1016 Canterbury St.; “The House Behind the Hedges”
Sara and David Wilson
This large ranch-style home, notable for its warm fieldstone façade, was built in 1941 by the Bashford Plumbing and Heating Company. It sits on four lots. At the time, Wade Avenue, Canterbury, and Dixie Trail were all dirt roads, and University Park was ”in the country.” After having several owners, it came into the possession of the Weinstein family in 1951. The current owners, Sara and David Wilson, say that “old Raleigh people” still refer to the house as “the Weinstein house.” In 1973, the Anderson family purchased the home, and they were the last residents until the Wilson couple embarked on their journey of restoration and rejuvenation.
Since March, 2011, the house has been redone literally from floor to roof and everything in between. Walls have been moved, a screened porch added, the kitchen made gloriously new, and doors removed to give this home an appealing flow from room to room. Huge windows allow sun and sky to pour into what were once small, dim rooms constructed in an era unblessed by air conditioning. Sara Wilson recalls that the new windows had to be done twice due to their size and scale.
After several years of workmen and contractors, David and Sara Wilson are finally settled into home. Their yard, screened by shrubs and trees, features a fountain and benches, inviting contemplation of a long but satisfying renovation. They love University Park.