Learn how to preserve a historic home from the Charlotte couple who restored the 1790 Sloan-Porter house
CHARLOTTE, N.C., – Learn the ins and outs of preserving a historic home from a Charlotte couple who restored one of the city’s oldest houses, largely on their own.
Join The Charlotte Museum of History on May 27 for a live streamed Lunch and Learn with Brian and Sarah Clarke and learn about their multi-year restoration project for the 1790 Sloan-Porter House. The house is one of the few remaining 18th century homes in Charlotte, and the Clarkes’ restoration project won The Charlotte Museum of History’s 2020 Residential Preservation Award of Distinction.
The Clarkes will discuss the trials and successes of restoring the Sloan-Porter House with guest host Kristi Harpst, program manager for the City of Charlotte’s Historic Districts and member of the museum’s Preservation Committee. Harpst will interview the Clarkes and share restoration resources for homeowners.
The Sloan-Porter House is a local landmark and one of the last remaining historic residences in the vicinity of Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1760. The house is one of only two original houses in the Dixie and Berryhill communities, and it is likely the only one that will retain its historic rural setting, a feat made possible because it is surrounded on three sides by the Berryhill Nature Preserve. When Brian Clarke purchased the house in 2015, it was abandoned. The house lacked running water, had no functional bathroom or kitchen and suffered from severe rot and insect damage.
Over the next five years, he and his wife, Sarah Hammett Clarke, restored the neglected farmhouse into a beautiful, functional home, doing much of the work themselves. This labor of love showcases many of the home’s original features, including woodwork and windows dating back to an 1890s expansion to the home and even earlier.
How to attend
Visit charlottemuseum.org/events to receive the Zoom dial-in information for this free, live streamed Lunch & Learn that takes place at noon on Thursday, May 27. A recording will be available on the museum’s YouTube channel after the event.
About The Charlotte Museum of History
The Charlotte Museum of History exists to save and share the Charlotte region’s history, helping create a better understanding of the past and inspiring dialogue about the future. The museum is the steward of the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander Rock House and homesite, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest home in Mecklenburg County. Visit charlottemuseum.org and follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The museum is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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Mary Beth Navarro
Navarro Communications Consulting
704-576-1858 mobile