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Population 4,511
In March 2020, Dee and Scott Spruce purchased 415 South Broad Street in downtown Edenton. The previous owner had used the first floor for her hair salon and the second floor was used for storage. The underutilized property offered an opportunity.
On behalf of the Spruce’s, Destination Downtown Edenton, requested an upper story schematic plan from the North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center and their UNC Greensboro Main Street Fellows partners.
Down East Preservation, a local historic preservation construction and development company, assisted the new owners with the rehabilitation of the building based on the plans that Main Street Fellows developed. The facade was rebuilt, wood floors were restored, and windows were reglazed. The electrical, plumbing, mechanical and HVAC were brought up to code. The second-floor storage was converted into a vacation Airbnb unit that evokes Edenton’s history. The first floor hair salon was rehabilitated for Downtown Roots, a salad and sandwich shop.
The owners contracted with Jennifer Harriss Consultation to submit the federal and state historic tax credit applications and the improvements met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The $465,000 rehabilitation project turned 1,300 square foot of unused space into a new lodging unit that has maintained a 90% occupancy since the project was completed in May 2023. In addition, it opened up an opportunity for a new entrepreneur to open a small business in a newly rehabbed 1,300 square foot space on the first floor.
*Edenton won an NC Main Street Award for this redevelopment project.
