Our Home of the Week is the Edward Kidder Graham home, footsteps from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill campus. Graham built the home in 1908. He was an English professor prior to serving as UNC president (1913 – 1918). His cousin, Frank Porter Graham, also a UNC president and U.S. Senator, later lived here.
The structure was in a state of disrepair and neglect for more than a decade before it was condemned in 2007. Preservation NC saved it, and a buyer began renovation; however, that restoration ended without completion. In the renovation of a 100-year-old home, surprises repeatedly pop up, changing the course of work in progress.
There was also the challenge in this case of satisfying strict historic preservation requirements. Silver Certification for this home was obtained under the 2012 National Green Building Standards Remodeling Certification Program, with an estimated 40.3 percent reduction in energy use and a 59 percent increase in water efficiency based on the renovations. An amazing modern home of tremendous historical significance, it is now ready for its next 100 years.
Project Team
Architect: Todd Addison
Builder: Cimarron Homes
Land Planner: David Swanson
