Upon your first gaze of 312 East Trinity Avenue, prepare to be mesmerized by the welcoming embrace of Neoclassical Revival architecture. Elegant columns punctuate the home’s wrap-around front porch, while iconic pediments, gables, and a highly perched dormered Palladian window beckon visitors to step inside to experience both the whispered past and the exhilarating future of this captivating address.

The Grand Dame of Old North Durham was built in 1908 by hardware store owner A.L. Phipps and his wife, Viola Mangum Phipps. It was later lived in and beloved by John Moore, W.W. Moore (an owner of The Durham Sun Newspaper), and the family of Willie E. Tilley, Sr., and Blanche Lipscomb Tilley. After a stint as a Duke Rice House rental home and a computer printer store, 312 East Trinity was purchased by The Rehab Crew in 2015 to not only return The Grand Dame to its former glory, but to give this impressive home new life with modern accoutrements.

Consisting of 3,362 square feet, the coral-hued/frosted-windowed front door of 312 East Trinity opens to a living room and adjoining library with original hardwoods of luminous oak, original fireplaces with teak mantles and tiled surrounds, and spacious, open rooms and amenities, thanks to the innovative work of The Rehab Crew.

“We recognized the immense character of this home the first time we saw it,” says Jerome Love, President of The Rehab Crew. “It was in disrepair and needed renovating as well as modernizing, but we knew it had fantastic potential. It had wonderful 10’ ceilings, but small rooms, in keeping with homes built in the early 1900s. While we opened walls and added storage, we kept as many of the original features as possible, and we harmonized in the features we replaced. The dining room and kitchen flooring, for example, is new, but it very closely resembles the original hardwood. Likewise, some of the interior doors are original; others are new but look like the originals. Our  exceptionally talented design team combined our ideas with those of our listing agent, Adam Kalkhof, and his team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices York Simpson Underwood to create this magnificent home of yesteryear’s charisma and today’s conveniences. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done here.”

“You really need to see this property to appreciate it,” says Kalkhof. “It sits on a private .410 acre lot in close proximity to Downtown Durham, Duke University, and NC Central University. Its gourmet kitchen features quartz countertops, a tiled backsplash, a Wolf gas cooktop and touch screen oven, a copper sink, inspired by the former copper penny flooring in the kitchen, and literally, storage galore. A spacious downstairs bedroom and bath can serve as an owner or in-law suite, and a stunning bedroom suite is located upstairs, with a fireplace in both the bedroom and dramatic bath, along with a gorgeous tiled shower, claw-foot tub, and a sliding barn door into a huge walk-in closet. In fact, 8 wood-burning fireplaces, all with original mantles and tile, are found throughout this home of 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths.”

New to The Grand Dame are the home’s roof, gutters, plumbing, water heater, electrical system, wiring, dual zone HVAC, dual pane windows, fully insulated walls and ceilings, and luxury appliances, including a refrigerator, washer/dryer, and a wine cooler. Lighting and plumbing fixtures throughout the home are spectacular, again thanks to ingenuity of The Rehab Crew. The French doors in the kitchen open to a screened porch, a large back deck, and a fenced yard. 312 East Trinity Avenue is the absolute ideal home for both entertaining and day-to-day living… As Love perfectly summarizes, “The Grand Dame is ready for her next 100 years!”

So what are you waiting for? Priced at $650,000, 312 East Trinity Avenue won’t be on the market long. For additional photos go to www.312ETrinity.com. Even better, attend the Open House on Sunday, January 8, from noon to 4 pm, to tour and personally experience this exquisite property. For more details or to schedule a private showing, contact Adam Kalkhof at (919) 358-4408 or Adam.Kalkhof@BHHSYSU.com.