Some people say restoring an historic home takes twice as much time and twice as much money.
Well, they were wrong! It takes much more than that......
but finally, 115 Dry Avenue is the newly restored office for The Bliss Real Estate Group.
This 1923 Craftsman Style home is nestled in Downtown Cary's Historic District.
In 1923, Dry Avenue was called Academy Street, and Harrison Avenue was a "future road"! The Old Cary Elementary School was not even built. Cary Academy was on the site, and was the first Public High School in North Carolina. We believe that Ira Williams was a teacher at Cary Academy, as the lots along Dry Avenue were developed/sold by W.M.Dry, the first Principal of Cary High School.
My how things have changed in this little RailRoad town in the past 84 years!
The house was built with local milled lumber, most of which came from barns and other buildings nearby (from what we've been told). It had two wood stove fireplaces, a covered back porch, a cedar shake roof and 3 bedrooms. The attic was unfinished and used for storage. The original structure did not not have plumbing, there evidently was an outhouse! There was no insulation. The siding was (and still is) southern yellow pine lap board.
The garage was built at around the same time as the house, but almost did not make it through restoration. German siding, open entry and dirt floor are all we had to work with. Adding character to the curb appeal as well as use of this structure was our primary goal. It certainly adds quite a bit of depth to the house itself.
Our restoration includes: re-built foundation system, restored original siding, new metal roof, gutters, spray foam & cellulose insulation, electrical system, plumbing system, hvac & ductwork, restored & new flooring, restored chimneys, new upstairs space, 14-space parking lot, fence, storm water pond, lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, phone/cable/data wiring, whole-house audio, restored original windows with weights & pulleys, re-claimed hearth and mantle, exposed brick chimneys inside, Benjamin Moore Historic Collection exterior paint, landscaping, garage doors, concrete floors (garage) Sherwin Williams interior paint, etc.
You'll have to see it yourself! Any and all Historic Home enthusiasts are welcome anytime! If you know of anyone who may have known the original owners, we'd love to find out how to reach them.
In 2000, the Town of Cary established a Future Land Use Plan for the Town Center Area. Within the plan, less than 50 properties were included in the plan to allow for Cottage Office / Professional Use. Through the Town of Cary Planning Department, we applied for a Change of Use and had an approved site plan in January 2007.
This project qualfied for State and National Historic Tax Credits through the State Historic Preservation Office and assistance through Capital Area Preservation and the Town of Cary Planning Department. This project qualified for The Town Center Area Facade Grant Program in October 2007.
We're proud to call Downtown Cary our place of business. As the sprawl and the growth continues, we've restored part of Cary's History and plan to make many more memories for our clients with a Downtown Cary business experience. Come see us and find out more about the great opportunities around downtown!
***** RECENT AWARDS *****
Bliss Real Estate, LLC has been awarded an
ANTHEMION AWARD
by Capital Area Preservation
A recognition and honor for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in historic preservation in Wake County.
