A couple of weeks ago, standing in the brilliant sunshine, crisp March wind twirling through still leafless trees, Carolina blue sky almost painful to the eyes, memories of this amazing house stirred in my mind. I could imagine Mattie Heck's carriage pulling up to the massive front doors and her looking up at the tower of her beautiful new home. It was 1869, the Civil War was over. Her husband, Colonel Jonathan McGee Heck - later a wealthy industrialist - had the house designed in the Second Empire style and built as his gift to his wife. She was tired of living in the countryside and wanted to come to Raleigh - a growing city full of excitement during its rebuilding following the war. This was Mattie's house.
The imposing structure, its history full of interesting facts, is at long last poised for a huge interior renovation since being sold on one more time (by the state of North Carolina who only restored the exterior over the past several decades) to the N.C. Association of Realtors. Restoring the interior after years of neglect will take millions of dollars, but how wonderful it will be to see in the months ahead. Historic beauty is often quick to be razed to the ground and forgotten, this part of Raleigh's glorious past will be renewed.
Thank you new owners. . . . . . . . . .wishing you well with this huge undertaking.
Thank you new owners. . . . . . . . . .wishing you well with this huge undertaking.
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Oh I am very glad that this one will be rescued from that fate. It is a beauty. Makes me wonder if Mrs.Heck was...
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that it is going to be restored!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful historic house, and quite different from anything in Australia. So pleased it will be restored and kept for posterity.
ReplyDeleteReally glad to hear it will be restored. Hate to see these beauties abandoned and forgotten to a point where no one wants to take on the challenge.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing about old houses being restored. They hold so much history. Beautiful photos, Mary.
ReplyDeleteWOW, what a beautiful house Mary and so good that it will be restored .... I'm all for restoring old houses. I get so cross when I see some of them being pulled done and modern ones are put in their place. There is nothing wrong with new houses and I love some of them but we need to preserve some of the past. To me, they really built the most beautiful houses in the past .... they seemed to want to make everything visually beautiful, even pumping stations and water towers !!!! I hope you can show us some more photographs as it progresses. XXXX
ReplyDeleteJackie - hope to visit the amazing interior after the restoration is done. Ground floor will be used as a public space - has such high ceilings - and I believe the upper floors will be the offices of the North Carolina Assoc. of Realtors who are the owners now and financing this huge endeavor. Such a wonderful house and a very interesting history - it would be sad to lose it. It even has a ghost!!!!
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