East Town Neighborhood Historic Tour of Homes

546 East Main Street
Current Owners: Dunlap House Investments, LLC
Historic Name: Walter M. Dunlap House

  The December 1, 1909 issue of the Rock Hill Herald stated that Mr. Walter M. Dunlap would in the near future build a nine-room house on Main Street. The house that he had built is a two-story Classic Revival style structure, which is characterized by its hip-shaped roof and front porch roof lines. The front porch columns are topped with Corinthian capitals. The left side of the house is quite interesting with a pedimented gable projection with a round tracer window and keystone at the attic level. The interior has many interesting features, such as wainscoting and moldings.
  Early records show the house being owned by Walter M. & Lillian Dunlap. Mr. Dunlap was an attorney with Dunlap and Dunlap Law firm, which was at one time located in downtown Rock Hill.
  The Brad Jordan Law Firm, who currently occupy the property, were careful to maintain the historical appearance of this house during the renovation and conversion into a law office and are to be commended for the effort put forth.

538 East Main Street
Current Owners: Joe and Betty Sherrill
Historic Name: James Edward Marshall House

  This house was built around 1905. 1925 records show the house as the residence of J. Edward Marshall, who was affiliated with Dixie Oil Company (owner of four filling stations in Rock Hill). The Marshall family sold the home in the 1960’s to Mr. Jack Hutchison (President of First Federal Savings and Loan Co.) and his wife, who lived there until 1991. The Sherrill’s purchased the home in 1993 and spent about 18 months restoring and renovating it before taking occupancy in 1994.
  The house is an impressive two-story Classic Revival style structure that has had little alteration over the years. Beautiful exterior features include projecting pedimented gables and dormer with wonderful molded wood panels at the attic level. The side projecting gables have cutaway bay windows with supporting decorative brackets. A projecting gable even extends from the front porch area and has a lovely raised triangular panel in the gable end.
  In 1997, the Sherrill’s received the honor of earning a Preservation Award from Historic Rock Hill.

355 East Main Street
Current Owners: Paula Smith & Jim Connell
Historic Name: Neely-Oates House

  This one story home constructed in the 1920’s has many unique architectural features including wide weatherboard siding and a 6 over 1 window on the front gable end, with louvered attic vents and half timbered plaster in the gable ends.
  The 1925 city directory shows Mr. H. G. Neely as occupying this home until 1936, when LaVerne W. Oates and family moved in. The Oates family lived in this home until 1972. In 1989 Paula Smith & Jim Connell bought this lovely home, where they continue to be contributing neighbors in the Historic East Town neighborhood.
  In addition to having their home on tour, Paula & Jim will have their ceramic art for sale in Paula’s studio behind their home. Both Paula and Jim are college art professors. Paula teaches at Gaston College in Dallas, NC, and Jim teaches at Winthrop University. Paula’s work is hand-built ceramics with various surface treatments and glaze finishes. Jim’s work is thrown on a potter’s wheel, altered, and carved. His pieces are high fired in a gas kiln.

131 North Confederate Avenue
Current Owner: John T. Misskelley
Historic Name: D. D. Moore / J. Chauncey Poag House

  This house was once the home of Mr. D. D. Moore, Rock Hill’s first librarian, and was constructed in the early 1880’s. After the death of Mr. Moore the house was sold to the Reid family. The family wanted to build a larger house on the lot and in turn sold the house to Mr. & Mrs. James Chauncey Poag, who then had the house moved from its original lot (now occupied by the Elks Club on Main Street) to a new street called North College Avenue (now called North Confederate Avenue) in 1896.
  This home features a large central hall with the parlor, dining, and bedroom doors opening into the hall. At the rear are a kitchen, original pantry, and servant’s quarters. A full façade front porch with a hipped roof protects turned decorative porch posts with sawn brackets and original balustrade and historic double front doors in an entablature surround.
  The current owner, John Misskelley, is responsible for restoring and maintaining this wonderful home.