Saving 1428 North Main Street, Salisbury NC!

Although the North Main neighborhood is filled with beautiful homes throughout, there is no question that we have some endangered homes amongst us, that we have, in the past, called our 'loose gems'.  Some of these homes have been left empty ~ abandoned to neglect.  

Run-down and abandoned homes can make an entire neighborhood look bad. Trash, overgrown grass and pest problems can spill over into neighboring properties. But abandoned houses can be more than just an eyesore -- they can be safety hazards and hotbeds for criminal activity.  It is an understatement to say that trying to get property owners to take responsibility for their home is a challenge!

Thankfully, our Historic Salisbury Foundation (HSF) has never been afraid of a challenge when it comes to neighborhood revitalization.  HSF is focusing on several key properties in the North Main Neighborhood, in an effort to strengthen this gateway into Historic Salisbury, North Carolina.  

Work has already begun ~ and you should start seeing progress immediately ~ on 1428 North Main Street.  This home, the circa 1905 (1910?) Morris-Myers House, has been empty for some time.  Dubbed 'The Scaffolding House', for the scaffold left in place for over a decade, this house has been a thorn in the neighborhood's side for what feels like an eternity.  The neighborhood has always hoped for a beautiful future for this house.  Well, the scaffolding is already gone!

The home is listed on the North Main Street Historic District Inventory in the National Register of Historic Places as follows:

"This expansive two-story dwelling was probably constructed about 1910.  Little information about it is available from the city directories or other sources. Its hipped roof and projecting front and side gables are characteristically Victorian, as is its asymmetrical composition and the rear porch, which features handsome turned posts and bold sawn brackets.  The front porch supported by tall, slender columns, may have replaced an original wrap-around porch featuring turned posts and sawn brackets similar to the rear porch."

Historic Salisbury Foundation uses its Revolving Fund to stabilize houses such as these.  In addition to the Myers House, the Foundation has also just signed papers to be able to stabilize the single story pebble-dash house at 1600 North Main Street - the circa 1912 Hunter-Mowery House.  The Register describes this home as "the best preserved working class Victorian cottage in the district."  NOMA is most grateful that the HSF has turned its attention to our important gateway community.   The North Main neighborhood is the last remaining residential corridor leading to Downtown Salisbury NC and has proceeds in an almost unbroken rhythm of  the most eclectic and wide variety of early twentieth century domestic architectural styles.  This variety provides an excellent picture of how this neighborhood and other twentieth century Salisbury neighborhoods, now destroyed by urban development, appeared during 1900-1930.

While HSF is focusing its revolving fund activities on several key distressed properties in the North Main area and recently acquired the Myers House at 1428 North Main, we hope that many will support these endeavors by considering donating to the Go Fund Me campaign (Click link below!) to revitalize this gateway to Salisbury. Your support will be kept in Historic Salisbury Foundation's revolving fund and used on many projects for years to come. Click this link to find the fundraising campaign for this home:

http://www.gofundme.com/heq7tg

Your donation will help stabilize the circa 1915 Myers House, strengthen the North Main Historic District and continue to support HSF's revolving fund for years to come. Proceeds from the sale of revolving fund properties goes into purchasing and stabilizing more historic houses in the community.  Stabilizing this home at 1428 N. Main Street and the home at 1600 N. Main will make a remarkable impact to the North Main Neighborhood!

Thank you for making a difference!