Category Archives: Home of the Month

Home of the Month May-June 2020

May 7, 2020 dalemoody Leave a comment

HOME OF THE MONTH: MAY-JUNE 2020

Hi, I’m Dale Moody. I’m on the UPHA board, and its taken me about 1.5 years to get this post together… BUT WE DID IT. We are revamping the Home of the Month

Our first winners are Cabot and Julie Dixon at one of the most iconic and recognizable homes in our neighborhood — 2705 Van Dyke Ave.

Cabot and Julie Dixon have been living at 2705 Van Dyke for 18 years. They raised two sons in this house but are now empty nesters, which gives them a little bit more time to take care of a very large yard. The house sits on two lots, so there is more the usual amount of yard to maintain. Luckily Julie has a green thumb!

“The house was built in the early 1930’s, and to our knowledge we are only the 4th owners,” Julie said. The previous owners, Mike and Jamie Ramsey, designed an addition that includes a Master suite, and large bonus room. There was so much stone on the property, that they we able to use the same stone of the original house (known as Wake stone) for the foundation of the addition which is cedar shake. The cedar shake mades a nice complement to the old stone.
Julie and Cabot have since remodeled the kitchen, sunroom and master bath.
Julie says she was drawn to the stone of the house, and to the possibility for numerous garden areas including sun and shade.

In fact, as the numerous large trees get larger, she is worried about losing the few sunny patches where she grows vegetables. The Dixon’s have added blueberry bushes and there were already several mature blueberry bushes when they bought the property. They have put in peach trees, a fig tree, two types of grapes, and have several areas where they grow vegetables. The house has beautiful hardscaping with numerous stone walls and stone pathways. The previous owners had put in some landscaping so there are some beautiful mature crepe myrtles, azaleas, and rhododendrons. The dozens of types of flowers around the gardens are a combination of things purchased, but many of them are also things shared with Julie by her Mother who is an avid gardener, and many friends. “Sharing plants is a treasured thing for me,” Julie said. “I love looking at my gardens and remembering the friends who have given me plants. I get a lot of joy from this yard, even though it is a constant battle to keep it maintained.” Julie even has mums from her great GREAT grandmother and some Iris transplanted from a 100 year old farmhouse Julie used to live in, in Apex. (we can’t even keep succulents alive over at 2803 Van Dyke…)

There’s a lot of history around this house. It was one of the first in the neighborhood. “We’ve met the great grandson of the family who lived here for years. He brought his father by once, who grew up coming to visit his grandparents here. They have shared many historical photos, and it’s fascinating to see, and hear their stories,” Julie added

Next time your walking around the neighborhood, take a trip down the section of Van Dyke, between Brooks and Gardner to admire Julie and Cabot’s labor!

2017 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

September Home of the Month – 14 Furches Street

September 5, 2017 keveleth Leave a comment

This month, we feature Gary and Beth Ellsworth of 14 Furches Street:

“We have been residents of University Park for just over and year and could not be any happier with our decision. We chose the area for the proximity to everything, the amazing elementary school and the character of all the older homes. We have become fast friends with many neighbors and love that our kids can walk to school together and there is always someone up for an impromptu weekend cookout. We love the history in our home, the Raleigh stone fireplace, original hardwoods, beautiful trim work and crystal doorknobs are just a few features that had us hooked from the moment we walked in. We were fortunate to find a home situated on a double lot and we are enjoying transforming the yard into a cottage garden where our children love to play.”

2017 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

April 2017 Home of the Month

April 4, 2017 ChrisHerndon Leave a comment

Radu and I are both NCSU graduates and have always loved the University Park area of Raleigh. When I was still in school, we were living in a townhouse in Durham and I would be one of those annoying college students that would drive down Brooks, park off Clark and walk to my classes. I remember driving by the three homes right off of Brooks and Wade as they were being built and thinking “one day I want to live in a place like that in a neighborhood like this”; something that seemed quite out of reach for a poor student in her 9^th year of college/graduate school!

Fast forward several years, Radu and I were living in Cary in a small ranch with our 2 year old daughter and were ready to expand and find what we hope to be our forever home. There was no doubt about the location, University Park! We found this beautiful lot, surrounded with trees on a gravel road and were SOLD.

The builder had plans for a 3 level larger home, but we wanted to build a craftsman-style home that was smaller and fit the historic area. Luckily we were able to take on a completely custom design build, which is a blessing and curse when you are faced with all the decisions! In my excitement, before breaking ground, I bought the first item for our home: a free-standing bath tub (our builder thought I was crazy)!

We designed our floorplan to fit a growing family and to maximize all space as daily usable area. Our downstairs was designed as a shotgun style living, kitchen, and open dining area to keep the family and guests together and to make entertaining easy.

Some of the finishing touches I love the most are the built-ins in the living, dining and mudroom areas and also the open reclaimed wood shelving in the kitchen and living areas. Wood ceiling fans, crown moulding, large baseboards and wainscoting were additional features that we HAD to have to give this house the Arts and Crafts feel that we were looking for.

We have now been in our home for a year and a half, grown to a family of four and could not enjoy our home and the neighborhood it resides in more than we do! We love to sit on our porch (when the kids allow it) and say hi to the people that walk down the gravel road, take walks to Isabella Park and the Rose Garden and also I am continually working on more gardening (can’t wait for more winged visitors on my butterfly bushes this spring), including my continued attempt to chart the seasonal sun positions for my vegetable gardens. I love all the green that surrounds our home and I love living in such a unique neighborhood filled with wonderful people!

2016 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

April 2016 Home of the Month

April 7, 2016 ChrisHerndon Leave a comment

2200 Hope St. at Enterprise
Home of Ari Sanoff

When we purchased the house 20 years ago, the previous owner related the story about the original owner. William J. Peele, one of the Founders of North Carolina State University presumably built it for his two daughters. It was a two family house with entrances on Hope & Enterprise Street. When it was built in 1919, it was one of two houses and Enterprise Street ended at the edge of the house. An addition was built in 1939 by Miss Randolph Hill. An aerial photo from 1920 shows the house amid farmlands but near the early university buildings.

After we purchased the house in the early 90’s, my sister and I moved into the downstairs apartment and we rented out the upstairs. The downstairs needed the most work so we ripped out the carpet and updated the kitchen to make it a more livable space. We continued to rent out the upstairs for several years while continuing to make improvements to the inside as well as doing some landscaping that was long past due.

We eventually got out of the rental business. At that time, I moved upstairs, while my sister continued to live downstairs. Before I moved upstairs, we had the floors sanded and updated the kitchen because nothing had really been done to the upstairs since we purchased the house in the early 90’s.

In 2005, my sister moved out and I converted the 2 separate apartments into a singe family home. These improvements involved removing several walls downstairs and completely remodeling the kitchen with all new cabinets and appliances. I continued to make renovations upstairs and converted my old bedroom into a walk in closet but the kitchen upstairs remained untouched.

Most recently, my fiancé moved in and I finally renovated the kitchen upstairs and converted it into a dressing room for her. We would still like to make some changes since now there are 2 people and 2 dogs living in the house. I am sure that will happen over time and we are thinking that after the wedding in September we will visit the idea of expanding the kitchen.

2016 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

February 2016 Home of the Month

February 2, 2016 ChrisHerndon Leave a comment

Home of Chris and Gray Herndon

400 Pogue St.

When Gray and I got married in 2007 she’d lived on Stafford Ave.

in the house she built since 1997. We knew we wanted to build another home so we began our search for the perfect spot. We both passed the vacant lot on Pogue St. across from the Rose Garden every day and thought it would be wonderful to stay in the neighborhood we love. So after some time coveting the lot, circumstances allowed us to purchase the former home of the Fisher’s Bakery and Sandwich Company from the Underhills.

Karlie Underhill is the granddaughter of Karlie Fisher who started the Fisher’s Bakery and Sandwich Company in 1928. The Fishers built the house at 2512 Everett Ave. in 1939. The house and the accompanying “sandwich factory” added in the backyard of the house (now the site of our home) were contributing buildings to the West Raleigh Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The remaining buildings that made up the factory stood on the backyard lot until 1995 when they were removed.

The entire area around the Rose Garden is unique since it still holds the original form of the horse racing track of the old State Fairgrounds, which is how Pogue Street and the Rose Garden get their shape. Our lot sits in the turn just after the grandstands.

We started the process of designing a house that would both fit our lifestyle and the historic University Park Neighborhood we love. We settled on a French Country style with a brick veneer that resembled many of the other houses built in our neighborhood between the 30’s and 50’s. To give it an older appearance we used a hand tumbled oversize brick and casement windows. The home has three bedrooms and two and half baths. The rooms are spacious and flow together, which allow for entertaining.

400 Pogue St Raleigh UPHA Home of the Month Feb 2016

The entrance foyer opens to a library and leads into an open space for the living areas. A formal dining room has 13 foot coffered ceilings and a tall arched window that looks out onto the Rose Garden. Across from the dining room is the open floorplan living room with French doors flanking a see-through fireplace, which opens to the back porch allowing for an indoor-outdoor entertaining space. The living room flows into the kitchen, which overlooks Isabella Cannon Park to the north. Alongside the kitchen and connected to the dining room by a butler’s pantry is a breakfast room with large bay windows and bench seat looking into the trees of Cannon Park. The master bedroom is off the living room and two additional bedrooms are upstairs.

2016 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

January 2016 Home of the Month

January 2, 2016 ChrisHerndon Leave a comment

Lynn and Milos Novak, 2615 Van Dyke Ave

I was looking to make the jump from a house to a condo in 2007, and I knew that University Park was the place I wanted to land. I was living near Cameron Village and had come to know the neighborhood through my friend, Chris Farlow, who still lives on Van Dyke Ave. When our house had become a little too small for my husband, daughter, our dog, and visiting family members, we agonized over the decision to move out of the neighborhood into a bigger house or stay put in University Park. We did not want to give up the proximity to our close friends, a walkable neighborhood, a relatively easy commute to my office in Cary, and proximity to many of Milos’ customers – not to mention we were married in the Rose Garden (with our good friend Chris officiating the wedding)!

We decided to stay put and expand our house. Milos took the project on from the design of the house to the actual build. He is the owner of Lions Home Restoration & Repair, so a project of this sort was not outside his wheelhouse. The topography of our lot makes it a bit of a challenge to add additional square footage, so we had to expand upwards. We also created a more open concept in the original footprint of the house, which meant a total reconfiguration of the house down to the studs. So, we moved out temporarily while the house was under construction. A driveway was also installed, and stone terraces were built in front of the house with help from my brother-in-law while he was visiting from the Czech Republic.

We’ve been living in our renovated house since this past July and are enjoying our new space. Milos’ attention to detail is evident throughout the house – from the built in storage to the “unseen things” that make our house energy efficient. One of my favorite spaces in the new house is actually outdoors – the front porch. Milos saved some of the old hardwood floors from the original house and used it as the floor for the porch. It reminds me of the old space that we loved while giving us something new to enjoy. In retrospect, the project was bigger than we thought, but it was worth it. We are so glad to be back in University Park!

2015 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month, Uncategorized

December 2015 Home of the Month

November 30, 2015 prcarter4wp Leave a comment

2715 Rosedale, Home of Sallie Ricks

My Rosedale home is a mid-century house designed by Milton Small, Jr. FAIA (1916-1992) and it is a contributing structure in the West Raleigh Historic District. The interior is simple, with lots of built-in storage and wide expanses of glass. I appreciate the open design and realize the positive ways it influences me. Looking out the windows into the woods in the back and the flowers in the front can bring peace at the end of a hectic day! The front yard garden and house are mostly hidden from the street by a tall evergreen hedge which gives me privacy and an added sense of being close to nature.

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Garden

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Rear

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Dining Room

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Living Room

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Screened Porch

The house, built in 1953 for the Donald and Marion Anderson Family, appears modest from the front but from the back, is so stately as it stands up to the woods. There is a little path leading down to the creek where wild deciduous azaleas and pitcher plants grow nearby. When I first moved here, about 30 years ago, I loved to garden. Now, I reap the benefits of an old garden gone wild, like me, but there’s always something blooming to entertain no matter what time of year.

I have done some interior renovation to my home, but feel it’s my responsibility to maintain this historic house close to the original design and to protect it. I hope when I leave, the next residents feel the same way about it. You can see pictures of the house when brand new and read more about Milton Small at “http://www.ncmodernist.org/small.htm” (Scroll down midway.)

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Wreath

December 2015 HOM - 2715 Rosedale - Decorations

I have enjoyed living in University Park and working many years at NC State University. What a luxury to be able to walk to work through our neighborhood! Now I am retired and still walk a wide loop through the neighborhood for exercise, and enjoy the diversity of sites along the way: Cameron Village, the post office, the Players Retreat, the new development, the University edge, Hillsborough St. hangouts and many charming residences. Planners and designers try to emulate what we already have in our neighborhood and I am so happy to live in University Park!

(Interested in helping UPHA with the Home of the Month? We’d love to hear from you if you want to join the team – contact prcarter@mindspring.com -)

2015 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

November 2015 Home of the Month – 606 Chamberlain Street

November 1, 2015 prcarter4wp Leave a comment

UPHA Home of the Month – 606 Chamberlain Street
Home of Dustin Smith and Burton Buffaloe

Dustin and Burton fell in love with University Park years ago, while visiting the Raleigh Rose Gardens. The eclectic and diverse neighborhood, with its many parks and urban, walkable lifestyle, suited them perfectly. In 2013, after discovering there was a lot available on Chamberlain St., they immediately jumped on it. Their builder, Concept 8, allowed Dustin and Burton creative freedom with the design.

Their home has a contemporary farmhouse look with a blend of old and new. Outwardly dark, it has a mix of styles, bright contemporary art woven with “old soul.” Throughout the house you will see “found objects” like reclaimed beams, old dressers transformed into vanities, and even a pair of 300-year-old church gates.

Dustin and Burton are currently building a courtyard between the main home and their detached garage. Dustin’s brother, Chad, with “Gardenwanted Nc,” is designing and managing the home’s landscaping and courtyard. The outdoor fireplace, also underway, is being crafted by Rick DeMartino Masonry. This outdoor space will be the heart of the home, with a dining area nestled under a large wooden pergola, now being crafted by Eric Padden.

2015 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

September 2015 Home of the Month

September 1, 2015 prcarter4wp Leave a comment

407 Dixie Trail
Home of Brian and Shauna Alexander

We began our time in University Park, as young college students, renting a house on Mayview Road. We grew to love this area and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in Raleigh. We bought our first home in 2004 and lived there for almost 10 years. After our first child was born, we tackled a huge kitchen renovation in that home, but as our family grew, it was time to look for another house. We knew we wanted to stay in University Park and we had always loved the inviting front porch at 407 Dixie Trail. As we entered the house, we knew this would be the perfect spot to raise our two boys. What we later discovered, is not only is this a great house, but we have wonderful neighbors. At any given moment, there are boys (and a few girls) running in and out of the house and playing back and forth between yards. We love the community and friendships we have made in University Park and look forward to many years to come.

407 Dixie Trail was built in 1922. There have been approximately 3 families that lived in this house since the 1920’s. When we closed on the home, we were given several photographs from a descendent who had previously occupied the house. Looking at the long-ago pictures and the recent ones, you can compare the features of the living room and the front door then and now.

(The boy by the front door in the old photo is identified as Percy L. “Skip” Bostick, III. In the photo of the elegant couple in front of the fireplace, the gent in black tie is identified as “Warren Barfield, soloist.” No identification, alas, for the gowned young woman.)

2015 Homes of the Month, Home of the Month

June 2015 Home of the Month

May 31, 2015 prcarter4wp Leave a comment

2607 Van Dyke Avenue

Home of Teri Meadows Hires

I don’t know much about the history of this house other than it was built in 1940 by J. Y. Phelps and I am the ninth owner since that time. The longest ownership was by Carlyne Clayton and wife from 1946 to 1985. The first picture shows the house in 1995 when it was owned by Pamela Tyler. I purchased this house from Jon and Mara Buxbaum in July 2009 as they were building another home in University Park (where they still reside).

Front View Circa 1995, City Land Records

I’m an NC native and was moving back to the Raleigh area having lived in Boston, Dallas and New York since graduating from Meredith College many years ago. Simply put, it was time to come home. There was no doubt University Park was my ultimate destination – my brother and sister-in-law are also UP residents, I love the diversity of this neighborhood, and I wanted to be able to walk to shopping and restaurants. I was visiting from New York one weekend and decided on a whim to walk through the house, and I immediately knew this was where I wanted to live. The company I worked for at that time was reluctant to let me work remotely, but persistence and determination won out and I moved without having their final blessing! Like I said, I knew this was the house and neighborhood for me!

The house itself was in amazing condition, definitely move-in ready without requiring any repairs. Jon and Mara had taken excellent care of the house and had already undertaken a major renovation by adding a second story for the master suite.

Renovated Front Yard and Landscaping, 2607 Van Dyke

Because of this, I could focus attention on the outside, so over the first few years I tackled the front and back yards.

Ken Brooks (another UP resident) from Brookscapes created the overall design and installed a pavestone patio, retaining walls, drainage, new front steps and railings, as well as completely new landscaping. I am thrilled with my backyard oasis!

Last year I finally tackled an indoor project, renovating the kitchen and den, which included new flooring, appliances, cabinets, lighting and countertops. We also as turned what was the breakfast room into a butler’s pantry for much needed additional storage.

This house is a wonderful combination of old character and modern touches that represent the charm of University Park. I wouldn’t have it any other way!