Reviving a piece of history is no easy task, it takes the right team and the right approach. Built in 1886, Spartanburg’s historic Duncan-DuPré House, on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, sat untouched for many years, after being moved from its original location in 1999 to make way for the Marriott Hotel.
The 5,500 square foot home was built in the Queen Anne style by Bishop William Wallace Duncan when he assumed leadership of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Designed by Swedish Architect Gottfried Norman, the home’s unique features include ten fireplaces, five chimneys, a mosaic tile porch, and impressive interior detailing. It is credited with being Spartanburg’s first home with indoor plumbing.
A community-oriented steward, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), assumed ownership of the home in 2012, and hired McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture and our historic preservation specialist, Donnie Love, to lead a weatherization process and restore the home’s exterior. The real challenged lied in restoring the home’s original exterior elements, many of which were removed when the house was moved from its original location. VCOM officials are currently fundraising to restore the interior of the building, with anticipated use as offices or conference space.
