The 40th Annual OctoberTour™ ~ Coming to the North Main Neighborhood!

 

OctoberTour™ - October 10th & 11th, 2015

In just one week, Historic Salisbury Foundation hosts its annual OctoberTour™ of historic homes! This October 10th & 11th is the 40th anniversary of this extremely popular tour that brings thousands of visitors to Salisbury, North Carolina.  And this year, the North Main Neighborhood is pleased and privileged to have (3) properties on the tour!

Ramsey-Voss House, ca. 1929: 927 North Main Street

Built in 1929 by Robert W. Ramsey, a worker for Southern Railway, this brick cottage has only had three owners - Ramsey, his daughter and son-in-law, T. E. Voss, and the current owners. Typical of the English influenced cottages built in the late 1920s and 1930s along the east side of North Main Street, the home occupies an elevated lot and is separated from the road and sidewalk by an attractive stone retaining wall, creating a sense of place.

Lombardy-John Steele House, 1799-1801: 1010 North Richard Street

Lombardy, a two-story with attic, side-hall plan frame house, was constructed for John Steele in 1799-1801. Steele (1765-1815) was one of the most prominent politicians from Rowan County and was elected to a number of local, state, and federal offices, receiving an appointment by President George Washington as Comptroller of the Treasury in 1796. This plantation home was Steele’s principal residence until his death in 1815.

The John Steele House is the oldest house in Salisbury, and is in the North Main Neighborhood!

Myers-Morris House, 1893: 1428 North Main Street 

Constructed for rural route postman, D.R. Myers and his wife, Mittie, this two-story framed house is offered on OctoberTour as a 'rehabilitation-in-progress'. The Myers’ daughter, Floise, married Zeb Morris, and their five children were born in the same room in this home. It was later an antique store and then sat vacant for many years before being stabilized by HSF’s Revolving Fund in 2014, and recently sold to new owners in the summer of 2015!

The North Main Neighborhood could not be more thrilled to have had Historic Salisbury Foundation stabilize this important house in our neighborhood, and one of the (5) Morris children has been writing one of our representatives with stories and photos of growing up in this beautiful house!  And to now have this wonderful home on the OctoberTour is just the icing on the cake!

With our fine array of late 1800-early 1900 residential architecture along the North Main Corridor, it's hard to imagine that much of this landscape was once part of a large plantation. Part of the many segments of OctoberTour is the annual tour luncheon, and this year's topic is the Plantations of Rowan County.

This year's luncheon, with a delicious meal and wine catered by Buttercup Café and Catering, features a discussion by noted historian, Gary Freeze, as he presents "Re-Discovering Rowan County's Plantation Heritage." the luncheon will be held at the Rowan Museum at 202 N Main Street (11:30-2:30).

Following this insightful talk, each participant will have the opportunity for a sneak preview of the newly renovated Peter Kern Home.

Tickets for the luncheon ($45.00 per person) are available at www.octobertour.com.

Meanwhile, up on North Main Street, the neighborhood is a-bustle with activity in preparation for bringing this wonderful event to our community!  The City of Salisbury installed lengths of new sidewalk and performed sidewalk repair, particularly in OctoberTour site proximity, along the eastern edge of North Main!  We love it!

AND . . .

We could just HUG the City of Salisbury for edging our beautiful granite curbing down the length of the Main Street corridor from the railroad tracks to the Spencer town line.

What a difference this investment to the NOMA neighborhood makes!

All in all...we can barely contain our excitement in this rare opportunity to have the Historic Salisbury Foundation bring OctoberTour to the North Main Neighborhood!  We thank the Foundation for the investment it has made in our neighborhood and our historic homes, and for recognizing the strength, history, and beauty in our neighborhood culture and architectural fabric that makes up our community!

Special NOMA thanks to Historic Salisbury Foundation Executive Director Brian Madison Davis for spear-heading this movement to NOMA, and to volunteer Doug Black for the absolute gazillions of hours invested in stabilizing some of our most strategic homes!


Please visit the North Main Neighborhood during the 40th Annual OctoberTour!  Share the joy!

* OctoberTour™ site photos courtesy of the Historic Salisbury Foundation.  www.historicsalisbury.com / www.octobertour.com

The North Main Neighborhood
Salisbury, North Carolina 28144
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