New Listing: A Striking 1923 International-Style Mansion in Burlington, $735,000

Update: The house sold for $650,000 on October 28, 2021

The W.T. Cheatham House is as impressive as it is rare, an International-style mansion built in 1923 in Burlington. There are relatively few International houses in the Triad, and this one in the West Davis Street-Fountain Place Historic District is brilliant inside and out.

“Its elegant design, which might best be described as ‘Classical-Mediterranean,’ renders the structure one of the most unusual houses in Burlington,” the historic district’s NRHP nomination states. “Salient features of the house are its flat roofs, stuccoed elevations, and two-story core bracketed by one-story wings with turned balustrades. Tuscan columns support the porch recessed between the wings.”

The interior features wall-to-ceiling built-in cabinets and shelves in the library, beveled-glass pocket doors between the library and dining room, heavy wrought iron front doors and a whole-house generator. The property, just under an acre, includes a two-room guest house with attached workshop and playhouse.

The interior is in generally good condition. At least some of the floors need refinishing, and a new owner may find the bedroom decor dated.

The house was built by Edwin C. Holt, a grandson of local textile pioneer Edwin M. Holt, for his daughter, Dolores Stevens Holt (1898-1955) and son-in-law, William Thomas Cheatham III (1894-1972). Cheatham served as an Army captain in France during World War I and had a long career as a textile executive. Their son, William Thomas “Buck” Cheatham IV of Statesville, died in February 2021 at the age of 93. He was a textile executive in Burlington and Statesville.

1007 W. Davis Avenue, Burlington, Alamance County
The W.T. Cheatham House