Before the first shot of the Civil War was fired, it stood. Decades before the city had electricity, it stood.
Through human and, perhaps, divine intervention, the Albright House at 3101 West Friendly Ave. will continue to stand.
Like a gift to the city in its bicentennial year, it turns out the house may be older than originally thought.
Once dated from the last quarter of the 19th century, new evidence shows construction took place between 1845 and 1855.
"We never knew that it was an antebellum house," says Benjamin Briggs, executive director of Preservation Greensboro Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving historic and architectural structures. "Within the city limits of Greensboro, most (historic) homes have been accounted for, so this is unusual and a surprise."
The home's poor condition has gained the attention of residents who have wondered about the fate of the structure, which is located across the street from Friendly Center. A restoration project is under way thanks to the collective efforts of the Junior League of Greensboro, the Starmount Co., the Benjamin family and local historic preservation experts.
An example of what's known as an I-House, the Albright House has two stories, a central front door with a window on each side, three second-floor front windows and a chimney on each end. The grand, two-story portico with prominent neoclassical columns was likely added in the 1920s. But the home's original features are what have drawn the most attention recently.
Antebellum clues
In February, Briggs, project architect Carl Myatt and Mitch Wiles with the restoration branch of the N.C. State
Historic Preservation Office toured the house after it had been stripped to the studs. This allowed them, Briggs says, to "investigate the bones of the house that had never been looked at before."
A major clue to the home's age was provided by the parallel saw marks visible on the studs and joists, an indication they were cut with a sash saw. A sash saw has a needle-like blade that moves up and down like the needle in a sewing machine.
As the timber passes, the blade leaves long, thin marks on the board's edge. Builders began using steam-powered circular saws in 1852, suggesting the boards predate that technology.
The square nails used in the framing are machine-cut from iron, a type commonly used in the 1850s.
Another key to accurately dating the house was confirming the location of the missing second fireplace. A chimney now stands on the west side of the house; however, two fireplaces would have been needed for adequate heating. Briggs points to an area on the east side where there are abrupt cuts in the second-story floor joists and burn marks on their edges, indicating the chimney once stood between them.
Design elements like the low, hipped roof, extended eaves and false rafter tails pay homage to Blandwood mansion, built in 1846. "This is showing some of the influence that Blandwood as an Italianate mansion had on the vernacular architecture of Greensboro in the 10 years right before the Civil War," Briggs says.
Greek revival peg doors with bevel-cut detailing and hand-planed, wide pine floorboards are among the original features that have survived. Eight original windows are being restored by craftsman David Hoggard of Double Hung Historic Window Restoration in Greensboro.
"The interior, the way it's put together with the pegs and the joints, the diagonal pieces and the big 4-by-4 pieces of wood — I like all of that," Myatt says.
Family ties
While the construction timeline now seems clear, the history of the home's owners is not.
Kate Zylstra has traced the deed records back to 1928, where things start to get murky.
"The deed follows the land, not the house, which makes it more difficult to trace," says Zylstra, a UNCG graduate student.
Research indicates the house has been moved at least twice from its original location, an area near Wesley Long Community Hospital. From there, it was moved to the west side of Pembroke Avenue and later to its current site.
Recently, a promising lead emerged. Zylstra interviewed Greensboro native India Dick, who claims her father, James, was born in the house in 1921. So far, little information has surfaced about the family for whom the home is named.
Zylstra is researching the Albright House as part of her studies for a master's degree in interior architecture with a concentration on historic preservation. She hopes her work will be a step toward qualifying the house for the National Register of Historic Places.
A collective effort
Community leaders came together to rescue the Albright House. The effort began in 2005 when Preservation Greensboro put the home on its inaugural Treasured Places Watch List, a biennial account of the 10 historic buildings most in danger of destruction. This move prompted a dialogue between the preservation group and the property's owner, Starmount Co., a Greensboro real estate firm founded by the Benjamin family.
Meanwhile, the Junior League of Greensboro was searching for a site for its headquarters. When the group could not reach an agreement to purchase another historic building, it was given the opportunity to renovate the Albright House, says Stephanie Billings, president of the women's organization.
In 2007, Starmount agreed to donate the house to the Junior League with the condition that a portion of the land would become public green space and be named Blanche Sternberger Benjamin Park. The Junior League will gift the land to the Friends of Greensboro Parks and Recreation Foundation, Billings says.
League members hope owning the headquarters will allow them to make more of an impact in the community. The organization donates funds and volunteer hours to community partners like the American Red Cross and Food Assistance, which offers free groceries and companionship for low-income senior residents in Guilford County.
"To think about the fact that we've spent (large amounts) in lease payments and what that money could've done to help the community, this is the right thing for us to do right now to invest in ourselves and reallocate our overhead expenses," says Daniela Helms, past president and current co-chairwoman of the house renovation committee.
Renovations are budgeted for $450,000 and are projected to be complete by August.
With plans in place to provide long-term care for the Albright House, this vital part of the city's culture and heritage will be around for many anniversaries to come.
Lisa W. Grigg can be reached at 885-5403, ext. 209, or by e-mail at lgrigg@news-record.com.
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