Hillsboro Partners 1, LLC; New City Design Group; Heritage Construction, LLC; North State Bank

Built in 1917, The Brown House at 1310 Hillsborough Street, was once owned by several generations of the Brown family, founders of the Brown-Wynne Funeral Home. Dating back to 1836, when H. J. Brown founded the H. J. Brown Coffin House, Brown-Wynne is the oldest business in Raleigh and the oldest funeral home in the state. After its purchase in 2021 by Hillsboro Partners 1, LLC, the building underwent a complete interior and exterior rehabilitation and now serves as a meeting and gathering space ideally located between NCSU and downtown.

The rehabilitation work included updated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, as well as extensive repairs to the interior and exterior. Plaster walls were repaired with real stucco, original trims were matched, and two original columns from the front porch, found in the basement, were reinstalled after fifty years in hiding. The original windows and doors were restored and preserved; original fireplaces and mantles were revived; and a completely new roof was installed with a 10-kw solar array on the south facing side, making the house a green facility, generating approximately 75% of its own power needs on site.

The meeting and gathering space at The Brown House includes approximately 1,300 square feet on the first floor with several seating areas, multiple fireplaces, a bathroom and shower, and space for a bar area. It can comfortably accommodate forty to fifty people with additional space available on the large porch.

The Brown House is regularly used for meetings and conferences by the project architects, New City Design Group, and by a variety of community organizations. Plans include future use of the facility for pop-up art shows and other events, such as fundraisers, showers, and parties.

The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2022 Anthemion Award to Hillsboro Partners 1, LLC; New City Design Group; Heritage Construction, LLC; North State Bank for the Commercial Rehabilitation & Adaptive Reuse of The Brown House, 1310 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh.