Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / July 17, 1997, edition 2 / Page 6
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O. Max Gardner HI and Victoria Harwell Gardner paid $300,000 in 1989 for a three story house with eight fireplaces and 14 1/2 bathrooms expécted to tumble to the grounds within six months. . When the Shelby couple bought the 11,000 square feet house they got a 1852 structure with 11 major roof leaks and vir- tually no foundation. The plas- ter walls were cracked and 800 balusters needed to be replaced. The house had been empty for eight years and had deteriorated. Gardner, Shelby lawyer, said people asked why they wanted to restore the 19th century Colonila Revival house which had been in the Webb-Gardner families for years. “I felt it was an important his- torical structure, something that doesn’t belong to us but to the people of Cleveland County and North Carolina,” said Gardner. And restore it they did. The magnificent structure was opened on May 1, 1993 as a bed and breakfast inn fit for a king. Since it opened, people from 32 foreign countries and 21 states have slept in the house's five guest bedrooms. It took the Gardners over 3 1/2 years to re- store the major part of the house and grounds. Approaching the front en- trance on the circular driveway, you are transported back int imte when Webbley was the home of the most powerful political orga- nization in the history of North Carolina. The “Shelby Dynasty” produced every governor of North Carolina from the late 1920s to the late 1940s. : The grand 1852 home has been owned by two North Carolina Governors, including the current owners grandfather O. Max Gardner, a US Senator and Con- gressman, a US Ambassador to the Court of St. James and by an Undersecretary of the Treasury. Every single Governor of North Carolina since 1900 has been in the stately old mansion at least once: : The list of political leaders who have visited Webley is not limited to North Carolina boundaries. Nationally renowned figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. ® Truman, Lady Bird Johnson and Margaret Truman have been guests in Historic Webbley. Framed pictures in the parlor are of each of the North Carolina governors since 1900; Roosevelts visit in 1936; Truman's visit in 1947; and portraits of Lady Bird Johnson, Bess Truman and Eleanor roosevelt, among others. There's also a framed picture and clippings Governor Gardner re- ceived from President Roosevelt in February 1943 after Gardner sent Roosevelt nylon Pajamas made from yarn in Cleveland County. Pictures of five First La- dies, including the popular Fay Webb Gardner, are here. In the inn bar, Gardner has covered the walls with photos and newspaper clippings of his grandfathers lengthy career in Noth Carolina and the nation’s capitol. A featured wall holds five let- ters from three presidents, includ- ing one from Lyndon Johnson eight days after the assasination of John E. Kennedy. “With everything President Johnson must have been going through after the assasination he took the time to write my grand- mother,” says Gardner. Johnson expressed appreciation for Mrs. Gardner’s support during the cri- Sis. : i Even Gardner was surprised when he removed the kithchen ceiling plaster during renovation and found an unusual decorated crushed tin ceiling, unique in only about seven houses in the county at the turn of the century. Over the years, actors and en- tertainers Jack Benny, Ava Gardner, Andy Griffin, Don Knotts and Joan Crawford have been honored guests. Floyd Patterson was a visitor during his reign as World Heavyweight Box- ing champion. Recently, Whitney Houston was a guest when she Inn at Webbley Cleveland County’s historic Webbley on Lafayette Street in Shelby was in the county for her broth- ers wedding. The unique bed and breakfast inn is identified by the National Register of Historic Places as one of the most distinguished private residences in the state. The current owners. have re- ceived many awards for their lov- “ing and outstanding restoration of the home, including the Gertrude S. Carraway Award from Preser- vation North Carolina. Twin parlors, a formal dining _ room and a bright and cheerful breakfast room have their own unique decor, including antiques, hardwood floors, Oriental rugs, designer fabrics, and museum- quality window treatments and drapings. ! A group of five matching brass chandeliers adorn the formal ar- eas on the main level of the house. See WEBLEY, Pg. 7 Old Fashioned Soda Fountain: 1 original water color painting . Order by mail or by ph one: (include 54-50 shipping and tax) (704)825-5304. Artist Dorothy- O. Groner’s available in prints of Belmont Abbey Signed and numbered print 12° X18" - §75.00 e Specialty Shop e Original Art ce Sculpture 31 Main e Framed Antique Prints ‘eo Strained Glass e Light Fixtures, etc. Street, Belmont, NC 28012 (704)825- 5304 Mon. _ Sat. 9 to 5:30pm a Lowest Prices 4 in Cleveland County Selection in Cleveland County Don’t Be Fooled By Sale Items! Our Factory Direct Prices Beat Them All. Glenn Angel Fi THE ie To ll 1 (The Bedding Specialist) 484-0000 1730 Fallston Rd., Hwy 18 (Formerly Gee’s Furniture Barn) Financing Available Delivery Available
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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July 17, 1997, edition 2
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