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The James Heyward Hull
House
Photo from National Register
collection; courtesy of North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources |
The James Heyward Hull House is an excellent 1907 Neoclassical Revival
style dwelling in Shelby, one of several built at the turn of the century
by some of Shelby's most prominent residents. The large two-story house
was originally built in 1874 in the Italinante style for Methodist minister
Hilary T. Hudson (1823-1892). As Cleveland County's population continued
to grow during the latter half of the 19th century, many churches representing
several different faiths were established. Hudson, known as a charismatic
speaker, teacher, and author was assigned to Shelby from 1874-1884(with
one year in 1880 at Rockingham) and remained in Shelby until his death.
During his time in Shelby, Dr. Hudson was appointed as a Presiding Elder
of the Methodist Western North Carolina Conference. He began to write
as a columnist for the Raleigh Christian Advocate as well as
serving as Associate Editor, Corresponding Editor, and Editor. Mrs.
Mary T. Hudson (formerly Mary T. Lee of Mecklenburg County) retained
ownership of the house until she sold it in 1906 to John W. Hopper.
Hopper in turn sold the house to M.F. Hull during the same year, and
M.F. Hull sold the property to his son James Heyward Hull on April 6,
1907.
James Heyward Hull, a cotton broker, transformed the house into a Neoclassical
Revival style residence by adding a monumental portico, flanking wings,
an ornate hip roof, and completely renovating the interior. Hull, a
native of Catawba County, had several business interests in Shelby and
had worked for J.J. McMurphy & Company in Shelby, and also worked as
a Southern sales agent for the Bowers Snuff and Tobacco Company of Trenton,
New Jersey. Additionally, Mr. Hull was a partner in L.M. Hull & Company,
a large mercantile firm based out of Washington, Georgia, an owner of
the Cherryville Manufacturing Company, and vice-president of the Gaston
Manufacturing Company. Shortly after purchasing the house, Hull married
Loula Abernathy of Lincoln County, North Carolina in May 1907. In a
bankruptcy proceeding in 1932, Hull deeded the house to his son James
H. Hull, Jr. and daughter Mary Hull Daniel, but he and Loula continued
to live in a portion of the house until their deaths.
Another view of the James Heyward Hull House
Photo from National
Register collection; courtesy of North Carolina Department of
Cultural Resources
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On October 26, 1938, James H. Hull, Jr. deeded his half interest in
the house to his sister Mary Hull Daniel. It was the Daniel family that
made additional renovations to the house in the 1940s. The James Heyward
Hull House, facing west, is a two-story, square-in-plan main block with
a central hall and triple- pile floor plan. The most prominent feature
of the house is the monumental semi-elliptical neoclassical portico
featuring fluted Corinthian columns and pilasters and a full entablature
including a dentilated cornice with modillions. The James Heyward Hull
House was part of the development of a principal neighborhood for Shelby's
industrialists, merchants, and professionals during the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries. Marion, Washington, and North Lafayette
streets directly west, south, and north, respectively, of the central
business district remain well-preserved.
Set on a one-acre lot on the east side of North Lafayette Street
in Shelby, the James Heyward Hull House stands to the north of the Central
Shelby Historic District. The James Heyward Hull Louse is located at
710 North Lafayette Street. It is a private residence and not open to
the public.
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