Preservation North Carolina announced last week that a longtime Chapel Hill resident has bought the 102-year-old house and plans to rehabilitate and restore it. The property closing occurred last Thursday, putting in place protective covenants on the property, establishing a rehabilitation plan and ensuring that the historic landmark will remain intact.
"We couldn't be happier about this outcome," said Cathleen Turner, director of Preservation North Carolina's Piedmont Regional Office. "It's an important historical landmark, and it's a great early 20th-century Colonial Revival house. We hope the whole community is as thrilled as we are. It's a big win for preservation."
Molly Froehlich bought the property through Preservation North Carolina, which marketed it through an arrangement with owner Sherman Richardson.
The Preservation Society of Chapel Hill worked with Preservation North Carolina to save the house and find a buyer.
"I saw the house so many times over the years, and it is just an amazing site," Froehlich said. "Somehow it was just meant to be." (That's exactly how I felt!)
The property, at 115 Battle Lane within the Chapel Hill Historic District, had a sale price of $875,000. It needs extensive repairs, and renovations will be done to meet historic district standards, bringing it as close as possible to its former condition. Turner said the house should qualify for state historic rehabilitation tax credits for up to 30 percent of the renovation costs.
Edward Kidder Graham, who built the house in 1908, was a Charlotte native and an 1894 graduate of UNC. He returned to his alma mater as the university's first full professor of English in 1907 and in 1914 was named university president.
In that role, he worked, he said, "to make the campus co-extensive with the boundaries of the state."
His tenure was cut short when he fell victim to the influenza pandemic of 1918 at the age of 42. Graham's wife, Susan, was equally dedicated to education, devoting herself especially to expanding opportunities for women.
Frank Porter Graham, a cousin of Edward Kidder Graham's and one of the most notable North Carolinians of the 20th century, also lived in the house. He was the first president of the state's consolidated university system and served in the U.S. Senate.
In the early decades of the 20th century, many of Chapel Hill's most distinctive residents gathered in the Graham House, which was also known as "Bulrushes" for the plethora of reeds growing on the property. Those discussions helped forge ideas that extended the university's reach throughout North Carolina.
"This house embodies the progressive spirit of North Carolina in the 20th century," said Myrick Howard, president of Preservation North Carolina.
In a very different vein, the house also served as one of the key filming locations for the 1960s movie "Three in the Attic."
The house later fell into disrepair and neglect. Trees knocked down in a storm caused extensive damage, and the front porch had to be removed. The home was condemned, and the town of Chapel Hill had scheduled it for demolition in September of this year if a buyer couldn't be found. Froehlich's interest postponed that fate.
Preservation North Carolina and the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill began working in early 2008 to try to save the house.
"We tried to stay positive and believe the right person would come along, and they did," said Ernest Dollar, executive director of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill. "I think this is a great victory for preservation in Chapel Hill."
The closing on the property last week ensured that it will remain intact and preserved. Turner said it will be classified as having statewide historic significance, which will provide permanent protection from demolition.
"We are so relieved to have found a buyer for this important landmark," Turner said. "Frankly, I was holding my breath until the very last moment."
So happy Molly saved this beautiful house. I'm excited to see it as it is restored, even if I'm not the one that gets to restore it and live in it.
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