The Iconic Circa 1909 J.R. Chapman House - A Historic Spencer NC Landmark

If you love soaring ceilings, turrets, sweeping wrap-around porches, and long, tall windows, you're going to fall head-over-heels for this Spencer, North Carolina Victorian home listed For Sale with Greg Rapp of Wallace Realty. The inside of this massive Victorian home (4,922 square feet!) is chock full of all the things we love about old houses: hardwood floors, French doors, fireplaces with original mantels, and chair rails. This solid ca.1909 Victorian has it all! 

Welcome to the J.R. Chapman House.

Spencer, North Carolina holds the largest contiguous National Historic District in the country. In addition to an expansive collection of vintage homes up and down its avenues, Spencer is home to the wonderful North Carolina Transportation Museum. Spencer’s Historic District reflects the wealth that the birth of the railroad brought, and is a unique example of a railroad town from the latter part of the Gilded Age. Great time and detail were put into building each house and these dwellings represent a historic era when the railroad industry was America’s moneymaking powerhouse.

Set with its narrow side to Carolina Avenue and broader facade with projecting bay to Fifth Street, this picturesque Victorian home at 500 S. Carolina Avenue is an old-house-lover's dream. The most prevalent and iconic feature of the house is the three-stage corner tower. Originally capped by a conical roof, it currently retains a bell-cast top over the pressed-tin shingled third stage. Stone lintels and sills secure all of the windows.

Ionic columns uphold the sweeping wrap-around veranda which curves at the corner; porch entries have shallow gables. Two second-story doors indicate that the porch was originally topped with a balcony. If this impressive facade is not enough to set you swooning, the interior with glistening wood floors, 12-foot ceilings, period millwork, and tall windows certainly will.

Circa 1909 J.R. Chapman House is listed on Historic National Register as "One of Spencer's most imposing Queen Anne residences". This three-story brick dwelling at 500 S. Carolina Avenue was run as a boarding house in its early years. The spacious kitchen with its robin's-egg-blue cabinetry is across the hall from a massive dining room that was surely designed to host numerable guests. A 'pass-through' can still be found across from the kitchen along the dining room wall. The granite block fireplace in this room was constructed from bricks removed from the rear of the 2-car detached garage.

Inside the front door of this impressive brick and pressed-tin home, a large formal foyer awaits, with one of the home's two staircases garnered with handsome newel posts leading to the second floor. To your right, the formal circular parlor with elegant, tall windows treats you to your first glimpse inside the turret.

A grand 8-foot-wide central hall dominates the first floor, separating the turret parlor, the main floor owner's bedroom with en suite bath, and massive dining room to one side, and kitchen, pantry, laundry room, and bath to the other.  The hallway culminates at the large enclosed porch at the rear of the home.

The 2nd Story

500 S. Carolina Avenue has a second staircase leading from the side carriage entrance; this staircase was repositioned at some point and leads not only to the second story, but on up to the HUGE, 1600+ square foot attic - a generally open space just waiting to be finished space.

There are potentially NINE bedrooms. To the rear of the second story is a room that was clearly a used as a kitchen. It and its two bedrooms across its hallway were perhaps a separate apartment at one time, accessed by the side staircase. Another spacious center hallway on the second story is practically another room of its own accord.

The Attic

We might well have been saving the best for last. Up another flight of stairs is the attic. Bigger than some homes at 1600-1800 square feet, this enormous unfinished space could evolve to be something really special. The turret section has its original flooring, while the rest of the attic is just wide open space. One 'room' appears to have been finished off. Think of what could be done with this space!!

This wonderful Spencer NC home offers a separate 2-car granite block garage and a smaller outbuilding that would serve as a wonderful workshop. There is a small utility basement, accessed from the large enclosed rear porch.

While the J.R. Chapman House has undergone refurbishments and remodeling efforts over the years ( some incongruous with its historic character), the home has kept its original personality with many intact original details throughout. This magnificent home has been well cared for but could use some more attention to really make her shine!  The tub in one of the two upstairs baths is currently not connected. The tin roof may very well be original and may need a sealant and attention at flashing points. This nearly 5,000 square-foot picturesque home is being SOLD-AS-IS, yet is move-in-ready.

An impressive vintage home of this magnitude is not for everyone, but the old-house-lover with a passion for restoration will recognize this jewel for the treasure it is and, we're betting, will be pretty excited about restoring the J.R. Chapman House. After 109 years, we're thinking the home will welcome its new owners with just as much passion! Give old-house expert Greg Rapp / Wallace Realty a call (or text) at 704.213.6846 to see this iconic grandeur in person. Make this vintage circa 1909 home YOUR home!



500 S Carolina Avenue
Spencer NC 28159-2120
CMLS#3397192
$195,000






Greg Rapp 
Wallace Realty Co. 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
704 636 2021 Office 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 

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