Circa 1922 Stately Brick Home at the Gateway to Historic West Square, Salisbury NC ~ FOR SALE!

The McCanless-Busby-Thompson House, circa 1922, stands at the gateway to the desirable West Square Historic District, just blocks from vibrant downtown Salisbury. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this stunning all-brick 3,545 square-foot residence, on a 1/2 acre lot, blends Arts & Crafts, Mission, Mediterranean Revival, and Colonial Revival architectural influences, highlighted by elaborate decorative brickwork, ceramic tile roof, and a voluminous showcase - open-air, wrap-around, quarry-tiled veranda. This stately home is one of the West Square's jewels!

Welcome to 128 W. Thomas Street in Salisbury, North Carolina!

Approaching this expansive, 2-story house from the front walkway, the striking brick pattern along the front facade will surely catch your eye.

But upon your arrival at the top of the entry stairs ~ the vast front veranda with its terracotta quarry-tile flooring will stop you in your tracks. 

A welcoming and elegant outdoor entertaining space, large, open, uncovered verandas such as this were a defining feature of 1920s architecture, particularly in Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, which were designed to promote indoor-outdoor living. These spaces often served as extensions of the living area. The veranda sweeps and ells around the house to the left, where it becomes a more secluded covered porch.

A unique Arts & Crafts entry vestibule welcomes you beneath large rafter tails under a Palladian eyebrow-arched roofline, through a beveled-glass, arched door flanked by eight-paned beveled sidelights. A curved drive through a covered porte-cochere echoes a bygone era of elegance. Earth-toned brick, green trim, and the original green ceramic tile roof create a tranquil, period-correct exterior.

Inside, the foyer opens to a jaw-dropping, elegant entertaining parlor with soaring coffered ceilings, gleaming oak herringbone parquet floors, 8-over-1 windows, and high wainscoting. The grand, curved staircase, modeled after the Hambley-Wallace Mansion on nearby Fulton Street, is a sweeping focal point.  As you take the stairs upward, be sure to turn around at the upper landing for the bird-eye view of the sweeping parlor and its massive original fireplace, featuring original Rookwood tile surround and the impressively deep mantelpiece. Even the staircase landings have the herringbone-patterned wood flooring.  You'll note beautiful period-correct light fixtures here and throughout the home.  

Two pairs of beveled glass French doors flank the formal parlor, leading to a handsome sunroom on the right and to an informal parlor, often referred to as the 'gentlemen's parlor' in days of yore, or den to the left.

The sunroom features TEN 6-over-6 windows and neutral-colored tile flooring.

The smaller parlor offers handsome oak flooring, more 8-over-1 windows, and handsome architectural wainscoting. Another grand fireplace is here, with fluted columns at the mantel and surround. 

A bygone touch (often seen in grand vintage homes like the Biltmore in Asheville) is the center-floor outlet ~ so that you can plug in lamps near your fireplace seating without trailing cords across the floor to the wall outlets!  This room accesses the covered portion of the wrap-around veranda and the porte-cochere via another set of handsome multi-paned French Doors.

Pocket doors in the parlor lead to a bright and spacious formal dining room with high architectural wainscoting topped with a plate rail. Natural light streams through large, 10-over-1 windows. More period-correct light fixtures finish this beautiful room.  A large cased passageway opens graciously into the gleaming NEW kitchen. 

The kitchen features solid-surface countertops, a gorgeous hammered copper sink, and a pot filler over the gas stove, along with ample pantry and storage space.  A center island provides more workspace and a pleasant seating area or breakfast bar.  The upper glass-front cabinets above the stove are lit from within.

Off the kitchen to the rear is a cozy breakfast nook or garden room that leads downward to a backyard doorway, and further downward to the basement. Exposed brick walls along the back entry and basement staircase add a handsome rustic touch.

Off the kitchen, towards the interior, is a small hall bedecked with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Here, the first-floor full bathroom is tucked privately away. Three full bathrooms, one on the main floor and two more upstairs, showcase new subway tile, gorgeous basket-weave tile flooring, and sparkling walk-in showers. One bath has a tub.

As you climb the sweeping staircase, you reach a large mezzanine landing that overlooks the front parlor.  Even this space includes deep architectural moldings and trim.

From there, the staircase turns to arrive at a large upper hall from which the home's four large bedrooms and the laundry room are accessed. One of the front bedrooms, used by the current owner as an office, includes the home's 3 fireplaces.  The upstairs baths are arranged as Jack-and-Jill pass-throughs between the bedrooms.  Each bathroom features beautiful custom tile floors, including a basket-weave in one, hexagonal tiles with a creative inlaid border in another.  The bathrooms offer a beautifully tiled walk-in shower in one, and a traditional bathtub in the other.

The McCanless-Busby-Thompson House lay vacant for a period of time, damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.  Colloquially known as the 'Hidden House'.

In 2017, Realtor Greg Rapp worked with a potential buyer to save the house from demolition. The home underwent a permitted restoration and renovation from 2017–2022, including a new electrical system, new plumbing, new HVAC systems, and carefully sourced period light fixtures. The new bathrooms and kitchen were added during this phase.

Additional features include a full unfinished basement, the original green ceramic tile roof, repaired where needed with extra tiles stored on site, and a garden shed in the rear yard.

The professionally landscaped yard is planted with zoysia grass - a warm-weather turf that turns golden during its winter dormancy and starts to green up again in mid-April for the hot summer months. (The photos showing green turf lawn have been digitally enhanced to show their appearance from April to November.)

128 W. Thomas Street is located at the gateway to one of Salisbury's more prominent historic districts, just blocks from the vibrant city center and downtown amenities. Salisbury, North Carolina is located equidistant, approximately an hour drive, between the metro areas of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro, with a 2-hour drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Asheville area, and a 4-hour drive to Atlantic Ocean beaches.  The McCanless-Busby-Thompson House is located in the West Square Historic District and, therefore, is under the purview of the City of Salisbury Historic Preservation Commission for exterior changes. 128 W. Thomas Street also has a Historic Salisbury Foundation Deeded Preservation Agreement in place to preserve this historic home for future generations.

Are you ready to be the next steward of this fantastic circa 1922 home? Call Greg Rapp with Salisbury Real Estate for your private showing, then pack your bags . . . because The McCanless-Busby-Thompson House is calling you home!

128 W. Thomas Street
Salisbury, North Carolina 28144
MLS#4355129
$575,000

Greg Rapp 
Salisbury Real Estate LLC 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
GregRappRealtor@gmail.com 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 

Be a Fan