Historic BD Funderburk House a Symbol of Matthews NC Turn-of-the-Century Prosperity
2011-11-27
Historic BD Funderburk House a Symbol of Matthews NC
Turn-of-the-Century Prosperity
On November 29, 2011, the Town of Matthews will hold a public hearing
to consider whether to designate the Benjamin DeWitt Funderburk house a historic
landmark. The house was built in 1904 by BD Funderburk, a town merchant
whose prosperity grew along with the development of Matthews
after the Civil War as an agricultural service center and shipping point along
the Central Carolina Railroad.
A walk through downtown Matthews with its historic buildings makes it easy to
envision this bustling hub where farmers in the surrounding communities could
bring their cotton to be shipped to the textile mills. As the textile mills
prospered, so did the merchants who served the Matthews community. BD
Funderburk operated his father’s dry goods store and built the Bank of
Matthews. He became one of Matthews’ most prominent and wealthy citizens at the
turn of the twentieth century.
The house that BD Funderburk built in 1904 was a symbol of his community
status and wealth. Situated on an acre in downtown Matthews, it is a
transitional Queen Anne-Colonial Revival style. This style combines classical
elements with Queen Anne details such as the curvilinear porch and high hip
roof. The house was renovated by the current owners in 2009.
The Funderburk house is the only remaining home with this styling in
Matthews. The only other house with Queen Anne styling in Matthews is the 1890
Nancy Reid house, a full-blown Queen Anne cottage. Click here to read more
about the
Nancy Reid house.
Want to know more about real estate and living in Matthews
NC? Request a free Matthews
NC relocation package.
Copyright 2011. Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors. *Historic BD
Funderburk House a Symbol of Matthews NC Turn-of-the-Century
Prosperity*