A fine old mantel in the “Blackbeard House,” near Elizabeth City. This
.nantle, v/uicli dates Da».’.- to about 1700, is typical of the poriod.
The Interiors
of Old Homes
There are still many old homes
in North Carolina in wliirh are
to he found lovely doorways,
wind iii}> stairs. beautiful fire¬
places and many other fine
architectural features.
«./
HARRY Z. TUCKER
WITILF. w e often think of the
exterior of an old home a* sym¬
bolic of the talent and taste of
the architect, we must hear in mind
that the interior is not to he slighted.
All of us love massive white columns
rising to podimonted gables, fragile
balconies of hand-wrought iron, hand-
earvod portico* and lintols, delicate
fanlights of opalescent glass, cupolas
and gazebos, out it i* really within
the house that the highlights of an
architect’s skill i* to l»o found.
Much of the original interior wood¬
work and earring, placed in old
North Carolina homes ages ago to
please discriminating and cultured
people, is yet in place. And the style
and variations of these architectural
elegancies are so diverse and deftly ex¬
ecuted. it has long been a cause for
research and argument with histo¬
rians to determine the names of the
workmen who, without leaving even
a hint of their identity, left such
beautiful and most excellent work be¬
hind them.
We must remember that North Car¬
olina is n state of a colorful and in¬
triguing past. It had its leginning in
that dim, dark day when Sir Walter
Raleigh’s ship-tossed colonists landed
on historic Roanoke Island. So it
is only by following the trail blazed
by the moeensined feet of Indians
and later trod by famous and infa¬
mous alike, that we are able to grasp
something of the past that belongs to
us. Statesmen, pioneers, highwaymen,
men of wealth and culture, and men of
evil ways, all eaine to North Carolina
in one way or another.
We know that some of the finest
of the English. French and German
people were early drawn to North
Carolina by the richness of the land,
by its location along the sounds, which
were filled with fish and were always
impervious to Hoods and overflows.
Here they established their own ele¬
gant and delightful manner of life.
They built for themselves homes that
were comfortable and luxurious, and
always on n scale appropriate to the
hospitality of the day. And they built
for generations to come. It was their
manner of life. So today, after the
passing of many generations, these old
homes are still standing in an ex¬
cellent state of preservation.
Since considerable emphasis was
always placed on doorways in the
building of our early homes, the front
door always came in for its share of
consideration. The formal 1Sth cen¬
tury recessed doorway with reeded
pilasters supporting the corniced pedi¬
ment was a thing of beauty. The door
usually contained eight panels. A
less formal, though very attractive
doorway, had a square porch with
four simple columns supporting the
pitched gable roof. Sometimes there
would he a glazed transom above the
door; hut, if the house was one of pro¬
motion. the front door had a conserva¬
tive elliptical fanlight above and.
at either aide, mullioned lights with
panels lower down. Those early doors
eame in pine, cherry, and mahogany.
Frequently these doors had crossed
panels, “to keep the witches away.”
Many of the great doors had a deco¬
rated flat pediment and reeded trim,
which was finished at the corners with
blocks ornamented with various de¬
signs. The molded broken-enred trim,
which was quite authentic and ex¬
pensive. reached to the floor.
The eye of the architect lingers
long npnn the grand three-looped
winding stairways that adorn many
old homes in North Carolina. These
arc frequently found placed in grace¬
fully arched recesses. Once inside the
house and past the stairs, the visitor
observes that they have no visible sup¬
port save their own ingenious con¬
struction. A popular design is called
the straight stairs, with the rail
curved at the lower step. The swing
of the rail is generous and not. tight.
The balusters are sometimes plain and
square; sometimes they are neatly and
deftly carved; sometimes simply
round. The newel post is at times
elaborately carved, and frequently ma¬
hogany.
The architectural highlight of most
old homes in North Carolina, how-
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