Take a look at the slide shows of the restoration work done to return this historic Victorian inn to its original state, resulting in this beautiful Charlotte, NC bed and breakfast, the N.S. Alexander Homestead.

In its prime, the N.S. Alexander Homestead was a glorious example of Queen Anne Victorian architecture.  Neil Sommers, the great-grandson of Hezekiah Alexander (who was a prominent figure in Mecklenburg County’s 18th century history), built the distinctive home in 1903 on Alexander family farm land.  It was a grand and very atypical southern farmhouse.

But the years took a toll on the once magnificent Alexander home.  In 2007, Donald and Caroline Naysmith purchased the historic landmark, which had fallen into great disrepair and was functionally unusable.  Six corners of the house and the roof perimeter lookouts suffered from severe water damage to the point of affecting not just exterior siding and fascia but interior beams, walls, ceilings, and flooring.  Even the structural integrity of the home was compromised.

The work of restoration began in August of ‘07 and was completed in October of ‘08.  First, order of business was to stop the inflow of rainwater through the roof.  This was done by rebuilding the lookouts and installing new copper gutters in them and repairing the roof by replacing the valleys, applying new flashing, and replacing missing and broken slate roof tiles.  The next step was to stop the rain from penetrating openings in the siding as well as around and through windows.  Once the exterior was watertight, remaining structural repairs were completed including replacing and supplementing parts of the foundation.  Then, after the old plumbing and wiring was removed, new electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems were installed.  From that point restoring the interior was next on the project plan, including the plaster and lath walls, extensive wainscoting throughout the house, and the heart pine flooring.  The distinctive wrap-around porch was completely rebuilt to original specifications, and then fresh paint was applied to interior and exterior surfaces.  Throughout the process of restoration, great care was given to authenticity and fine details of work and craftsmanship in order to return the house to its original state.

A new 2,800-square-foot Carriage House, carefully designed to complement the Victorian architecture of the original home, was built adjacent to the main house.  Its ground level provides necessary space for garages, storage, and work areas.  The second story houses a suite complete with generous living spaces, kitchen, bath and laundry.

Landscaping the site in order to complement and properly display the newly restored house was a major effort in itself.  A number of magnificent 200+ year old oak trees are located on the property surrounding the Alexander Homestead.  But, they too had suffered from years of neglect.  The landscaping work began with selective pruning of trees.  Then an attractive wrought iron fence was erected around the property.  Plantings with carefully selected variation in color and texture were installed, and the driveway was cut in.   Years of overgrowth was removed from the wooded areas, a well-sourced irrigation system installed and grass planted.  

Now, with the work completed, the Homestead has been restored to its original glory and perhaps even more so.  A modern kitchen, sun room, state-of-the-art electrical and mechanical systems, and carriage house have been added to this imposing structure.  We’d love the opportunity to show you the results firsthand!

The following gallery contains: (1) pictures showing the condition of the N.S. Alexander Homestead prior to the start of restoration work and (2) photos taken during the restoration process. 

The work Slide Show (Before)     Slide Show (Restoration)