Around 2007, Elizabeth “Lib” Conner gave me an envelope containing a note and two images. Her note stated, “This picture has been in my possession for about 60 years and I have paid no attention to it.” The first image was of a fine house with handwriting on the back: ‘Uncle Ed’s home, S. Elm, Greensboro’.” Conner was a passionate environmentalist and native of High Point, a great-niece by marriage to her Ed Steele, and wife of the mid-century modern architect Bob Conner of High Point. The second image was a sketch of a man identified as Benjamin N. Barnes, inscribed on the back with: “Ed’s Grand Father Rev Benjamin Barnes”.
The photos, till now unknown to historians and archivists, raised several questions. Who was Uncle Ed? Who was Benjamin Barnes? When was this house built? Where was it located on South Elm Street? My research has revealed some answers to these questions.
Uncle Ed was the eldest son of Mary (1838-1892) and Seymour Steele (1830-1883). His mother was born Mary Barnes, a native of Crawfordsville, Indiana, and the daughter of Harriet Newel and Rev. Benjamin Nichols Barnes. Rev. Barnes (1808-1838) was born in Southampton County, Virginia where his father was a preacher. Rev. Barnes joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1827. He was a member of the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church for six years before he moved to Indiana in 1836. He died in Crawfordsville the year of his daughter’s birth. The image given by Lib Conner was likely the only image Mary had of her father.
Mary moved to North Carolina early in her childhood. She married Guilford County native Seymour “Simmo” Steele in 1858 in a ceremony performed by Methodist Episcopal Rev. Joshua Bethel in Greensboro. A witness to their marriage was William Clarkson Porter, the uncle of William Sydney Porter, known by his pseudonym O.Henry. Steele’s family background is not known.
By the time Steele was 30 years old, he knew farm living was not for him. With real estate valued at an impressive $1,500 and a personal estate valued at $600, Steele placed an ad in the Greensboro Patriot newspaper in August of 1860 advertising the sale of his 156-acre plantation on which apples, wheat, oats, corn, and tobacco were raised. The property included a two-story house with six rooms and four fireplaces. At the time, the couple enslaved a ten-year-old girl and had a newborn son named Edwin Douglas Steele (1859-1947).
After selling his plantation, Steele established a partnership with C. G. Yates as a freight agent and merchant, though Steele sold his share of the mercantile business to Yates in the fall of 1866. He opened his own store on East Market Street in May 1869, announcing in the Greensboro Patriot “On East Market Street. I am receiving and opening a new supply of Spring and Summer Goods. Well selected – everything usually kept in a first class Store. Call and examine before purchasing, as we will make it to your interest – especially for cash on good barter.”
It was through his role as a merchant that his reputation expanded rapidly in the village of Greensboro. In October 1869, an announcement in the Greensboro Patriot stated “Seymoure Steele [sic] is removing the frame buildings on Davie street, adjoining his store, in order to get more room to build a fine dwelling.” This article was followed a few days later with more news: “In addition to the fine dwelling in course of construction, Mr. S. Steele is extending his store house down East Market, so as to make three more neat store rooms.” This is likely in reference to the construction of the house in Lib Conner’s photograph.
Just six years later, in June 1875, an article in the Greensboro North State newspaper proclaimed “– Improvement – Mr. S. Steele has built a second story porch to his house. Besides being a great convenience in warm weather, it adds much to the appearance of the dwelling.”
With this second-story porch, the house took the form depicted in the photograph. The image features two women at the front door, and another sitting, half hidden by a post, on the second floor. Likely taken around the turn of the twentieth century, the clapboarded house features a three-quarter-width porch embellished by drop pendants, scrolled brackets, and squared columns with chamfers. The newer two-story portion stands proud from the older porch and is further embellished with pendants and brackets in addition to a delicate sawn balustrade. Additional details include louvered shutters, six-over-six sashes with hand-blown glass, and a wood shingle roof.
By the time of the 1870 Federal Census, the Steele family lived in this new house, located at 108 North Davie Street. Their son, Edwin (Uncle Ed) was listed as 12 years of age and was joined by his brother, Walter, who was listed as eight years of age. In 1870, the family had several boarders, including students Fanny and Maggy Houston, hired servants who were people of color named Susan Hiatt, William Davis, and Harry Steele. Two store clerks also lived in the household, including J. E. and S. P. Houston.
In addition to a new house, Steele expanded his business and civic interests as well.
In April 1870, the Greensboro Building and Loan Association was organized by the election of the following officers: N. H. D. Wilson, President. S. W. C. Benbow, Vice-President. W. H. Hill, Secretary. Seymour Steele, Treasurer. On the same day, Steele promoted items for sale in his general store by advertising “New Goods! Cheap for Cash or barter! Dress goods, all kinds, from Calico to Japans, Silks, Black Silks, Piece Goods all qualities. Fine Black and Fancied Cassimeres, Broad Cloths, Ready Made Clothing, Shoes, Molasses, Bacon, Bacon Hams… Seymour Steele, Corner East Market.”
It appears Steele sold his general store in Nov 1873 when the newspaper announced that W. M. Houston, & Co. was taking over accounts at the store located at 33 East Market Street. “All persons indebted to S. Steele will please call at our grocery, and settle up” the article stated.
Several months later, in March 1874, the Greensboro Patriot announced Steele’s interests in a door, window sash, and wooden blind (or shutters) company located just south of the railroad tracks. “Greensboro Sash and Blind Factory, Steele & Denny, Proprietors. Is now prepared to turn out on short notice all kinds of Blinds, Doors, Sash, Window and Door Frames, Turning, Plaining, &c. In fact anything in building line. A large lot of seasoned lumber always on hand, which will be dressed and sold on reasonable terms.” Perhaps Steele used his new company to supply details for his porch addition constructed a year later. Perhaps Steele used the addition as a way to promote his building materials on a busy central street.
By July 1879, Steele made his house available for lease. “My house and lot on East Market Street, which I now occupy, is for lease. Possession given immediately. S. Steele,” the article directed. Steele was leasing his old home because he moved his place of residence into his next endeavor as the manager of the Central Hotel.
The Central Hotel was located on the southwestern corner of Elm and Market. It was erected in 1874, and upon completion was remembered as having “Intimate hospitality, cool well water, and 25-cent meals.” Greensboro grew rapidly in the Reconstruction Era as business investors gravitated to the railroad infrastructure put in place by Governor John Motley Morehead. “New buildings are going up everywhere,” an article stated in the Greensboro North State newspaper in July 1873, “and old ones are being ruthlessly torn to pieces.”
In August 1879, the local press announced Steele’s new position, stating “Our enterprising townsman, Henry H. Tate, has commenced the foundation for a large addition to the Central Hotel…the upper stories will be used by Mr. Seymour Steele, as chambers, &c., for the Central Hotel. This improvement was found necessary, to enable Mr. Steele to accommodate the increasing patronage the “Central” is getting under his management.”
By the 1880 Federal Census, Seymour was listed as a hotel keeper. His son Edwin, now 20 years old, was a lawyer and his brother Walter was a hotel clerk. A dozen people live in the hotel, including a telegraph operator, a bank cashier, a merchant, a book agent, and an assistant editor. In the meantime, Edwin began his profession as a lawyer. His home on Steele Street in High Point was one of the grandest expressions of Queen Anne-style architecture in that city. It was destroyed in 1954, but his home’s wrought iron fence survives, now surrounding the Queen Anne-style house at 901 Johnson Street.
Seymour Steele died in May 1883 when he was 52 years of age. The Greensboro Patriot stated “The burial of the late Seymour Steele took place at Green Hill cemetery Friday evening, in the presence of a large concourse of sorrowing friends. About 34 years ago, Mr. Steele came to Greensboro, a poor boy, and was employed by Mr. C. N. McAdoo as a clerk in his store. He was born and raised in Guilford County, and by his own exertions made himself what he was. He was a man of great energy and perseverance and was numbered among the public-spirited citizens of the town. He was a member of the S. M. E. Church for many years and was a faithful and efficient steward of the church in this place. He was an active member of the board of trustees of the Greensboro Female College and was always solicitous about the success of the institution. He was commissioner of Greensboro for several years and worked zealously for the advancement of the town. For the last two years he was the lessee of the Central Hotel, and was well known to the public in that capacity. His health was shattered by hard work, and all efforts to recover it, since his retirement from active business, proved futile. In 1858 he was married to Miss Mary Barnes, who, with her two sons, are left to mourn an irreplaceable loss.”
Mary Steele died nine years later at the age of 53. They are both buried in Green Hill Cemetery where their once grand gravestone is now toppled. The Steele house was destroyed around 1918 for redevelopment.
Written by Benjamin Briggs
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