Piedmont Historic Homes

It’s no surprise that it’s taking a while to find buyers for these two grand houses. Both are large projects that will require a lot of effort, vision and money. Neither, however, appear to be absolute, falling-down wrecks, and they both have the potential to be well worth the investment.

They both have stories. The Merry Oaks Hotel in Chatham County was once the center of a small but lively railroad community. The Charles T. Sinclair House in Carthage was built in 1904 and has never been sold. And with some luck and hard work (and money), they may have glorious futures ahead of them as well.

283 Old Christian Chapel Road, New Hill, Chatham County
The Merry Oaks Hotel

• $475,000 (originally $500,000)
• 7 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 3,272 square feet (per county), 3.23 acres (per county, two lots)
• Price/square foot: $145
• Built in 1880
• Listed March 3, 2024
• Last sale: $349,000, November 2020
• Neighborhood: Merry Oaks
• Note: Old Christian Chapel Road cuts through the property. The buildings are together on one side; much of the acreage is on the other side.

The property includes the Merry Oaks Hotel, the Yates Thomas General Store and post office (a rail depot was present in 2020 but doesn’t seem to exist any more). The hotel looks like it has been an art gallery at some recent point.

Merry Oaks was once a thriving railroad community, but it was left behind by the decline of the railways and the relocation of U.S. 1 just a bit to the north. Incorporated in 1901, it had a bank and a mill, Chatham County’s first high school and, until 1956, the post office. A 1910 newspaper ad for its high school called it “a healthy location, free from all chills and malaria.” There was considerable rail traffic, thanks to timber companies in the area.

The hotel was called Edwards Hotel in its early days. It was put up for sale in 1910 but retained the name for at least several years. Owner William Turner “W.T.” Edwards (1848-1918) was a major figure in Merry Oaks. “Mr. Edwards came to Merry Oaks more than 40 years ago to engage in the mercantile business,” the Merry Oaks correspondent wrote in The News & Observer in 1918. “Since then he has been actively connected to every movement for the progress and betterment of the town and community, serving for a number of years as post master, mayor and member of the school board. He was one of the leading promoters in the establishment of the county high school here and has been one of its most loyal supporters.”

The News & Observer told the town’s story in 1966 and again in 2020, when the property was last sold (click here if the online link doesn’t work). The property was bought then by a couple from Raleigh, who don’t appear to have done a lot with it.

Something to ask about: The property is near the site where electric-car maker VinFast is planning a massive, $4 billion factory (if it doesn’t go bankrupt first). The nearby Merry Oaks Baptist Church is threatened by highway plans related to the project (here and here), as are several homes and businesses. This property doesn’t appear to be among them, but it would be good to hear someone say that. Or better yet, get it in writing from the state DOT or another authoritative source.

403 McReynolds Street, Carthage, Moore County
The Charles T. Sinclair House
Sale pending September 2023
No longer under contract November 2023

• $299,000 (originally $325,000)
• Bedrooms not specified, no full bathrooms (see note), 5,437 square feet, 2.54 acres
• Price/square foot: $55
• Built in 1914
• Last sale: The property was given to the Carthage United Methodist Church in 2003.
• Neighborhood: Carthage Historic District (NR)
• Note: Because the house is in a National Register historic district, it’s eligible for historic-restoration tax credits.

The Sinclair House hasn’t been sold since it was built 110 yers ago. The property was given to the Carthage United Methodist Church by Louise Sarah Thompson Sinclair (1912-2007), daughter-in-law of the original owners, Charles T. Sinclair (1873-1957) and Mary Bertha Petty “Mamie” Sinclair (1881-1960). Charles was the owner of Carthage Furniture Company and a partner in the Sinclair Brothers department store. When he died at age 83, the newspapers said he was the oldest merchant in Carthage.

Their son, Charles Jr. (1915-1989), succeeded Charles as owner and president of the company and as owner of the house. He was a graduate of the fine Duke University and a member of the North Carolina Firemen’s Association (and, presumably, a volunteer firefighter). Louise was a graduate of Greensboro College. She taught home economics at Carthage High School.

The interior is actually in excellent condition, but this one is still going to take some serious work. “The once monumental semicircular front portico with Corinthian columns was removed several years ago and will need to be restored,” says Preservation North Carolina, which is marketing the house. “A sizable catering kitchen would benefit from updates. While the house is habitable with functioning HVAC and a few half baths, no full bathroom exists.”

Other issues include “deferred maintenance” regarding water infiltration, soffit repair and repainting.

Once restored, the house could be a showplace. “The Charles Sinclair House (403 McReynolds Street) is a splendid example of the Neo-Classical Revival style, a fashion picked up by many prominent North Carolinians as a symbol of their affluence and important roles in community life,” the district’s National Register nomination says.

“Perhaps the most academically accurate building in the Carthage Historic District … [t]he expansive Neo-Classical Revival style residence, the only brick-clad building from the period of significance, feature[d] the characteristic monumental classical portico. It is also adorned with handsome elliptical stained-glass windows above the entrance and flanking windows.”

The listing details original exterior features that remain: unpainted blonde brick, a porte-cochère and one-story side porch with Corinthian columns and balustrades, and “a double-leaf main entrance framed by an elliptical fanlight of art glass and large sidelights which is repeated above and on either side by equally impressive tripartite windows topped by art glass fanlights. …

“The interior features a grand columned entrance with sweeping staircase is framed by columned arches and a lighted newel post. The large parlors with coved ceilings and elegant woodwork including pocket doors, tall mirrored mantels, wood floors throughout, and period lighting have been preserved.”

Preservation North Carolina identifies the architect as Frank B. Simpson of Raleigh. “Simpson, whose work included commercial, institutional and residential projects across the state, designed this exquisite large house in the latest fashion during a time when well-heeled northeasterners were moving to resort communities such as Pinehurst and Southern Pines.”

Before McReynolds Street was a city street, it was part of the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road, running from Fayetteville northwest to Salem. The section in Carthage was built in 1851.