Downtown Matthews NC: Historic Nancy Reid House
My favorite house in historic downtown Matthews NC is the Nancy Reid house.
The small white clapboard house with the turret, front porch loaded with gingerbread, and green shingled roof is familiar to anyone who passes through Matthews. It evokes an earlier era when Matthews was a very small town indeed.
The Reid House was built in 1890. It may be the only Queen Anne Victorian home in Matthews and is one of only a few remaining in Mecklenburg County. It was owned by Dr. Thomas Reed and his wife Ellen. Dr. Reed practiced medicine in Matthews until he died in 1946. His youngest daughter, Nancy, inherited the house and lived there until her death in 1986. After Nancy's death, the house was given to the Matthews Historical Foundation, which maintains the house and grounds. The house may be rented for special events of up to 99 guests.
Miss Nancy Reid, who taught school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg system for 35 years, wrote a history of the house in 1980. She described the home from her childhood as being surrounded by a white picket fence and having a red metal roof. According to Miss Nancy's history, the magnolia tree that now dwarfs the house was planted by her parents shortly after they moved in.
Do not miss the opportunity to take a leisurely stroll past the Reid House and envision Miss Nancy on her gingerbread porch when you visit Matthews.
Visit www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com to learn more about homes and neighborhoods in Matthews NC.
About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran agent who has sold real estate in the Matthews area for over twenty years.
Copyright 2009. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Downtown Matthews NC: Historic Nancy Reid House"