Charlotte NC Eastover Community: History Abounds
E
astover, located just southeast of Charlotte’s
Center City, formerly two dairy farms, (also formerly Myers Park
Eastover), was developed by E. C. Griffith in 1927.
In Charlotte NC's Eastover community, history abounds!
Eastover is one of the most desired areas in Charlotte; the
treescape in Eastover is simply breathtaking, especially in the spring
when the pear trees are in bloom!
From the days of Earle Sumner Draper, the Southeastern US
‘premier’ urban planner to present day, Eastover
has been the home of some of Charlotte’s most
elite. From cotton brokers to bankers to attorneys, the
facilitators of Charlotte’s growth have resided in
Eastover. E.C. Griffith sought to create Eastover as a
competitor to Myers Park. Charlotte was headquarters to 770
textile mills, consuming more cotton than any other sector of the
world. In 1927, the piedmont North and South Carolina,
officially surpassed New England in cotton cloth production.
Charlotteans not only owned numerous mills and brokered much of their
own cotton for the region, but boasted a large number of bankers,
attorneys, stockbrokers, and leading retailers. Griffith saw
this elite, upper-income group as a potential market for a new suburb
branching off of Myers Park, which was not completely developed at that
time. E.C. Griffith made a name for himself as a successful
local real estate developer and the company remains one of the oldest
in the city, dealing now primarily in commercial real estate.
Nearly 600 homes make up the
Eastover neighborhood which is full of towering hardwoods, winding
streets and amazing architecture. Eastover
Elementary School is at the
‘heart’ of Eastover. Small businesses
outline the neighborhood on the east and winding sidewalks provide easy
access for the residents.
Early
Eastover architecture is primarily Georgian, mixed with Tudor, bungalow
and Colonial. One home, the Reynolds-Gourmajenko House of
Tuscan Revival architecture exists on Providence Road; no home like it
exists in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County. As the commute to
the city became a bit longer for suburbians, vacant lots quickly filled
with new construction, mostly in-keeping with the Georgian
theme. Currently older estates are being renovated and are
truly amazing.
The Mint Museum of Art,
the first branch of the US Mint, was transported to Eastover in pieces
from its original location in Uptown to a site donated by E.C. Griffith
Company. Martin Boyer, who orchestrated the move, marked each
and every stone before its move. The Civil Works Administration, one of
Franklin Roosevelt's New
Deal Agencies, provided the labor
to resurrect the building as the Mint Museum of Art in
1936. This was one of Charlotte's first historic
preservation operations.
Since the late 1800’s, wealthy
Charlotteans have enjoyed living on the fringe of the Uptown (formerly
Downtown!) area and Eastover was one of the city’s first
suburbs. Sometimes called ‘country
homes,’ the Georgian homes in Eastover, Dilworth, Elizabeth
and Myers Park were a mere 5¢ fare to Uptown on the electric
streetcar (1890’s). The more impressive
suburbs tended to be south or east of town, in essence, due to the fact
that the city's only railroad bridges at the time, were on East Trade
and East Morehead Streets. Dozens of trains blocked the
tracks on a daily basis creating a blockade surrounding the business
district.
Eastover,
not only rich in history, is considered one of Charlotte’s
most sought-after neighborhoods where residents enjoy true neighborly
relationships. Families who have resided in Eastover for
generations are more than welcoming to newcomers moving to Charlotte
from all over the U.S.
Visit
Eastover and savor a piece of history as your tour stately homes in
this lovely neighborhood of Charlotte, NC.
About the author:
Debe Maxwell is a Charlotte Residential
Real Estate Broker, Certified Neighborhood and Relocation Specialist
who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in
Charlotte NC or any place in the country by connecting you with a
relocation professional in your destination of choice. Debe has created
a team of professionals throughout the country to ensure that you
enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. These professionals are
experts in the field of relocation and can serve many purposes beyond a
simple home search. The destination service is of no cost to you!
Please visit www.TheMaxwellHouseGroup.com
for your relocation and/or your local needs.
Debe Maxwell- HELEN
ADAMS REALTY - 704.491.3310 - Debe@DebeMaxwell.com
Copyright
© 2008 By Debe Maxwell, All Rights Reserved...*Charlotte NC
Eastover Community: History Abounds*
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Debe,
So much history and so much beauty there in Charlotte and some really nice writing ma'am.
Don R.