders at 1021. With G.W. then located on Holbrook Avenue, and basically being in the backyard of the houses in the 1000 block of Main Street, it was a logical place for teachers to live. In fact, when my grandmother moved to Danville in the late 1940s, she resided in a house on that very block that has since been demolished. She, as well, taught at G.W., which was still located on Holbrook Avenue. The school would later become Robert E. Lee Middle School, which was attended by my mother among others on the west end of town.

As the house grew, for whatever reason, distinct changes were made; many of which have been obscured through time and Hope Harbor's use of the building. Most of the walls appear to be in tact, save for one load bearing wall. But the specific purpose of most rooms are lost through time. The only certainty is the kitchen, which still contains an exhaust fan and moulding that is obviously designed to go behind a counter and refrigerator. Rooms have been converted to offices, bathrooms now devoid of fixtures, and 130 years of various construction quality create a distinct character as you walk through the house. Perhaps my favorite feature of the house, however, is the old upstairs bathroom -- still with the original early 1900s octagonal floor tiles.

Old bathroom

Awesome tiles

But as with my best friend's mom's house, the most indictive area is the basement and the attic. The attic at 1021 is a full attic, though the walls have been torn out, leaving the skeleton of what appears to have been servants quarters. Plumbing (and a bath tub?) still exist for a tiny bathroom, dormer windows still light the room, and various old bottles and items were retrieved from the floor.

It's amazing to walk through such an old house, and somewhat depressing. The foyer was once warmed by fireplace sitting at a 45 degree angle, and the lobby like area warmed form a fireplace on the backside of it. There is a grand mantle in the sitting room, adorned with intricate porcelain tiles and a mirror. So much of the house simply exudes grandiosity, but time has it's way of taking it's toll. Additions to the house have changed some features: the stairs have to modified for the new inner vestibule which also obscures half of the 8 foot french doors leading to the sitting room, and beautiful hardwood floors lost under layers of linoleum tile and carpet.

Mantle removed from an upstairs bedroom

Foyer Fireplaced

Living Room Fireplace

 

I remain confident, however, that 1021 Main Street will soon be revived and once again achieve a look of class and grandeur. It is in very capable hands, and although what work I do on the house is miniscule, I will be glad to one day say that I helped return the house to it's former glory.