The tradition of touring historic Salisbury homes is approaching its 35th year this October. The tour is a crash course in architecture, history, restoration and antiques.

Historic Salisbury Foundation, which organizes the event, uses its funds to save historic homes. The foundation is a non-profit, private organization that works to protect and enhance the character of Salisbury through the preservation of historic landmarks. The foundation was formed in 1972 and the first historic property purchased was the Josephus W. Hall House in West Square. This purchase sparked interest in Salisbury restoration efforts. In 1975, the foundation organized the first home tour. Since then, thousands of people from all over the country have gathered to attend the tour. Since its start, the foundation has saved nearly 100 structures.

On Saturday, October 9, the tour will start its route with the General Johnson Steele House. This is the home of John Steele, a major leader in the Federalist movement and comptroller of the U.S. Treasury for presidents Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. This house was finished in 1801 and is the oldest house in Salisbury. Steele lived in the house until his death in 1813 and his family continued to live there until the 1920s. After World War II, the house was converted into four apartments. The house was restored to the original Federal interior and recreated using documentary photographs. Some of Steele’s 1790s furniture has been returned to the house for the tour. This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Dr. Josephus W. Hall House is next on the tour. Dr. Hall had the house extensively remodeled, and the Hall family occupied the house for 113 consecutive years. The home was used by the girls’ department of Salisbury Academy in the 1800s. In 1972, the home was purchased from the Hall family by the foundation. This two-story Federal-style house has additions, including two-story front porch with cast iron oak lead and acorn ornamental openwork, a gateway arch, and square-edged clapboard. The Hall House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Cyrus West House was built in 1839 by an early coach and carriage maker, Cyrus W. West. Multiple businesspeople used the house as an office throughout the 19th century. The property was leased by the foundation in 2009 to ensure its protection, preservation, and restoration. Fabrics, windows, doors, baseboards, paint, and wallpaper samples remain from the 1839 construction date.

The Andrew Murphy House was built in 1853 and has been occupied by the same family for five generations. This two-story frame is a Greek Revival with a gable roof and three brick fireplaces. This home also includes double porches and Tuscan columns.

The John Knox House was built in 1872 as one of the first Italianate homes in Salisbury. Although the home was divided into four apartments, the foundation restored it into a single family home. This two-story home includes the original 1910 beaded board ceilings and exposed brick.

The foundation took on a Bicentennial project with the R. Rowan Crawford House. The house was built in 1869 by R. Rowan Crawford, a Civil War veteran. In 1976, the foundation moved the brick house from East Innes Street to the present site and began restoration. This house has a unique side-hall plan and combines the interior of a post-war Greek Revival with the exterior of Italianate.
 

The Jerome House was built in1902 by Thomas Jerome, a local attorney. The house is now a single-family home. Notable features are a wraparound front porch, Doric columns, and rough finished stucco.

The Snider House was built in 1912 for Mrs. Arnold Snider, Sr. by her father. The bungalow has a mix of original features and updated add-ons. The original moldings, doors, pocket doors, wainscoting, and raised panels are still intact.

 

 

Dr. F.B. Spencer completed the Spencer House and Charlotte architect Louis H. Asbury added on in 1924. Features of this house include hand-beveled glass French doors, columned front entrance, and four working fireplaces.

For information on how homes are chosen for the tour, according to OctoberTour Project Manager Christine Wilson there is no formula.

“Homes are chosen by a committee of community members,” Wilson says. “Most of these homes have been on tour at some point in the past and we rotate around the neighborhoods. We try to set a tour route that is easy to walk and gives a wide range of house styles.”

The tour also includes trolley rides, church musical programs, special store hours, vendors and musicians. In addition to these activities, a 5K run is an opportunity to see the historic sites. The course includes downtown Salisbury and the historic West Square neighborhood. The run will kick off the OctoberTour weekend activities on Saturday morning. The foundation expects 250 people for this second-year run.

Committee co-chairs Amy Goodnight and Tracy Smith work with over 100 volunteers to make OctoberTour a success. Cheerwine, Cloninger Ford-Toyota-Scion, and F&M Bank are sponsors of this year’s event.

Advance ticket prices are $13 for members, $16 for non-members, and $10 for children. A full price ticket on the day of the event is $20. Group prices are also available. All tickets can be purchased through www.historicsalisbury.com or through local retailers. A complete list of ticket locations is available on the Web site. Nearly 2,500 people are expected participate.

Over 100 historic homes have been saved from demolition by the foundation. Some sites include the Centennial Building on South Main Street, the Hall House on South Jackson Street, and the McCubbins-McCanless residence on Park Avenue. Dozens of renovated homes are available to view on the Web site.

If you’d like to get involved with the foundation, volunteering, donation, and membership opportunities are available on the Web site.

Story by Amanda Pearson
Photos courtesy of Historic Salisbury Foundation