|
The George Sperling House
Photo courtesy of Uptown
Shelby Association |
George Elzie Sperling (1871-1953) was a highly successful cotton farmer
and businessman in Cleveland County. In 1927 he had this unusually elaborate
farmhouse built for himself and his family. The imposing two-story yellow
brick Neoclassical Revival style farmhouse is rare for rural Cleveland
County, as most farmhouses were simple frame buildings with more elaborate
residences such as this built primarily in the town of Shelby. The skill
of Augustus Branton, brickmason and master carpenter hired by Sperling,
is evident throughout the house. Architectural elements of particular
note include the larger framing timbers milled at Sperling's own saw
mill, hand-crafted dentils on the first floor and the monumental wooden
portico typical of the Neoclassical Revival style.
Another view of the George Sperling House
Photo courtesy of Uptown
Shelby Association
|
|
Sperling, a life-long resident of Cleveland County, was born on his parents
farm. Sperling married Mary Jane Justice (1878-1977) on May 28, 1899.
The couple lived for a short time in a small frame house across the highway
from the present-day house, as they were awaiting completion of a their
first home in 1909, a two-story frame farmhouse that was eventually demolished
to make way for their 1927 brick home. During the early 20th century,
Sperling began purchasing parcels of land located around present-day Highway
18, eventually accumulating more than 1000 acres. The main crop of the
Sperling farm was cotton, the predominant crop in Cleveland County from
the late 19th century through the 1940s, at which time cotton was destroyed
by the boll weevil. Sperling also established a general store, corn and
saw mills, cotton gin and blacksmith shop, and the area became known as
Sperling's Crossroads. The operations served travelers along the highway
as well as residents in nearby Shelby and Fallston. Several early 20th-century
outbuildings survive on the farm, clustered to the rear or west of the
house, that were support structures for the family farm complex. Built
from 1909 to 1951, these buildings include a barn, corn crib, hog pen,
granary, two-story gambrel roof mule barn, smokehouse, generator house
and tack house. The Sperlings had nine children, two sons and seven daughters,
and the farm remained a working family farm until after George's death
in 1953. Daughter Madge Roberta (1909-1996) married M. Lloyd Ray Little
and they lived in the home with her parents until after their deaths.
Ray Little outlived his wife, and continued to live here until 1997, and
shortly thereafter the house was sold out of the family. It is now being
rehabilitated for use as offices.
The George Sperling House and Outbuildings are located at 1219
Fallston Rd on the outskirts of Shelby . They are not open to the public.
|