The wedding of Margaret Glenn to Dr. Charles Scott was a celebration to be remembered in Greensboro. Coverage of the 1902 wedding in the newspaper announced:
Dr. Charles L. Scott, a prominent young physician of this city, and Miss Margaret Glenn, one of the accomplished daughters of Postmaster and Mrs. Tyre Glenn, were married last Wednesday evening at 8.30 in West Market M E. church in the presence of an assemblage that taxed the capacity of the structure. Beautiful floral decorations had been prepared for the event. Rev. Dr. Turrentine spoke the impressive words that bound these worthy young people together for life.
A pleasing feature of the occasion was a solo rendered by Miss Nettie Glenn, of Winston, a cousin of the bride. After the ceremony a delightful reception was given the young couple at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn, on West Market Street, which was attended by a hundred or more guests, who were served with refreshments from Dughi of Raleigh, after which Dr. Scott and his bride left for a month’s tour of the South.
When the couple returned from their honeymoon, Margaret’s parents had acquired a new lot on the same block as their own home for the newlyweds to erect their house. The Shingle Style residence at 126 South Mendenhall Street was likely completed in 1903, around the time of the birth of their daughter Margaret Glenn Scott in July 1903.
Happiness was fleeting for the Scott family. In March 1904, the newspaper reported “Dr. C. L. Scott has sold his nice new residence on Mendenhall Street to Mr. J. F. Fonville and will move to the Dalton Flats the first of the month.” Less than a year later, on February 13, 1905 the town newspaper announced Mrs. Scott’s death, noting “The death angel had hovered at her bedside for two or three days seemingly hesitating before blotting out the sweet young life that hung in the balance.” Margaret Glenn Scott was 21 and left behind her sixteen-month-old daughter along with her husband.
Hattie and John Fonville lived in the home from 1904 until Hattie’s death in 1907. John and daughter Ruth remained in the home and were soon joined by John’s second wife, Bonnie, in 1909. They had more children and remained in the house until 1916. By the 1950s, the large home was divided into five apartment units that lodged a variety of young professionals through the 1980s. In 1991 the house was purchased by John and Margaret Scott (no relation to the original owners), who returned it to single-family stature.
The Scott residence is a rare example of Shingle Style, an architectural theme that features shingle-clad exterior walls across a visually complex form. The form of the Scott House is amplified by its gambrel roofline and dormer windows. The interior features a generous floor plan and an eye for detail. Original mantels in the living room and master bedroom were discovered on the property and returned to their proper locations in the 1990s. Violinist Marjorie Bagley and physicist Ian Beatty recently purchased the Scott home. Although they have made much less progress furnishing the house than they would have liked, they are providing the tour with a “sneak peek” inside.
This weekend, Preservation Greensboro’s Third Annual Tour of Historic Homes & Gardens will feature a total of ten vintage homes of the College Hill neighborhood. Plan to spend the weekend touring stunning homes of the nineteenth century that highlight interesting architecture, design ideas, and local history. Advanced tickets are available now at Extra Ingredient, Brown Gardiner Drug, Tasting Room, and Blandwood. Group tickets of ten or more are available for $15 per ticket. Make a weekend of it with Patron Passes, available at Blandwood Mansion, that include a fantastic College Hill Block Party on May 18th featuring crafted beers, live music, and great food!
Stay tuned to our website, this blog and our Facebook page for additional information!
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