GREENVILLE – Prettied up from top to bottom, the 1895 Humber House is ready to greet the world. A dedication program on May 8, at 10 a.m., will show the results of years of planning and labor. Formerly the home of Robert Lee Humber Jr., a significant force in the cultural life of the state and region, the structure now serves as the Eastern Office of the Office of Archives and History in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. Its renovation and dedication are a fitting observation of Historic Preservation Month and the department’s 2009 theme “Treasure N.C. Culture”
Cultural Resources Secretary Linda A. Carlisle, Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn, Pitt County Commission Chair Melvin McLawhorn, and John Humber will speak in celebration of the occasion. Dr. Jeffrey Crow, Cultural Resources Deputy Secretary for Archives and History, will officiate. The renovation marks a triumph for the field of preservation and historic rehabilitation. The Humber House was deeded to Greenville and Pitt County by the Humber family in 1980, and donated to the state in 2003. It has been used by the Office of Archives and History since 1983, and in 2004 became a state property. Over the years, maintenance and repair needs grew for the structure built by Robert Lee Humber Sr.
Now that the work is complete, civic groups and other organizations also may have special events and meetings in the house and enjoy the marble fireplaces, hardwood floors and French silk-flocked wallpaper installed by the family. The community will see the rewards of historic preservation and will find the renovated space welcoming and functional.
“Moving back in and seeing the house in its original glory was the most exciting thing,” says Scott Power, regional supervisor of the Eastern Office of Archives and History. “The new technical equipment and data lines also make it a real part of the 21st century.”
The dedication is the end of a renovation journey that began with a new copper roof. Some sills around the base of the house had to be replaced, and the house literally had to be elevated on one side for that foundation work. Termite and water damage to the main support posts had to be repaired.
The house was significantly changed from its 1895 appearance. Originally a Victorian two-story side-hall structure with gabled roof, Humber Sr. completed a two-story addition between 1911 and 1916, giving the house its present porch and Colonial Revival details. He made other changes up to 1923.
Robert Lee Humber Jr. executed refinements to the dwelling after his return to Greenville from France in 1940 at the outbreak of World War II. Additions of decorative plaster moldings, elegant Georgian and Federal woodwork, and marble fireplace mantles for the drawing room and sitting room were made.
Public service was a great calling for the younger Humber. He served in the state senate and largely through his efforts the General Assembly in 1947 appropriated $1,000,000 for the acquisition of an art collection and won donation of artworks from the Kress Foundation to match the appropriation. This was the origins of the N.C. Museum of Art.
Humber was on the board of directors of the Roanoke Island Historical Association, Tryon Palace Commission, and Edenton Historic Commission. He was a founder of Pitt Technical Institute (now Pitt Community College) and worked for world peace and the establishment of a World Federation in 1940.
For additional information, call Scott Power at (252) 830-6580. The Eastern Office is part of the Office of Archives and History in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.