Piedmont Historic Homes

Update: By March 1, three of these houses were under contract.

The best place in the Triad to find an affordable starter or smaller home these days may be in the area’s smaller towns (actually, this may always be true). Here are five move-in ready bungalows and cottages priced under $200,000 and two more priced just a bit more.

The houses are spread out from Mount Airy to Ramseur. All but one were listed since January 1. They were built between 1900 and 1948. One is a stone cottage, one has remarkable brickwork. One is now an Airbnb short-term rental, none are restoration projects. Several have pretty substantial lots, up to just under an acre.

211 E. 5th Street, Burlington, Alamance County

• $155,000
• 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms, 1,420 square feet, 0.42 acre
• Price/square foot: $109
• Built in 1917
• Listed January 18, 2023
• Last sale: $67,000, September 2015
• Neighborhood: South Broad-East 5th Street Historic District
• District NR nomination: “Front-gabled 1-story bungalow with 4/1 Craftsman style sash windows and an offset gabled porch supported by brick posts, with a latticed brick balustrade.
  • “Walls and decorative eave brackets are covered in vinyl.
  • The earliest known residents are Thomas L. Roberson and Lilian Roberson, in 1927. Thomas was an employee of May Hosiery Mills. Samuel J. Ferguson [1890-1964], an electrician, lived in the house in the 1930s.
  • Guthrie Edwin Robbins (1888-1962) and Bertha Lea Michael Robbins (1895-1991) owned the house from 1939 to 1973. Guthrie worked for the Greensboro News Agency and later operated City Laundry and Dry Cleaners.

303 Coleridge Road, Ramseur, Randolph County

• $164,900 (originally $169,900)
• 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,966 square feet, 0.50 acre
• Price/square foot: $83
• Built in 1920
• Listed February 7, 2023
• Last sale: $50,000, August 2005
• Note: The property includes two outbuildings with electricity.

7801 N.C. Highway 68 N., Stokesdale, Guilford County
The Nolan and Geraldine Jones House

• $185,000
• 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,065 square feet, 0.89 acre
• Price/square foot: $174
• Built in 1948
• Listed February 24, 2023
• Last sale: $95,500, December 1996
• Note: From 1949 to 1992 the house was owned by Nolan William Jones (1919-1968) and Geraldine Jackson Jones (1923-2013). Nolan served in the 251st Anti-Aircraft Brigade in World War II. He and Geraldine were married in 1948. Nolan was a farmer, or at least he was when he received his draft card. Geraldine kept the house for 24 years after Nolan died. Nolan may have gone by William, as some records, including his death certificate, show his name as William Nolan Jones.

104 Parrish Lane, Mount Airy, Surry County

• $189,900
• 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1,040 square feet, 0.40 acre
• Price/square foot: $183
• Built in 1930
• Listed February 7, 2023
• Last sale: $50,000, January 2005
• Note: Currently rented out as an Airbnb

541 Lover’s Lane, Mount Airy, Surry County

• $192,500
• 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1,278 square feet, 0.7 acre
• Price/square foot: $151
• Built in 1900
• Listed February 17, 2023
• Last sale: $47,500, July 2000
• Note: Remarkable brickwork
  • City water, septic tank

615 Chandler Avenue, High Point
The Rev. Samuel and Lollie Hensley House

• $215,000 (originally $235,000)
• 4 bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms (per county), 1,938 square feet, 0.27 acre
• Price/square foot: $111
• Built in 1927
• Listed November 7, 2022
• Last sale: $120,000, October 2010
• Listing: “Unpermitted work completed by seller and/or contractor include addition of primary bathroom on main level, conversion of existing half bath into full bathroom on main level (totaling 3 full bathrooms), and HVAC installation. Seller says make an offer.”
  • The original owners were the Rev. Samuel Thomas Hensley (1875-1930) and Lollie Elizabeth Tomberlin Hensley (1882-1962). They were listed in the city directory in 1928, the only house on Chandler Avenue (as it was for several years) in its first year appearing in the directory. Also listed were two of their five children — son Gay, a student; and daughter Ila, a teacher (they had three other sons as well — Alba Homer, Samuel Jr. and James). Lollie continued to live in the home for about 11 years after Samuel died.

1247 Richardson Drive, Reidsville, Rockingham County

• $229,900
• 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2,236 square feet, 0.25 acre
• Price/square foot: $103
• Built in 1940
• Listed February 23, 2023
• Last sale: $28,000, May 1974
• Note: The listing calls it an “all brick home,” but the photo appears to show siding on the left elevation.
  • Listing: “Mrs. Johnson [the late owner] took pride in her home & loved to decorate for every season. Everyone in Reidsville would ride down Richardson Dr. just to see how beautiful it was at Christmas! … She was also very particular about her yard & landscaping & push mowed her yard into her early 80’s.”
  • “Detached 30×32 workshop/garage & 12×32 storage bldg built & anchored on site.”
  • A little odd: “2nd flr BR is heated & cooled, bonus room is not heated/cooled & not included in the SQFT.”