Live for Free, Work for History
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | Jan. 14, 2009
A Spanish Mission bungalow—in North Carolina? The pink, one-story house known as El Nido is one of the rare examples of the architectural style in the state. Spanish for "the nest," El Nido was designed by California architect Aurelia Swanson in 1921. Now The Nest needs a new caretaker.
Preservation North Carolina is accepting proposals for the long-term lease of the house, located in Shelby, in exchange for repairs estimated to cost $150,000. (The repairs are eligible for historic tax credits.) Proposals are due today.
According to Renee Elder, spokeswoman for Preservation North Carolina, "There's some exterior work that has to be done; some structural work has been done already; and there are updates like plumbing and electrical work that need to be done."
The nonprofit will select a "resident curator" who will live in the house free of charge in exchange for renovating the residence and occasionally opening it to the public.
Evelyn Gibbs, whose parents commissioned the house, bequeathed El Nido to Preservation North Carolina, hoping it would become a museum.
Located an hour west of Charlotte at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shelby is a town of 21,000 with a historic downtown and a restored 1918 carousel.
For more information about the El Nido Resident Curatorship, visit Preservation North Carolina: http://www.presnc.org/index.php/Features/Resident-Curator-Sought-for-El-Nido.html
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Comments
Submitted by Jim at: January 10, 2011
There is no "California architect" named Aurelia Swanson. The house was built from plans produced for the Aurelius-Swanson lumber company of Oklahoma City.
Submitted by PrincessPeggy at: December 16, 2010
Someone needs to update this website.