Preservation Greensboro News
Deadline Looms for Historic House
The Emma Morehead and Julius Gray House, a Greensboro historic landmark, remains in real danger of being destroyed for the development of condos. Unless a buyer and a new location are found for the house by March 31, the city will lose this treasure.
The two-story brick house in Gothic Revival style is located at the corner of West Market and Spring streets in downtown Greensboro. Gray family history states the house was built as the gatehouse for the sprawling Blandwood Estate that is today preserved as a National Historic Landmark and house museum. The Gray House was purchased and enlarged in 1873 by its namesake Julius Gray, founder of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, city commissioner and railroad president. Later, the home was the residence of the Watkins family for most of the twentieth century before being used by Arbor House Antiques, Inc during recent decades.
In 2005, Brown Investment Properties purchased the house and plans to build a condominium project on the property. The project requires the destruction of the Gray House unless it can be relocated to another property in downtown. "The challenge in saving this property is finding affordable vacant land in downtown Greensboro," says Benjamin Briggs, Executive Director of Preservation Greensboro Incorporated. "The recent boom in real estate downtown has significantly reduced the number of vacant lots," says Briggs. "The house may have to leave downtown altogether."
Moving a house the size of the Gray House is also a challenge. "It’s built with solid interior brick walls just like Blandwood is,” says Briggs. “This is not your average house. It's built more substantially than most commercial buildings today, and moving any building adds substantially to the costs of preserving it."
Preservation Greensboro Incorporated, a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the city's architectural history, has been working to find a new owner or site for the historic home. "Brown Investments has given the organization a window of opportunity to raise funds, identify a new site, and relocate the house," says Briggs "but that window closes at the end of March."
The organization requests ideas, support, and funds to assist in saving the downtown landmark over the next several weeks and months. "The next few weeks will be critical" says Briggs "to whether the Gray House remains for our children to enjoy, or vanishes into history books."
Those with ideas, energy, or donations for the preservation of the Gray House can contact Preservation Greensboro Incorporated Executive Director Benjamin Briggs at 336-272-5003.
Preservation Greensboro Incorporated is a nonprofit membership organization that helps protect treasured historic and architecturally significant places. Established in 1966, PGI’s programs range from educational seminars and walking tours to annual awards, children’s activities and the news magazine, Landmarks. Its subsidiary organizations include the Preservation Revolving Fund, Architectural Salvage of Greensboro, Blandwood Mansion and Museum Shop, the Blandwood Carriage House, and the Blandwood Ball.