For Commercial Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse of the Merrimon-Wynne House, 500 North Blount Street, Raleigh
The two-story, weatherboard frame Merrimon-Wynne House is a handsome example of a Victorian Italianate suburban villa. It is noted for its strongly molded ornament and intricate trim work depicting gears, bolts, and rivets in wood. The home has two major porches, one supporting a cantilevered wing on the north elevation and nine working fireplaces.
The Merrimon-Wynne house was built for Augustus Merrimon and his family in 1875 on its original site at 526 North Wilmington Street. Merrimon was a lawyer and judge who later gained national prominence as a U.S. Senator and a state Supreme Court Justice. Subsequent owners included Lula B. Page, stepmother to Walter Hines Page, U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, and her husband J. Stanley Wynne, Peace College, and the State of North Carolina, which used the structure for various government offices.
In August 2008, the Victorian Villa moved from Wilmington Street to 500 N. Blount Street where it sat vacant on its new foundation for five years before it was purchased in 2013 by Heyens Holdings, LLC for conversion to a premiere event facility for Raleigh. The modifications made to the house during the State’s ownership were removed and the historic house was carefully rehabilitated according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures. A small addition was added to the rear of the house to provide adequate restroom and catering facilities for the new event venue. Expansive gardens were also added to the property and contribute serenity and beauty to the North Blount Street streetscape.
Although a relative newcomer to Blount Street, the Merrimon-Wynne House stands today as a brilliant example of the great Victorian Homes that once lined this proud avenue and a physical representation of Raleigh’s rich history and heritage. Restored to its former grandeur and transformed into an event facility, the Merriman-Wynne House is set to be enjoyed by the community for generations to come.
The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2014 Anthemion Award to Heyens Holdings, LLC; Clearscapes, PA; CT Wilson Construction Company; Lysaght & Associates; Sigma Engineered Solutions for the Commercial Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse of the Merrimon-Wynne House, 500 North Blount Street, Raleigh.