The Davis-Proctor house, located on the corner of First Avenue
and North College Street in Twin City, was listed in the National
Register of Historic Places on December 20, 2010. Owner Eileen
Dudley, who lives in the house with her husband, David, collected
and researched the necessary information to have the house
listed.
“It is not particularly striking as an architectural example,”
Dudley says of the 1890 Folk Victorian-style Georgian Cottage, “but
it is fascinating from a social standpoint.”
The house was purchased by Dr. George W. Davis from his
brother-in-law, Robert Barwick, in 1902. George and his wife, Emma,
were living in the house at the time of the 1900 U.S. Census and
the house appears to have been built for them rather than the
Barwicks, who were living in Thomas County at the time. The Davises
were prominent in the community and hosted many gatherings at the
house, which then had four rooms: two on either side of a central
hallway.
In 1928, the house was sold to Claude Mallory Proctor and his
wife, Pearl. Proctor was the first postmaster of Twin City, having
served as a rural carrier, clerk, and postmaster in the Summit
office. When Summit and Graymont joined in 1921, the two towns kept
separate post offices until 1952, when Proctor became postmaster
and Graymont postmistress Lessie Gray became assistant
postmaster.
After the Proctors came John and Aileen Bell, then Van and Jan
Reynolds. These two families had the daunting task of modernizing
the home, including plumbing, ductwork, refinishing the hardwood
floors, and hanging drywall. When the Dudleys moved in with their
four children in 1989 (and Dudley’s mother soon thereafter), they
knew that two bedrooms would not be enough, and began the arduous
process of converting the second story into living quarters. Now,
the house is deceptively large, encompassing two floors as well as
a third-story attic space, with numerous storage areas throughout
the house. They have also added on to the kitchen area and there is
even an in-ground swimming pool.
While researching her house’s origins, Dudley spoke extensively
with Helen Proctor, who grew up in the house and was witness to
many events held there.
“It was a social treasure hunt,” says Dudley. “It was also a
personal challenge, doing this.”
Tracing information back to the Georgia land lottery, Dudley
sorted through an overwhelming amount of information to get what
she needed for the house to be listed.
“That was the hardest part: sorting through the information,”
she explains. “Every house has a story, and that’s what is
interesting to me.”
While Dudley was researching her own house, she found that there
were 182 homes and buildings that were eligible for listing with
the National Register of Historic Places.
“That’s enough for two historic districts,” she says.
Currently, she is working in her spare time to try and get some
of these property owners to get their properties listed. “It is
unique to have so many historic places preserved,” she explains.
“There is such potential for preservation here and economic
benefits from historical tourism.”
The Davis-Proctor house was David Dudley’s dream house and the
locale has inspired his books as well, the second of which he is
working on now.
“When we lived in Pensacola (Fla.), we’d visit East Hill, which
was the historic district, and dream about living in one of the old
Victorian houses,” Mrs. Dudley says. “I like funky old houses. It
has a character and a story.”
“The biggest challenge of living in a house like this is living
in a house like this,” Dudley says with a smile. “Keeping the
critters out and maintenance and repair. There’s always more that
you want to do than you have time for.”
However, she encourages other owners of historic property to get
on the register. “Getting on the registry is like eating an
elephant,” she says. “You do it a bite at a time. It is satisfying
and fascinating to learn the history of your home.”
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