This historic NC home is for sale after woman who lovingly restored the estate died
A historic, century-old home in Monroe is for sale, months after the businesswoman who spent a decade lovingly preserving the two-story colonial died.
Gail Young Marshall, who founded Auctions by Marshall in 1981, bought the home at 903 W. Franklin St. in 2011 and immediately took to its restoration, Realtor Carolyn Tibbetts of Coldwell Banker Realty told The Charlotte Observer in a recent interview.
Tibbetts is handling the $600,000 sale of the home by Marshall’s estate.
The home is on the National Register of Historic Places, and Marshall opened the home to visitors on a local Tour of Homes, Tibbetts said.
The home was built in 1919 for C.C. Stokes, secretary-treasurer of Icemorlee Cotton Mills.
The 4,149-square-foot home stands on a half-acre wooded, corner lot and has six bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one partial bathroom.
Marshall named the home Grand Oaks after the oak trees on her 0.54 acres. “She loved the oak trees,” Tibbetts said.
She added multiple porticoes and chairs in her yard and enjoyed seeing all the bees and hummingbirds there, according to the real estate agent.
Marshall also loved antiques and adorned her home with them, Tibbetts said. Tibetan temple doors grace the entrances to the living room, dining room and the office-den, according to its listing.
Each room of the home has chandeliers and stained-glass windows and doors. Marshall added the 37 green stained-glass windows with diamond inserts.
Marshall preserved the original 9-foot coffered ceilings and hardwood floors in the home, and the original claw foot tub.
Other features include cork flooring and solid cherry counter tops in the kitchen, and a bright sun room that looks out to side gardens.
The home also has a marble fireplace; sculptures and art; a first-floor primary bedroom suite; and a large dining room with a bay window.
Rooms bring in sunlight and afford views of the gardens and woods outside.
A two-story carriage-guest house on the property has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchenette, two separate living areas and a two-car garage.
“The home is as unique as the woman who purchased it,” Tibbetts said. “She was an auctioneer, Realtor, artist and successful business owner. She combined these talents to bring the home to its current state.”
Marshall created most of the sculptures in the home and sourced period materials for trim and other improvements, according to the agent.
“She put her heart and soul into the home,” Tibbetts said.
An on-line auction of items removed from the property and housed at Lilly Auction and Gallery in Indian Trail is scheduled for Oct. 2. Register at lillys.com.
An on-site auction at the house, 903 W. Franklin Ave. in Monroe, will take place on Oct. 10. Registration is required.
This story was originally published September 3, 2022 at 3:50 PM.