215 N Occoneechee St, Hillsborough, NC 27278

Sitting on one of the highest spots in Hillsborough's Historic District, 215 N. Occoneechee Street, ca 1898, is a well-preserved example of early 20th-century architecture. Originally built by John and Sally Christmas as a classic two-over-two more than a century ago, this home's history is reflected through a blend of preserved features and rich oral stories passed down through the years. The house was remodeled some time in the 1940s to add the two-story front porch and bathroom. The grouped columns on the porch are identical to those at 210 W. King Street, and neighborhood lore notes that the home's owner and local contractor, R.S. Crawford, worked on both properties. The Gattis family, who purchased the house in 1965, added the back wing for a bedroom (now the kitchen, dining and family room) and enclosed the side porch to expand the kitchen and add a laundry room. Today, this home occupies one of the largest lots in the district. With over 1.6 acres of woods and naturally terraced green space, there's room to expand the main house, add an ADU, plant a kitchen garden, gather friends around a fire, play lawn games, and more. Stretching across the entire facade, the wide Mt. Vernon-style front porch recalls a time when life moved at a slower pace. Its eastern orientation offers a cool break from the afternoon heat and ample room for outdoor living and al fresco dining. Wood floors on the main level include hardwoods in the front rooms and heart pine in the dining and family room. The adjacent kitchen is a charming culinary time capsule offering beautiful western views of the backyard. The mudroom and laundry area, just off the kitchen, offers a convenient side entrance with a path to the garage & workshop. The main floor includes a bedroom and full bath; the current owners have commissioned plans for reconfiguring the downstairs bathroom into a powder room, and creating a first-floor primary bedroom with adjoining en suite bath. Two additional bedrooms and a full bath are upstairs. Outside, a newer paved driveway leads to a rare and enviable feature in the district: a detached, two-car garage with ample upstairs storage. An attached workshop behind the garage offers endless possibilities for the accomplished (or aspiring) woodworker, tinkerer, or hobbyist. Solar panels mounted on the garage roof contribute to the home's energy efficiency. The current owners have been thoughtful stewards of the property, including removing aluminum siding, repairing and replacing wood siding, installing a foundation drain and crawlspace dehumidifier, insulating exterior walls, making foundation and sill repairs, opening the entry and living areas, adding the driveway, garage, and workshop, and much more. Their legacy of care honors the home's historic character and offers a welcoming canvas for what comes next.