Charles & Karen Petrini-Poli; Keith Lloyd Designs, Inc.

For the Commercial Rehabilitation of the White-Holman House, 206 New Bern Plaza, Raleigh

 

Also known as Whitehall, the original late Georgian/early Federal-style dwelling was built for Secretary of State William White in 1798. The original house included a side-hall plan with the parlor to the east. Much of its original fabric has been maintained, including Federal style mantels and overmantels. Today, it carries the distinction of being the oldest house within the original city limits of Raleigh from the date of its incorporation, 1792.

After being appointed Secretary of State in 1798, William White, a Lenoir County planter and the son-in-law of Richard Caswell, purchased property in Raleigh from William Camp, as he was required by state law to live in Raleigh during his term of office. White continued as Secretary of State until 1810 and was one of the trustees of The Raleigh Academy. The house remained in the White family until 1884, when White’s daughter sold it to William Calvin Holman, a cotton broker from Massachusetts. Shortly afterwards, Holman constructed a Victorian wing and made other additions to the house, enclosing portions of the original wings. The house was purchased by the City of Raleigh in 1968; and, soon after was pivoted from its original Morgan Street frontage in order to face New Bern Plaza. Today, the house is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located within the boundaries of both the Capitol Square National Register Historic District and the Capitol Square Local Historic District.

In 2013, the property was purchased by Charles Petrini-Poli with the intention of restoring it in a respectful, tasteful manner and returning it to its prominence in the community. An historic preservation interior easement held by the City of Raleigh and enforced by the Raleigh Historic Development Commission, along with covenants currently in place, provided guidelines on what could be done as well as on how changes could be carried out. The covenants were in place to protect the original details outlined in the National Register report and were observed with extreme care. With the assistance of Keith Lloyd of Keith Lloyd Designs, Inc., the eighteen-month long project included, but was not limited to, the following work: plaster repair, window repair, in-kind replacement of missing wooden elements, bathroom and kitchen remodels, wood floor refinishing, repainting, new plumbing and HVAC systems, and new landscaping around the house.

One of the few remaining eighteenth-century buildings in downtown Raleigh, the White-Holman House, like many of its neighboring historic houses, was rehabilitated for continued use as an office. With a private investment rehabilitation cost of $175,000.00, this project was supported by the use of the federal and state income-producing historic rehabilitation tax credits.

The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2015 Anthemion Award to Charles & Karen Petrini-Poli; Keith Lloyd Designs, Inc. for the Commercial Rehabilitation of the White-Holman House, 206 New Bern Plaza, Raleigh.