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

Update May 13, 2026:  Fresh new price to reflect today's market:  $549,000

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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

$549,000

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

Cozy 1914 Bungalow Cottage ~ Newly Renovated ~ FOR SALE!

This vintage bungalow?  Yes, please!  This newly renovated circa 1914 cottage is just as cute as a button! And at just $169,000 ~ it's priced just right! Let Realtor® Greg Rapp with Salisbury Real Estate LLC show you this adorable 854 square-foot cottage that offers compact living charm but with that vintage character and quality not found in newly built houses!  

Welcome to 904 S. Salisbury Avenue in historic Spencer, North Carolina! This charming 2-bedroom home sits on an elevated lot across the street from the wonderful North Carolina Transportation Museum.  

When you walk up the staircase from the sidewalk, a spacious 8'x26' front porch greets you. You can just picture a porch swing and rocking chairs for those warm fall evenings!  Then, step into your beautiful living room with gorgeous original hardwood floors refinished and polished to a gleam, and original wood wainscoting, a signature component of the 1900s bungalow style. Soaring ceilings and large windows make the home feel open and airy.  The living room's focal point is the original 1914 coal-burning fireplace (non-operating) with its beautifully maintained original mantel and tile surround. The sweetest little coat closet features a small beveled glass window atop its door.

You will find the eat-in kitchen right off the living room ~ totally modernized with new cabinetry, granite countertops, and a pretty white subway-tile backsplash.  An array of large double windows, some that still retain their 1900s wavy glass, beautifully stream natural light into the kitchen as in all the other living spaces. The kitchen is equipped with an electric stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher.

The two bedrooms to the rear of the home are separated by a brand new Jack & Jill bathroom in between with a pretty tiled walk-in shower! A darling laundry/utility room with a doorway to the side walkway will accommodate an apartment-size washer/dryer.

  

This all-electric home offers a new HVAC system with heat pump.  The exterior is sheathed in vinyl siding (low maintenance!), the roof is approximately 6 years old, and all the exterior trim is freshly painted.  The interior is all freshly painted as well!

904 S. Salisbury Avenue offers a newly graveled parking area at the front, while a deep stretch of rear yard lined by a backdrop of trees provides loads of room for outdoor activities.

The tiny house movement is a growing trend, and although tiny houses are typically defined as 400 square feet or less ~ at over 800 square feet ~ 904 S. Salisbury Avenue is not truly a 'tiny home' but still offers a minimalist lifestyle with the potential for mobility and a reduced environmental footprint. Living in a compact house can significantly reduce living expenses, with lower utility bills and maintenance costs. Additionally, smaller houses often lead to lower property taxes due to their reduced size and value compared to larger homes. The fiscal benefits of tiny house living can lead to a more flexible and less stressful lifestyle, with more control over your financial future.

904 S. Salisbury Avenue is located just a few blocks from the Town of Spencer's Historic Downtown with delightful restaurants, shopping, the beautiful Library Park, and an awesome community garden.  Just down the main road is the City of Salisbury's vibrant downtown with nightlife, theater, microbrewery, more unique shops and dining, and the beautiful Bell Tower Green that hosts a variety of community events. 

S. Salisbury Avenue is also State Highway 29, the original road to Charlotte before the interstate system became the preferred route.  It is the main corridor from the north, through the Town of Spencer, into Salisbury, and beyond south to Concord and Charlotte.  While this road can at times be a busy route, 904 S. Salisbury Avenue is separated from the hub-bub by its elevation, the tiered retaining wall at the sidewalk, and its allée of a trio of flowering dogwood trees that provide privacy, beauty, and shade!  The advantage of this address is its proximity to EVERYTHING ~ a short hop to fun activities in Spencer and Salisbury, a short drive to High Rock Lake, and the greater metro areas of Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem are an hour's drive away!

This wonderful updated little 110-year-old cottage is turn-key and ready for your personal touches!  Call Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 to see this 'tiny home' in person and see how amazing small-space living can be!

904 S Salisbury Avenue 

Spencer, North Carolina 28159-2015 

List $169,000 

MLS#:4167472

Greg Rapp Realtor®
Salisbury Real Estate LLC 
704.213.6846 (Mobile) 
GregRappRealtor@gmail.com 
www.realestatesalisbury.net