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Magnificent Landmark Estate!

This estate has been owned and carefully preserved for over 81 years by the prominent Leo C. Wallace family. The Chateauesque style home that is located in the center of the West Square Historic District of Salisbury, North Carolina, was built in 1902. The interior is handsomely designed. The grounds were designed and most likely landscaped in 1904. The house was listed as a Pivotal structure on the National Registry of Historic Places. The outbuildings on the property are also listed on the Registry as Contributing structures.

The double-leaf front doors of the mansion open into a vestibule finished with an inlaid mosaic tile floor and oak paneling with egg and dart moldings. A second set of doors with beveled glass opens into a reception hall, the largest room on the first floor (20' X 35') where a detailed staircase with three landings is illuminated by a very large stained glass window. A majestic glazed brick fireplace has a beautifully carved wooden mantel supported by acanthus brackets. The walls and ceiling have a Classical Revival style treatment featuring Ionic pilasters with recessed panel fields, a fully paneled wainscot below a molded chair rail and panel and beam ceiling, all of which are enriched with egg-and-dart molding. The walls above the wainscot and the fields of the ceiling panels are painted rough-coat plaster. The doorways into the parlor, library and dining room have heavily molded classical enfacements; the doorways are fitted with double-leaf pocked doors each having five horizontal panels with egg-and-dart moldings. A single door of lake character opens from the hallway into a shallow passage which connects with the guest lavatory.

The drawing room, or parlor, has blue damask covered walls, oak floors, an ornate Rococo Revival-style plaster ceiling, pastel colored slag glass chandelier and a marble top bench in the bay alcove. The woodwork features the beadwork seen in the finish of the reception hall. Mrs. Wallace, Sr., purchased the marble Louis XVI-style mantel in this room in the late 1920's.

The library has oak flooring, glass-fronted bookcases with Ionic pilasters which go with the Ionic columns on the mantel and over mantel. The fireplace frame and hearth is brown ceramic tile. The ceiling is beam and panel. The arched alcove has a black Italian marble top.

The formal dining room has an inlaid mosaic tile floor with a rust-red Greek-key design border with green rib boning. The walls are Flemish oak. The fireplace is flanked by arched alcoves with Ionic pilasters. There are four cabinets with beveled glass doors. The ornate fireplace is flanked by arch-headed alcoves supported by stop-fluted Ionic pilasters. In the center of each alcove are stained glass windows above china cabinets with beveled-glass doors. A beautiful large Czechoslovakian crystal chandelier is centered in the room. Beveled glass double doors with stained glass above leads to an adjoining loggia/roofed gallery that is delightful for summer dining.

The family breakfast room has a second staircase leading to the upstairs. This room has a terrazzo floor and plaster walls. There is a built-in corner china cabinet and built-in shelving found in this room. A family/service stair connects the family dining room with the second story.

The large kitchen, pantry, laundry room (with additional third staircase), and glass enclosed back service porch are also found on the first floor.

At the top of the grand staircase (at the entry foyer) is the second floor sitting room, off of which are five large bedrooms. One is presently used as an office/study. Each has a beautiful fireplace with mantel. The largest has its own private dressing room with built-in wardrobe, mirrored doors, drawers and a cabinet. The bathroom retains its original hexagonal white tile flooring, tall white tiled wainscot with rolling-wave border. The original pedestal sink and tub remain. The stained glass window matches one in the dressing room. Also on this level there are two additional bedrooms and an updated bathroom with a whirlpool tub.

The third floor was originally designed as a ballroom or game room. It is a large room with utility carpet, dormer windows, an extra-large skylight and three walk-in closets. Also, on this floor there are a full bath with claw foot tub and a bedroom presently being used for storage and an additional hallway storage closet.

The basement level has storage cabinets and a cement floor.

The carriage house/stables at the rear of the estate are an L-shaped one-story granite building with a slate roof. A courtyard of cobblestone leads up to the main house thru a Wisteria-covered columned arbor that has recently been renovated.

The grounds are beautifully landscaped with mature Azaleas, Boxwoods, Magnolias, Rhododendrons, fruit trees, a Fig bush, a magnificent rose garden and a variety of other trees. At the left of the front entry stairs is the largest and oldest Ginkgo Biloba tree known to be growing in the state of North Carolina. The plantings along the boundaries of the property provide both privacy and frame public views into the grounds. The entire yard has an underground irrigation system.

The driveways are both black-top and granite cobblestone. There are three entrances to the estate. The large circular cobblestone drive surrounds a showplace rose garden. The estate is amazingly private even though it in the heart of Salisbury's West Square Historic District.

Salisbury is centrally located in the Piedmont section of North Carolina, less than a 45 minute drive to the larger cities of Charlotte, Winston Salem and Greensboro. The population of Salisbury is approximately 28,000. Historic Salisbury provides small town charm while being decidedly accessible.