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JEROLENE & GEORGE NALL HOLT-GREEN HOME COLLECTION
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In 1994, George and Jerolene 'Jerrie' Nall began an adventure that has lasted now for eight years. Their dream was to restore the Holt-Green home on Highway 62, just north of the turnoff to Glencoe Village. The home was in total disrepair and many would probably have simply demolished it. However, George and Jerrie could still see the former splendor and history that this home represented and set out to fullfill their dream. That dream has now been realized...
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A Condemned House Becomes a Home by Jerolene K. Nall
HOW IT ALL BEGAN...
Our long awaited dream to restore a historical home began to culminate in late 1994 and resulted in the legal acquisition of the estate in May 1995 and has continued as an on-going project since that date.
This project resulted in the acquisition of the Holt-Green property located about 150 feet off N.C. Highway 62 adjacent to the Glencoe Historical Mill Property and could barely be seen from the road due to many years of neglect. We cut for days through wisteria, ivy and underbrush.
Water and neglect had taken its toll on the house. A room had almost fallen off the foundation, in places the roof had fallen in and plaster was crumbling and floors were caving in. What a challenge - and one not possible without the inspiration of our long awaited dream.
Extensive porch modification was done to the house in 1917. The last major remodeling and updating was done in 1939 by Holt Green.
The restoration of this house has taken tremendous commitment in time, effort, and money, but it has provided rewards that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. When you take on an old house you sink your roots in a lot deeper and your emotional involvement becomes much greater than designing a new house. The house becomes a part of you and your dreams!
A BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY
This modified Queen Anne Style house construction was started in 1897 by Robert Holt (1866-1923) son of James, grandson of E. M. Holt. We are told that Robert lived in the house until his death in 1923.
James H. Holt, father of the above Robert Holt, had ten children to reach maturity. A daughter, Daisy Holt Green (1879-1976), owned the house after the death of her brother Robert.
One of Daisy Green's two sons, Holt Green, lived in the house before World War II. He was a Secret Service Officer and was killed in Europe during World War II. Sometime later his brother Walter Green, an attorney in Graham, became owner of the house. We purchased the house from the Walter and Irma Green Estate in May of 1995.
The original buildings of the Green estate in addition to the primary residence were the small existing refurbished Butler-Chauffeur house directly back of the main residence and another dwelling for a caretaker-cook was just to the right of what is now the parking area. It was removed in the late 1940's. The remains of a chicken house and a grainery or crib were beyond repair. The smoke house, tool shed, a two animal barn, and the three bay garage remain with some repair. The dwelling to the left of the property was the maids' quarters. We have started this restoration. An additional two story residence to the left of the primary residence burned approximately fifty years ago. This was the residence of L. Banks Williamson, a son-in-law of James Holt and superintendent of Glencoe Mill.
RESTORATION AND FURNISHING
With the restoration and decorating of the house we have attempted to take you on a tour of our interpretation of nineteenth century fashion and decor. Careful research influenced our decorative choices.
From parlor to porch, the Victorian home should reveal the importance of the family: a formal dining room, a spacious kitchen, luxuriously tiled bathrooms, plush bedrooms, a formal sitting room, and sunny wicker filled porches.
Our desire in decorating our house was that there be a pleasant flow from one room to another but with each room or hall being a new experience in the expression of our dream!
The paint colors and papers used represent what could have been available after 1870 with ready made paints and manufactured wall paper available. Previous to the late 1800's there were no synthetic pigments for paint colors and roller printing of wall paper did not exist. Pigments were of a local nature deeply affecting the spectrum and hand blocking wall paper was a very expensive process.
We, as did the Victorians, love both useful and momentous things and enjoy displaying them in order to share them with our family and friends. The Victorians were the first people to consider it proper to display decorative objects that were of little utility, pictures of people they didn't know, and even pots that would not hold water.
As a result we appointed our home with careful attention to detail to give a yesteryear atmosphere from moldings to wallpaper combinations. Lace covered windows topped with elegant drapery puddling at the floor were used to create a perfect backdrop for our period furnishings. Needlework, cords, tassels, and fringed pillows on sofas, settees, chairs and beds were used with gilt mirrors above mantels and tables adorned with artwork, doilies, glassware, and hand crafted embellishments almost to the point of overflow. We have proudly displayed family photographs in vintage frames atop mantel and clustered on table tops. Many books from family collections are scattered about. Our birdcages and florals reflect our love for nature.
Many of the ceilings have been embellished as other Victorian enthusiasts considered them another undisturbed surface to be adorned with wallpaper and moldings with medallions used as focal points, each centered with antique lighting fixtures.
We love candlesticks which we have clustered atop mantels and tables. Candlesticks have never gone out of fashion since the time when they were first used for lighting.
There are seven fireplaces in the house, six of which are coal burning. The walk-in fireplace in the kitchen has been relined and faced with stone. All fireplaces were in poor condition and have been relined and are now safe with functional hearths and surrounds that have been replaced with old tiles and marble. The poor condition of the originals necessitated the refurbishing.
The light fixtures are antique, including four of which were original to this house. The baseboards, base molding, wainscoting, plinth blocks, door and window casings are original. The corner blocks on the casing are not the round medallion cut that one might expect to see. It has been suggested that Mr. Holt may have chosen the plaid design because of the plaid fabrics which were woven in the mill. Whether this is true we do not know, but it certainly makes for an interesting story.
All moldings, crowns, and cornices were changed and some made more excessive to be expressive of our taste. The French doors were added at the dining room. For traffic flow and a desire for openness, the wall between the foyer and living room has been replaced with columns and a knee wall. Two doors were replaced with fabric portieres. These are functional and decorative and would have been common at the turn of the century.
All door stops are wooden with only two of the originals remaining which were used as a pattern to turn replacements.
The four foot door at the end of the back hall is referred to as a "casket door" with five large hinges to support it. The pickets up the stairs are one of the most unique, unusual, original and very continental features of the house. We have been told they are possibly of French, German or even Scandinavian origin.
A very asymmetrical pattern of the artistic design, the barley twist porch pickets, are definitely from England as the Holts were able to travel by steamer to Europe.
The floors are the original heart pine. One bedroom has carpet installed wall to wall for two reasons. Carpeted floors were becoming common at the turn of the century and had became affordable. We wanted to show this with one room and secondly, we needed the good flooring to replace some of the bad flooring at other places in the house. The kitchen and morning room floor was "gone" - destroyed by water. Luckily we were able to get wider boards of heart pine actually older than the original for replacement of these floors. They are plugged with cherry plugs.
A little sitting area was added off the morning room just large enough for us to enjoy a morning coffee, and created another touch of openness for which we were striving. All door hardware has been replaced with period brass hardware.
A veranda was added to the second floor on the back overlooking the grounds and Glencoe Mill Village adding to our opening up the house and the thoughts of fire escape.
A STROLL THROUGH EACH ROOM, HALL AND PORCH
We will start our tour with the front porch which is truly the most used part of the house. The porch wraps two sides of the house. Wide front steps lead to the front entrance portico. To the right is the carriage receding porte-ca-chere, one of the luxuries of the nineteenth century proper home. Unlike the much later car port, it was a covered place on ground level attached to the house where the carriage could be unloaded of passengers and cargo. The carriage was never left under the porte-ca-chere unless an emergency occurred at which time the carriage was unhitched and the team barned.
To the left of the front portico extends a large screened porch. Attached to the left side is a section of porch which has an entrance into the French bedroom, and of course, there must be lattice at the end and the ceiling could only be painted robin egg blue. We are presently working on the painting of fluffy clouds on the ceiling of this section.
FRONT ENTRANCE HALL
In the front entrance hall the original partition was replaced with columns and a knee wall to give a feeling of openness. The space behind the door was only closed in wall space, so we saw no reason not to make use of it for display. The unusual railing up the stairs was in excellent condition and remains with just painting.
All floors throughout the house are of heart pine, re-finished, and left natural after all damage was repaired.
The large cast iron garden urns on the knee wall are from the estate and were stripped and given a finish suitable for indoor use and the surrounding decor, again esthetically bringing the naturalness of the garden indoors.
LIVING ROOM
The living room is furnished eclectically with a nice gilded Louis the XV or VXVI settee. We have also used a three piece suit furnished, with beautifully carved wood and original covering showing the use and the fashion of manufactured furniture. The half round console table came from an old Massachusetts funeral home.
The corner cabinet was our original adaptation to door frames purchased at an auction.
The rug, a lovely find, is a new Belgium wool. The old encaustic tile fireplace surround was added.
EMPIRE BEDROOM
The Empire room with its dramatic colors and oversized furniture is maybe a bit excessive, but truly American Empire Revival. We wanted this room to have the "Napoleon could have slept here look." The center of the ceiling is wallpaper framed with black wooden molding. The same molding is used as picture molding below the twenty inch Empire style paper frieze from the Napoleon Empire collection. Colors found in the frieze are echoed in the window treatment, wall paint, and ceiling paper. The heavy carved gilded sleigh bed and bureau bookcase are original Empire Revival pieces dating about 1818 - 1820 and probably U.S made. The dresser and chair are later pieces of furniture. The round black lacquered Japanesque decorated table beside the bed could have come from travels in the Orient. The federal mirror over the bed is in good original condition. The books are from Reverend Luther Nall's private library. The rug is a Karastan Kirkman Medallion which is a reproduction of about the same period. The chair at the desk is a mahogany Chippendale armed chair.
SMALL DOWNSTAIRS HALL
The small downstairs hall has original framed Alamance plaid fabric labels from Glencoe plaids and before and after pictures of the house. The wainscoting is original but was taken down and re-furbished piece by piece as was the other wainscoting in the house.
DOWNSTAIRS BATH
The ceramic tile was placed in the house in 1939 and the footed tub replaced. This was done by Holt Green, Walter Green's brother, who lived in the house at this time. This bath has a modern look of the 1930's.
FRENCH BEDROOM
The beautiful wood door panel ceiling, said by many to be the most unusual feature of the house, is original to the house although much repair had to be done. Water had really taken its toll on this room from the floor to the ceiling. The exit to the side porch was original but had been closed and replaced with a window. Wall to wall carpet was used only in this room, we needed good flooring to replace some of the bad flooring throughout the house and the turn of the century brought about broad-loom floor coverings which gave a new warm look that was a brand new feeling. Though ours is synthetic, these early ones were always wool. The mantel is original but a new surround with old tiles was added. Cottage painted furniture is used in this room. The original hand painted blanket chest would be much older, and probably from Pennsylvania.
CENTER BACK HALL
This hall serves as our music room. The interesting oak hall tree is an original Holt family piece of furniture but not original to this house.
DINING ROOM
In the dining room we have chosen to use moldings forming European classic wall panels which have three horizontal lines, a strong base, a chair rail on dado cap, a space for cornice account, and a strong crown molding. Accenting painted panels form a dado of wallpaper panels on the natural wall. It is crowned by matching transom panels between the cornice and the crown. Inside the panels a wall paper designed by Albert Van Luit in the 1950 or 60's from a collection of papers from the 1891 Worlds Fair are used to introduce a linoleum roller printed paper on faux shantung. The paper has textured grounds and transparent layers of top color. The colors are light and airy with an elegant aura of traditional style and formal sophistication. The old shell top, open front, corner cupboard was added and built in so as to appear that it had always been in the corner. The ceiling has a round plaster medallion centered with a wonderful crystal chandelier with etched crystal chimneys and many lead crystal prisms to reflect the light.
The mantle is original with added old marble surround and hearth. The large walnut dining table and Queen Anne chairs are reproductions by White Furniture Company of Mebane. The rug is sculptured to match the design in the wall paper. The mahogany side board has been refinished and provides wonderful storage space. The library table used as a server is from the Nall family. The Chippendale mahogany server with intricate pierced work is a copy of an eighteenth century English silver table.
DOWNSTAIRS KITCHEN
This is a very "workable" kitchen with the square oak table used both for eating and a work area. The tall ceiling height cabinets and pine tops are original. Those on the opposite wall had been replaced with metal cabinets in 1939. New ones have been built to match the original ones. The cabinet tops of the replacement cabinets are made from a very special walnut with a marble insert. The heart pine floors in the kitchen and morning room replacing the badly damaged floor are of wider boards and older than the house.
The kitchen fireplace is truly a "walk-in". The brick was in such poor condition that the inside was relined with fire-brick and the outside wrapped in an unusual treatment of stone veneer. Because of the danger of possible smoke damage to the house, we have chosen to use gas logs both for atmosphere and quick heat in the kitchen. The small wood burning cook stove beside the fireplace is very functional.
The wooden lambrikins with hand painted fruit were found in an antique shop and re-painted. We chose to use wooden blinds with a finish to match the lambrikins. The blind tapes match the dark green trim in the window treatment.
MORNING OR BREAKFAST ROOM
This room was probably used as a pantry. It joins the kitchen at the rear of the house. Double doors, each twenty-four inches wide open onto a small porch just large enough for two chairs and a small, round ice-cream table providing the perfect place for a morning cup of coffee. The double-beveled glass doors which open onto the porch are not original to the house but work quite well.
The ceiling of this room was raised to accommodate a fifty-four inch stained glass window, a wonderful milk glass light fixture purchased at an auction, and a railroad clock.
The large mantle which is mounted on the back of the stone wrapped walk-in fireplace came from an old house which was torn down years ago. The faux painted insert certainly is a point of interest.
BACK PORCH
Both the kitchen and center hall open onto the functional porch. Steps exit into a spacious backyard surrounded by a picket fence. The herb garden is at the base of the steps. Paths lead to the Butler/Chauffeur house, the smoke house, and out the back gate to the barn.
2ND FLOOR HALL
The stairs open onto a spacious hall. We have the walls lined with relatives' pictures, both past and present. The Chestnut marble top wash stand is a bit unusual. Most of the Eastlake furniture was crafted of walnut. The very large armoir with mirrored doors is a great walnut Victorian piece of furniture. The hanging oil lamp is a double angle lamp. The overhead light fixture is a converted gas light which hangs in the same place as it originally hung. The upholstered bench with wonderful carved walnut legs and feet is from Europe-French or English origin.
RENAISSANCE BEDROOM
The bedroom at the right of the hall is our Renaissance room. We can truly say that this room is a bit excessive. The dresser and bed are massive walnut Renaissance revival furniture. The dresser has a marble top. The walnut marble-top table at the window is a wonderful example of Victorian with graceful Rococo turned walnut base. The chest is a very nice walnut of the nineteenth century.
There are six different wall papers in this room. We started with the pomegranate paper. This paper was inspired by botanical documents from the Smithsonian Institute Libraries and color plates in the collection of the Dibner Library housed in the Museum of Natural History. The other five papers used were coordinated after we made the pomegranate choice.
The windows are covered with lace panels to the floor over which there are French shawls or swags and cascades of two different colors with wonderful cords and tassels. The cornices are stamped brass originals of the same period as the bed and dresser, a wonderful find.
On the floor in front of the fireplace is a caribou skin. Animal skins were a popular choice in an 1890's middle class interior. They were used as an accent rug or hung on walls.
A clothes closet was added to this room along with a pedestal sink. After indoor plumbing became a reality it would not have been unusual for the finer homes to have a "freshen up sink" in a bedroom. With one bath and two bedrooms upstairs the sink is wonderful for a freshen up before a nighty-night or early morning face wash.
UPSTAIRS BATH
The spacious second floor bath, an addition to the original structure, is located at the head of the stairs. The original footed tub was salvaged. In the corner over the tub a large, wonderful bird cage overflowing with greenery and beautiful "fine feathered friends" has been placed. This is a great whimsical accessory which becomes an instant focal point upon entering the bath. We were unable to salvage the original lavatory so a reproduction pedestal sink was used. We chose to place it under the window because of the wonderful view of the back yard and surrounding property.
The floor is covered with twelve inch porcelain tiles. A marble topped, walnut Eastlake dresser gives nice storage for linens. A large room, which is accessible from the bath only, houses a washer and dryer, a shower stall, and a clothes closet. These modem items are behind a closed door.
SECOND FLOOR KITCHEN
We chose to put a second kitchen on the upstairs level located where the original bath existed. It has a nice coal burning fireplace and beautiful mantle.
We used Lincrusta, an embossed wall covering, below the chairail and Anaglypta as a ceiling covering and in wood framed decorative panels above the mantle. These are imitations of high style plaster which were first used about 1873. Entrance onto the upstairs "veranda" is from the kitchen and located on the west side of the house with a great view and a peaceful place to escape life's cares.
UPSTAIRS NUMBER TWO BEDROOM
With entrance from the center hall the upstairs second bedroom also connects with the kitchen. The tall poster bed is mahogany with nice wheat carvings. The bed step, which is needed because of the bed height, opens and has a hidden chamber pot inside. It is walnut and very Victorian.
The walnut marble top dresser, a great example of Rococo Revival style, has a very tall attached mirror and wonderful carvings.
For much needed storage there is a tall mirrored front armoire, made of walnut and from England.
For seating there is a large natural wicker chair with arms with vintage fabric cushion, an Eastlake platform rocker covered with velvet, and a small cane bottomed nursing rocker. A walnut chest of drawers with marble top from the late Victorian era gives more, much needed storage.
Much more could be said about the appointments throughout the house, and there is a great deal which we have not completed. I am sure we will continue to make changes. The dream is on going!
We have and hope to continue to enjoy sharing our dream with our family and friends.
We feel so blessed to have been able to save a bit of our past history and intend to continue enjoying it to the maximum as long as the Lord gives us the strength.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF FURNISHINGS DURING THE VICTORIAN PERIOD (1837-1901)
As Queen Victoria took the throne in the late 1830's, prior to her reign many homes in the U.S. were already outfitted with AMERICAN EMPIRE REVIVAL furnishings. These pieces were massive yet elegant when adorned with guilt stenciling or impressive paw feet. These revival pieces were being made in the U.S. in the early 1800's.
The ROCOCO REVIVAL furniture was being produced between 1850 and 1870, and this style was a reflection of 18th century France, crafted from rosewood and walnut with delicate upholstery which was often velvet and tufted. These serpentine pieces were elegantly dressed with carvings of fruit, flowers, birds, vines or tendrils. Accessories such as gilded mirrors and marble top tables completed the setting.
Cast iron furniture and accessories for home and garden were produced during this period. They were usually painted green or black while decorated with the same fruit and floral motifs used on the wooden furniture of this period.
In sharp contrast to the graceful Rococo Revival style, the French inspired RENAISSANCE REVIVAL between 1860 and 1880, was dominated by large massive furniture usually carved of walnut with carved or applied ornamentation such as medallions, pediments, scrolls and fruitwood pulls.
In 1842 Jackson Downing wrote Cottage Residences. His book was illustrated with painted furniture and spool turned beds and tables. These furnishings were affordable and designed to appeal to the working class. COTTAGE STYLE FURNITURE became popular and its popularity lasted through the turn of the century.
After the introduction of machine made wall paper in the 1840's the middle class Victorian homeowners became very excessive with its use. Ceilings were papered and more than one paper was used in the same room.
From the late 1870's through the turn of the century foreign cultures inspired the Victorian. "JAPANESQUE" DESIGNS and exotic accessories were in vogue. Oriental designs appeared throughout the house. This was brought about partially by the Victorians' love of travel. Souvenirs were displayed throughout the house.
The ASTHETIC MOVEMENT of the 1880's embraced a study of beauty and art and its various forms. Peacock feathers were used as decorative elements and nature inspired bamboo furniture was used to accent.
The ART NOUVEAU movement, which lasted from the early 1890's until the turn of the century, was influential in accessorizing the Victorian home. Glassware, wallpaper and more carried the influence but perhaps the best example was found in the glasswork of Louis Tiffany.
The interest of the Victorians in art and nature in the late nineteenth century found Victorians devoting more time and attention to their gardens and porches. Wicker was ideal since the early wicker was both sturdy and weather resistant. Wicker was found to be suitable for use indoors as well as on porches.
Gustav Stickly was the pioneer of the ARTS AND CRAFTS movement in the United States. His shop turned out quality furniture with plain, simple lines, much of it being made of oak.
The furnishings of the arts and crafts movement were of great craftsmanship but the Victorians began to tire of the oak and simple lines so the experts introduced a revival of the EARLY AMERICAN FURNITURE such as Queen Anne and Chippendale after the turn of the nineteenth century.
An extremely important part of home furnishings was brought about with the introduction of the mail-order catalogs in 1870 and 1880's all across America and especially throughout the middle states and rural areas. Victorians could purchase the latest in furniture by catalog consisting of oak furniture, iron beds, wicker, hall trees, chamber sets for the bedroom, table and chairs for the dining room, parlor sets and much more. All were readily available, affordable, and could be delivered to the nearest railroad station and then home. For the first time even the working-class families could enjoy the household luxuries which had previously only been enjoyed by the wealthy.
As we collected furnishings for our house we have represented the distinct styles that predominated throughout the Victorian era from 1837 to 1901 as well as empire Revival from the early 1800's.