Tour Homes

DEJ Realty, Inc. proudly welcomes you to The 2008 Historic Mooresville Tour of Homes

DEJ Realty, in collaboration with The Mooresville Historic Preservation Commission and the Mooresville Museum, are excited to announce the 2008 Historic Mooresville Tour of Homes, this October 18th and 19th, with a special VIP reception the evening of October 17th. This year’s tour will feature 9 historic homes never before opened to the public, as well three historic buildings in Downtown Mooresville.

The tour will highlight the wide variety of Mooresville’s historic housing stock. The historic houses featured range from the 5300-square-foot J. A. Stewart House, to a 900-square-foot mill house. The 1906 family home of Zebulon Vance Turlington, Mooresville Town Attorney and Iredell County State Representative, will be featured. The tour will also include one of the oldest homes in Downtown Mooresville, the W.M. Lentz House, as well as the Davidson Family House.

The tour will kick off with an exclusive tour and VIP reception catered by Soiree and Say Cheese at the Grapevine at the J. A. Stewart House on Friday, October 17th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The general tour will held October 18 from 10-6 and October 19 from 1-5. Tickets to the tour are $12.00 in advance and can be purchased here, or at several local merchants including The Garden Party downtown. You can also purchase tickets at the Mooresville Museum and Ye Olde Mantel on the day of event for $15.00.

Stop by Soiree restaurant and bar in the historic Rankin building before, during, or after the tour. Soiree will be opening with special hours in support of the tour. Open for Saturday lunch and dinner, as well as for their famous Sunday Brunch, Soiree is offering a 10% discount on food purchases to ticketholders (discount excludes alcohol).

The Historic Mooresville Tour of Homes benefits the Mooresville Historic Preservation Commission and the Mooresville Museum.

Homes on the 2008 Tour Click here for a map of homes on the tour J.A. Stewart House ca. 1896 832 North  Main Street. This home was once the dairy farmhouse of Mr. J.A. Stewart, who was a founding father of the Mooresville Cooperative Creamery, which would spin off Mooresville Ice Cream Company, makers of Deluxe Ice Cream.  From 1924-26, the upstairs served as an operating room for Dr. M.A. Lackey, a prominent Mooresville physician. John F. Matheson, manager of the Mooresville Mills, moved here in 1948, during the first of his two terms as Iredell County’s state representative. In 1955, Mr. Matheson sold the house to the Vice President and General Manager of Mooresville Mills, Mr. C. W. Gunter. As the pedigree of the house has grown, so has its list of features. The current owners, Pam and Bob Bauman, are passionate about historic homes and have completely renovated the home. The 6400 square foot home now boasts a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and original oak floors, and an English garden that spans the 2-acre backyard. The New York Speakeasy-style heated sunroom allows you to stay warm while having fun even on the coldest winter day.   W. M. Lentz House ca. 1884 318 West Center Avenue One of the oldest homes still standing in Mooresville, this house built in 1885 was home to W.M. Lentz, who served as town commissioner for several years at the turn of the century.  A prominent business manager, Mr. Lentz led the Mooresville Flour Mills to success in the early decades of the 1900’s. The house displays a wraparound porch roof with a small gable, the earliest know example of a design that would be used on several other houses in Mooresville. The McCanns have brought together the best of the old and the new. Twelve-foot ceilings, oak and heart pine floors, and antique bathroom furniture are complemented by designer touches in the newly renovated areas of the home.  Ernest Henry Miller House ca. 1910 334 West Center Avenue As a young pharmacist, Mr. Miller opened Miller Drug in Downtown Mooresville in 1898, and later went on to become a land agent for Duke Power, acquiring and managing land that would become the beds of Lake Norman. The dining room of the early-1900’s home boasts gorgeous woodwork including matching five-foot-high wainscoting, picture rail, window frames and lozenge muntin in the bay window. Upstairs, the maid’s quarters offer more clues to the owners’ financial standing.   Zebulon Turlington House ca. 1906 351 West Center Avenue. Pillar of Mooresville civic life, founding father of the Mooresville Graded School District, Zeb Turlington was Iredell County’s state representative for 8 terms, county attorney for 10 years, and Town of Mooresville attorney for 60 years. The Turlingtons moved to the large neoclassical house in 1906, and remained there for the rest of their lives. The Sopps, owners of wrybaby.com, are currently undertaking a careful restoration of the interior. During the tour, in addition to showing the special architectural details they’ve uncovered, the Sopps will also be sharing tips and techniques for making the restoration historically accurate while staying within a budget. Annie Rankin Carr House ca. 1902 329 South Academy Street Annie and Mary Howard Rankin were daughters of  S.C. Rankin, the first President of the Bank of Mooresville. The Rankin sisters were married in a double wedding ceremony in 1902 and set up households at the same time in twin Queen Anne cottages at 329 South Academy and 335 South Academy (335 was featured on last year’s tour). Annie Rankin married local businessman C.T. Carr, while Mary Howard Rankin married up-and-coming Mooresville attorney Zeb Turlington. The houses have undergone extensive renovations that brought back their former glory. Ample porches, restored fireplaces, and high ceilings shed light on the simple elegance of the time when it was built.    C. L. Edmiston House ca. 1921 354 S. Academy St. The bungalow originated in the hotter regions of Colonial India. Its high ceilings, wide and deep porch, and functional floor plan made it well suited to the warm climate of the Piedmont. This craftsman-style 1920’s bungalow was once home to Mooresville Mills management. It boasts all original windows, doors and hardware. Currently owned by antique dealers Vicki and Amel Hill, the house is furnished with period furniture and several gorgeous stained glass pieces. The Davidson Family House ca. 1904 318 West Wilson Avenue This turn of the century home embodies a more conservative interpretation of the Victorian style. The house belonged to descendents of the Davidson family. The four Davidson sisters deeded the house to each other to ensure that as long as one of them was alive, they would be able to live there. As a result, the home has remained virtually unchanged over the past century. The current owners have made the necessary investments to update the infrastructure of the house, while leaving the original elements in tact. One step into the parlor, and one feels instantly transported back to a time where genteel conversations unfolded by the family fireplace.      Mooresville Mill Village ca. 1923 (McLelland Family House) 328 Messick Street By the time the Mill Village was completely built out in the early twenties, mill houses had become much smaller and the lots tighter. When the Mooresville Mills began selling off its tenements in the 50’s, many life-long tenants became homeowners without ever having dreamed they would. Paul and Mary McLeland purchased the house from the Mooresville Mills in 1954; the house remained in the McLeland family until Gayle and Rudy acquired the house in 2007. While respecting its humble size, decorator Gayle Rudisill of Rudisill Custom Homes has used her eye for design to highlight the potential of the 900 square foot cottage for a family of four. Mooresville Mill Village (King Family House) ca. 1917 419 Harris Street This 1917 cottage was among a set of cottages built according to the principles to the Charlotte’s local cotton mill guru D. A. Tompkins. Tompkins advocated quality housing, spacious lots, and wide streets to ensure quality of life—and quality of work--for mill workers. Locally known as the King Family House, the charming bungalow’s interior has undergone a contemporary renovation, revealing its original beaded board walls, 10 foot ceilings, and double coal-burning fireplace.   First National Bank Building 1902 107 North Main Street Home to Mooresville's first bank, this building has undergone a creative contemporary renovation that inspires!