THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 1996 TAG: 9606120493
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COLUMBIA LENGTH: 78 lines
Preservationists hope they have found a savior for the Abner Alexander House, one of Tyrrell County's historic homes.
However, the potential Good Samaritan - the Tyrrell County Community Development Corp. - said it wants to learn more before taking on the task of moving the century-old structure.
The Alexander House has been living on borrowed time for years. The once-elegant Gothic structure sits on land owned by St. Andrews Episcopal Church. Church leaders have given preservationists until July 1 to move the house, or it will face demolition. The building formerly served as a parish house for the church.
``We don't have the funding ourselves to do it,'' said Henry Hill, chairman of the board of directors of the non-profit economic development organization. ``We need to make sure we have the financial backing before we make a commitment.''
Hill said the time crunch, as well as the need for a new location for the house, are two major hurdles. ``The number one problem is that it is such short notice,'' Hill said. ``Also we need to find property to put the house on, and we need to find out how much this is going to cost, to the penny.''
Hill said the group must be sure of a funding source before taking on the project.
``We don't need someone who's going to say OK today, and back out tomorrow,'' Hill said.
The corporation's executive director, Mavis Hill, no relation, estimates it will cost about $40,000 to move the home. The bulk of the cost is expected to come from taking down utility lines while moving the two-story house.
Board member Nettie Dyer, who remembers when the now-empty house was occupied, expressed reservations about the project. ``I remember when I was a child, the house was in good condition,'' Dyer said. ``If the county and other folks were so interested in saving it, why wasn't something done before now?''
If the economic development group takes the house, it would be used for office space, and for the Tyrrell County Youth Conservation Corps, a job training program for disadvantaged young people.
The home was originally built in the late 1880s for Dr. Abner Alexander. Alexander, a Columbia physician, was a decorated Confederate veteran of the Battle of Cold Harbor.
The home's second owner, William Charles Alexander, was a judge who was fondly remembered by local children who practiced on his baby grand piano. Later Dr. Alexander's grandson and namesake, lived in the home.
St. Andrews used the home as its parish house until 10 years ago, when dwindling finances caused the church to abandon the structure.
Roy Reese, a Pennsylvania resident who owns a home in Duck, has been part of the group trying to save the home. Reese said plans are in the works for a fund-raiser to defray the cost of the move. Details of the drive, he said, have yet to be worked out.
``It's do or die,'' Reese said. ``I've been thinking about it, and what we may do is go public with an effort to save the house. Any money we would raise could go to help the CDC move the house.''
Reese, along with Preservation North Carolina formed a Save Worn Out Treasures team to stabilize the house in November. The group submitted a plan that would have allowed the 20-member church to have the parking it says it needs, while keeping the house on the lot. After five months, that plan was rejected by church leaders.
Ruth Woodley, a senior warden of the church, said St. Andrews wants to settle the issue. The church, she said, has been patient with preservationists.
``This has been going on for years,'' Woodley said. ``We've given them extension after extension after extension.''
Woodley said the church has not decided what it will do with the property once the house is gone.
Woodley said the vestry of the church will meet again in July. She said she was uncertain what action St. Andrews might take if groups like the CDC made a good-faith effort toward raising funds to move the historic house.
``I can't tell you they would or they wouldn't,'' Woodley said. ``I just wish we'd get this resolved.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot
A nonprofit group is looking for property and funding to relocate
the Abner Alexander House in Columbia. by CNB