GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – A historic home in the Upstate that served a variety of entertainers through the decades is getting a new purpose.
The home, heavily boarded up at 212 Asbury Avenue in Greenville, has been in disrepair for years. Now, work is underway to recapture the magic it once had as a haven for musicians like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.
Johnston Design Group is one of several local agencies that partnered to renovate and restore the home. Byron Jefferies, an architectural designer with Johnston Design Group, told 7NEWS the home served as a bed and breakfast in the 1950s and was listed in the Negro Travelers Green Book.
“This project is not only a staple or will be a staple in Greenville, but I think it helps tell the story of how African Americans in the 1950s had to live, and now the freedom that we have to buy whatever we want, to go wherever we want to, but then still be able to go into a home and understand that this is where we were and how far we’ve come since then,” said Jefferies. “So, it’s really important, especially in a southern side neighborhood where you see a lot of development happening.”
Jefferies added that the home was also one of few places in the segregated south where black musicians felt welcome. According to developers, it was nearly total loss after sustaining a fire around a decade ago. Now, they plan to convert it into a short-term rental with four bedrooms, a kitchen and large living area. Jefferies explained the improvements will honor the home’s iconic past.
“So, the work that we’re doing… it’s pretty intricate. Pretty detailed. We’re working with the [South Carolina Department of Archives and History] to really preserve the house and restore it back to what it was before,” Jefferies also said. “So currently, we’re kind of assessing everything, all of the needs that the home needs to be structurally sound. And then after that, you know, we’ll go in and revamp the exterior, [and] design the interior in a way that speaks to that era of time.”
Jefferies went on to say that there will be new finishes to the outside of the home, including new windows and a new roof, but it’ll still be picturesque to the 1950s. Construction is slated for April.
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