House History
Green-Meldrim Home
In 1850 Charles Green hired architect John S. Norris to build a grand house in the Gothic Revival style. Characteristics of this style include pointed arches, decorative woodwork and ironwork, bay and oriel windows and columns. At 7,300 sq. ft., the main floor consists of a wide central hall, double parlors, a dining room and sitting room. The ceilings are 15 feet high and the rooms feature American black walnut woodwork, silver-plated door knobs, Italian Carrera marble fireplaces and ornate hard stucco duro cornices and arches.
The front of the house has three pairs of doors. Each pair is distinctive and unique. The massive studded outer doors fold back into frames on either side, creating two small closets. The next pair of doors is louvered and the third pair has glass panels. The latter two pairs of doors slide into the wall and are used according to the weather.
The dome at the top of the stairs was designed to illuminate the house’s interior day and night. By day, light flows through the glass at the top. By night a ring of gas nozzles (98) located on the lower edge of the dome could be lit giving a warm glow to the stairs. With the windows and the top of the dome open, the ring of fire creates air movement, sending hot air out through the top!