From The Archives

HISTORY

Built circa 1879, the F. S. Royster House was occupied by its namesake, one of the founders of the Royster Clark fertilizer company, until sold to Mr. Park, a wealthy local farmer, who added numerous Queen Anne and Eastlake features to the original design. By 1900, Henry T. Bryan, a local merchant, and his wife Anna had acquired the home. The home would then remain in the Bryan family for over ninety years. Sons Henry Jr., Edward, Dudly, and Augustus and particularly daughter Sarah T. Bryan, who lived here from infancy and is said to have offered the second floor as living space to newly married couples after World War II, enjoyed making this unique house the family home. When Ms. Bryan relocated to a local retirement village, it was her heart's desire to entrust the stewardship of her lifelong home to new owners who would also appreciate its architectural and historic value. Her intentions were fully realized. During the next family's tenure, a family who does historic renovations professionally, the beloved Royster House underwent extensive restoration.

TOUR

From your first step, a step onto the carriage mounting block inscribed with "1210," one quickly realizes at the Royster House one needs to be prepared to enjoy a step back in time. A few more steps and one is welcomed through the antique original wrought iron gate for a stroll along the 10’x94’ Herring Bone Crowned brick walk past the century old graceful magnolia and delicate dogwood trees. Opportunities abound to appreciate the architectural exterior details of this recently painted grand home which include a slate roof with floral pattern, steep pitched roof, gables with verge boards, sculpted chimney, wide eaves with brackets, lapped siding, wood shingle siding detail, diagonal trim boards, ornate exterior trimwork, turned porch posts and double gabled front porch with arches featuring elaborate grill work. As one so desires, step aside to view the cloverleaf pond with fountain feature or step forward onto the expansive porch, complete with porch swing and plenty of room for multiple rocking chairs, and ring the antique door bell on the Royster House's elaborately carved, leaded glass entry door.

As one steps inside this exquisite home, the Royster House reveals an open staircase with multiple landings, a 26’ x 17’ Formal Parlor with a gas fireplace, original slate mantel and pocket doors leading to the adjoining Music Room. The 16 x 19’ Music Room has another fireplace with beautiful wood mantel detailing, a 3’ x 8’ bay window and a separate door to the main hall. French doors from the Music Room open to the 25’ x 15’ Grand Dining Room with original detailed oak paneled ceiling, paneled oak wainscot, grand fireplace and large bay with multiple stained glass windows. The Dining Room offers open access for entertaining with entrances via the French doors, a door to the main hall and another to the Butler’s Pantry. The Butler’s Pantry has built in cabinets with loads of storage and a fully functional antique ceramic sink and drain board. Pass straight through the Butler’s Pantry to the recently restored Gourmet Kitchen with pressed tin ceiling. This Dream Kitchen includes maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances, sub-zero style refrigerator/freezer, double convection ovens, cooktop, double sink, disposal, dishwasher, granite countertops and a six foot center island for food prep. Passing through the Kitchen you enter the Breakfast Room which has a separate door to the back yard and could be used as an office or craft room. The Butler’s Pantry also allows for access to the 20’x17’ glass enclosed Sunroom with beautiful stone tiled floor. The light-filled Sunroom offers an additional exit to the back yard, an enclosed staircase entrance to the second floor Sleeping Porch, an entrance to the Main Hall and a separate Half-Bath. The Main Hall with beaded panel wainscot offers access to the first floor 16’ x 15’ bedroom with a full bath complete with claw foot tub, walk-in shower with seat, decorator tile and radiant heated floor. The 25’ x 16’ Sitting Room features a built-in bookshelf, walk-in closet, fireplace and a mirrored bay window with multiple stained glass panels.

Take the open grand staircase upstairs to a large landing with storage closet and a door with access to the walk-up attic that covers the main house. The second floor features five expansive bedrooms ranging in size from 15’ x 12’ to 15'6 x 20'6. Two of the bedrooms share a full bath. The other three bedrooms have access to a separate second full bath with clawfoot tub. A room-sized walk-in lighted cedar closet adorns the back bedroom. Additionally upstairs is a 11’ x 9’ laundry room with a separate full sink and built in cabinets dating back to when it was used as a separate kitchenette. The Sleeping Porch with entrances off of the Laundry Room, main second floor hall and stairs to the Sunroom offers a screened relaxation view of the fully-fenced back yard with fountain and English Garden.

The home retains the original woodwork and details, has 7 fireplaces, paneled oak doors, ornate chandeliers, recently refinished wood floors and too many unique historic features to list. The whole house has central heat and air conditioning with four separate zones. The 75' x 290' in-town, corner lot features beautiful landscaping, antique wrought iron fencing, fully fenced back yard, pond, two fountains, herringbone brick walk ways and a 16'x 12' storage building which looks like a small cottage.

RESTORATION

Extensive renovations of the interior and exterior, including adding updated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems were completed, while at the same time preseving the home's vast architectural details.

On the exterior, the existing paint on the clapboard siding, windows, and trim was stripped to original wood to open up the heart pine wood pores, and the entire house and the body of the detached workshop primed with top quality commercial grade primer, Sherwin-Williams A-100. The primed wood was then coated with top quality Sherwin-Willaims acrylic latex Super Paint or Duration coating. The result is a remarkably resisilient shield of paint which was recently refreshed with new colors, but required virtually no rework due to paint failure after some fourteen years. The key is an oil-based primer bonding to the heart pine wood siding and a tenacious top coat with the elasticity to flex with the area fluctuations in overnight to midday temperatures. This is how one can truly enjoy the beauty of owning a "painted lady." Exterior restoration also included original gable shingle detail, new glass and siding repairs as needed, new copper gutters and downspouts and the addition of an adjoining deck to the rear Sunroom.

Underneath the house, extensive work was completed removing old wiring, plumbing, and ductwork and adding updated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. The structural aspects, including pier support work was completed to meet FHA/VA inspection standards.

Interior improvements included extensive kitchen and bath renovations and upgrades. The newly created deluxe kitchen with granite counter-tops, stainless double convection oven, separate cooktop, sub-zero style full size refrigerator and freezer, and a central work island offers the potential of commercial uses. The first floor master bath comes complete with a claw foot tub, walk-in shower with seat, decorator tile and radiant floor heat. The two full baths on the second floor have also been remodeled with period fixtures and claw foot tubs. A beautiful Sunroom with adjoining powder room half-bath has been added and a huge laundry room remodeled. Numerous rooms were replastered and the hardwood floors refinished in most of the rooms and common areas.

COMMUNITY

In Tarboro, nestled in a bend of the Tar River with its population of less than 11,000, a front porch is more than part of a house. It symbolizes a tranquil way of life that's easy, open, and relaxed--yet casually elegant. A tranquil way of life which lends itself to a safe, relaxed and enjoyable small-town lifestyle, perfect for retirement or raising a family. A tranquil way of life which, outside of Tarboro, has become increasingly rare.

Rich in history and steeped in tradition, Tarboro is one of North Carolina’s most significant and intact Colonial towns. Chartered in 1760 with its original Town Common, a 15-acre park canopied by tall oaks, Tarboro, one of North Carolina's oldest towns, also has one of the state’s oldest and largest protected historic districts, a 45-block Historic District and renovated Downtown, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town's revitalized historic downtown has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation "Main Street Program". A Historic District National Recreation Trail guides visitors through the scenic older neighborhoods of the town. Guided walking tours of the Historic District, led by a local town historian and author, are held on Saturdays throughout late Spring through early Fall.

Although it is generally agreed that the area around Tarboro was settled by 1733, Mosley's map of that year shows only Tuscarora Indians. Tarrburg, as the town was called on maps of 1770-75, was chartered November 30, 1760 as Tarborough by the General Assembly. In September of the same year, Joseph and Ester Howell deeded 150 acres of their property to the Reverend James Moir, Lawrence Toole (a merchant), Captains Aquilla Sugg and Elisha Battle, and Benjamin Hart, Esquire, for five shillings and one peppercorn. As commissioners, these men were to lay out a town with lots of not more than 1/2 acre and streets not wider than 80 feet, with 12 lots and a 50-acre "common" set aside for public use. Lots were to be sold for two pounds, with the proceeds to be turned over to the Howells.

Tarboro, the head of navigation on the Tar and a riverport town during colonial times, has been the county seat of Edgecombe County since the county was established in 1741. The North Carolina State Legislature met here once in 1787 and again in 1987, and Tarboro has continued to maintain a position of importance in eastern North Carolina. Many citizens ventured early into manufacturing, though agriculture has long been the major industry. The area prospered, and by 1850 was widely known as "Tawboro", a name attributed to "Taw", the Indian word for "river of health".

Tarboro's cultural center is the Blount-Bridgers House, the early 19th century plantation house "The Grove" of Thomas Blount, an important figure in North Carolina's history. He, along with numerous Edgecombe County residents, served as officers in the Continental Army. Blount (1759-1812), a very young officer spent time in England as a prisoner of war, but returned to participate in one of the largest merchant/shipping companies in late eighteenth century America. Here, at the Blount-Bridgers House, artifacts and antiques tell the story of Edgecombe County, while the Hobson Pittman Collection of 20th century art, located in the same building, recalls the career of one of North Carolina's most celebrated artists. Along with the Blount-Bridgers House Gallery, the Edgecombe County Military Veteran's Museum also provides cultural insight into the local historical character of the community.

The Town Common is the venue for many town activities such as an annual Spring concert held by the North Carolina Symphony, the "Happening on the Commons," a regional outdoor fair held on the commons in May, the Cantaloupe Festival held in June, and History Days in September complete with civil war reenactors camping out on the Town Common and in the yards of area historic homes. There are usually two historic home tours sponsored by the town annually - one during the summer and another at Christmas time.

Edgecombe Community College and North Carolina Wesleyan College can provide great opportunities for adult degree programs as well as a variety of engaging educational courses that are stimulating and thought provoking. Both schools have state of the art auditoriums where concerts, plays and various other programs are presented regularly.

Tarboro has a great mix of small shops, restaurants and business opportunities. On the Square Wine Bar and Restaurant, run and operated by young chef/sommelier Stephen Ribustello and his wife Inez, former Beverage Director at Windows on the World in New York City, provides an exquisite food and beverage experience. Main Street Cafe´ is a popular gathering spot along with Cotton's Grill for morning tales and enjoyable conversation. Other goods and services and quality housing of varying styles and prices provide local residents with an array of attractive options.

Residents can also enjoy the many recreational facilities the town offers its citizens: a 15-acre Town Common, three recreation Centers (including a state-of-the-art senior citizens center), a community pool complex, 10 tennis courts, three major parks and several neighborhood parks, two boat ramps accessing the Tar River, and Indian Lake, a 52-acre natural park. From golf and tennis and to hunting and fishing, there are numerous venues, including The Links at Cotton Valley, an 18-hole course, the Tarboro Softball Complex which houses five regulation fields, shad and herring fishing on the Tar River, an abundance of turkeys and deer during hunting season, and a bike trail throughout the town.

Centrally located for those who enjoy the excitement of North Carolina's cities and the relaxation of its coast, Tarboro is strategically positioned between the Piedmont and the Outer Banks. Located in the Northern Coastal Plain, only 20 miles east of I-95 and on US 64, the main route to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Tarboro is an easy drive during the summer months to the Atlantic coast with its many beaches, and a convenient drive of less than 30 miles to larger cities, such as Rocky Mount, Greenville and Wilson, each with their liberal arts universities. The state capital, Raleigh, is only an hour's drive, and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, an additional quarter hour.

Only 22 miles southeast, via a four lane highway, East Carolina University, home of East Carolina Medical School, is recognized as having one of the top cardio vascular programs in the country. The local Heritage Hospital is affiliated with the East Carolina Medical School through the University Health System of Eastern North Carolina. Locally, the Fountains at the Albemarle, a local upscale retirement complex, offers five levels of living from independent to Alzheimer's care.

For a comprehensive online information guide to locating and living in Historic Tarboro, please visit www.NestleInTarboro.com.