Historic Clark House
We are very
excited to announce that on May 27, 2008, the Matthews Town Council
voted to lease the historic Clark House to the Matthews Historical
Foundation. Located at 232 North Trade Street in downtown Matthews,
the Clark House is one the oldest homes in Matthews. Dating to the
mid-1800s, it was built by W.W. Orr and purchased by Dr. Massey. It
became the Massey family home until they sold it to the Clarks in
1919. The home was occupied by the Clarks until 1977, at which time
it was purchased by the Town of Matthews. Many people remember it as
the Matthews Help Center. They occupied the building for many years
until 2004, at which time they moved to their present location at 119
North Ames Street. In 2006, the house was designated a historic
property by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmark Commission.
The Clark House
would function as a different venue than the Reid House, owned by the
Foundation and operated as a special event rental facility. The plans
are to open the house as the Clark House Gallery, where local artisans
would display pottery, paintings, jewelry, glass and other hand
crafted items. Items would be displayed on consignment with the
Foundation taking a small percentage of money from each sale for
operating expenses. The MHF would also maintain a small office in the
house, giving the Foundation a permanent location.
As plans get
underway for the restoration, the American Military Museum will use
the house as an office along with the Matthews Historical Foundation.
This will allow the Military Museum to acquire artifacts and work on
the up fit of their building. This will also allow the Foundation to
raise the necessary funds to begin the restoration project. In a
quote to the Charlotte Observer, Paula Lester, president of the
Foundation, “This house will give us a place where people can stop by,
ask questions and learn more about what we do. We’ve had a lot of
citizens interested in the Clark House and we’re encouraged by that.
It’s going to take the contributions of our citizens to make the Clark
House Gallery a reality”.
The estimated refurbishing cost of the house is
over $100,000. Becky Willard, Foundation Vice President is quoted as
saying “We hope our citizens will get behind this worthy project by
showing their generosity through volunteer service or financial
support”. The Matthews Historical Foundation is a 501c3 Non Profit
Organization. All donations are tax deductible to the donor. Use the
following link to send us your comments or questions
http://www.matthewshistoricalfoundation.org/contact.htm
