Date(s): 1907-1912
221 N. First Avenue, Knightdale
Designated 6/4/2007
The N.G. House Store was constructed c. 1907-1912. It is a simply detailed two-story brick commercial building. The original four-over-four wooden sash windows remain, as well as the original interior room configurations and finishes. The storefront at street level was replaced in the 1960s by Robert Wysocki, accomplished stained glass artist, founder of Stained Glass Associates, and owner of the building at the time. The current owners of Stained Glass Associates now own the building and continue to run their nationally-renowned business out of this space. Nymphas Green House and his father, Thomas House, built the structure between 1907 and 1912. Nymphas House and his son, Lundy, ran their grocery and general store, “N.G. House and Son,” out of this building. Like many small but growing communities in the early twentieth century, Knightdale’s progress was tied to the railroad. The N.G. House Store’s location–directly across the tracks from the depot–made it one of the most prominent places in the town from the 1910s to the 1950s. The N.G. House store was a central point not only for purchasing staple goods, but also for social and civic gatherings. In 1940, the town of Knightdale was struck by a massive fire that decimated the downtown area. The N.G. House Store is the only building to have survived the fire and represents that first period of Knightdale’s downtown development from the early twentieth century.