The Peter Clemmons House

from FC 2022

2022 Board of Directors

The Peter Clemmons House HISTORY COMES FULL CIRCLE

BY MARTIE EMORY, PHOTOS BY JODIE BRIM CREATIVE

Residents of Clemmons love the village for its rich history, and most know the name Peter Clemmons, who first settled the area in 1802, when he relocated his large family from Delaware to North Carolina.

The area quickly made a name for itself as a hub for agriculture and industry, with stagecoaches running regularly through the village. The Peter Clemmons House, built in 1805, was originally a stagecoach stop and inn. With a bustling 3,502 square feet featuring six bedrooms perfect for weary travelers, the charming structure also held many other roles through the years including meeting house and general store And while the house has not been lived in since 1995, it received a long-deserved historical marker last summer, with Bobby Ogburn – whose family has taken care of the home for over 100 years – joining new owners Steven and Linda Marlow, for the unveiling to recognize the home’s historical significance, as well as its bright new future!

A structural engineer and long-time general contractor, Steven is originally from upstate New York – a small town of roughly 100 people called Malden Bridge to be exact. As a child he so admired a Georgian Colonial Revival house owned by his grandmother, which was also used as a stagecoach stop and inn.

“As a boy, I discovered architectural prints under the floorboards of the attic,” remembers Steven. “Some days I would venture up there, spread the pen and ink renderings out on the attic floor, and pretend I was an aspiring architect designing and building wonderful masterpieces. I always made sure I returned the drawings to their rightful place hoping no one would discover I had disturbed them.”

Later, while studying structural engineering at the University of Alabama, he returned to retrieve the drawings, and still has them today, as a reminder of his love for history and the homes that define it! Jump a little to the last few years while his daughters have been attending Wake Forest, and Steven recalls he and his wife were always on the lookout for a wonderful house to stay in while visiting the girls. On numerous visits they admired the Clemmons House and quietly wondered if it would ever become available. Finally, in May of 2020, he found the listing!

“It had only been listed for one hour, and I called my realtor Keith Bandy from Keller Williams, and immediately made an offer!”

While the restoration process has been tedious, with much of the interior walls and ceilings covered with five layers of wallpaper, Steven says the older east side of the home is built with 12” wide red pine planking he plans to hand-wax and preserve, many nailed with rose head nails, a sign of its original era. “The second floor east wing has much of the original cobalt blue and mustard milk paint, which will be restored, and there are nine fireplaces that need pointing,” says Steven. He has already updated utilities and added three bathrooms – there had previously been only one!

The Marlows have a creative vision for the home, which includes opening it to the public via community events and re-enactments, offering a glimpse of the Clemmons Inn’s history and raising awareness of how special the property has been to the area we call home. Steven and Linda see local workshops for writers and musicians in the home’s future, as well as the possibility for a bed & breakfast or a charming shopping spot.

The Peter Clemmons Home is located at 3736 Clemmons Road (U.S. Hwy 158) in Clemmons. Reach Steven Marlow at 561586-0363 or at swmarlow@bellsouth.net.