Berryhill House
(ca. 1884)
The Berryhill House was the residence of several of Charlotte’s growing class of late nineteenth century entrepreneurs.
324 W 9th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
The Berryhill House is unique as one of Charlotte’s last remaining nineteenth century examples of Victorian architecture, a style that once dominated much of its Fourth Ward neighborhood. It was the home of John Henry and Annie Augusta “Gussie” Newcomb (1845-1892 and 1850-1933, respectively) and their children George H. and Augusta A. Newcomb, who moved from White Plains, New York, with John’s brother George Edward Newcomb (1843-1911) in 1879. The brothers had been dispatched to Charlotte by Brown and Weddington, Inc., to supervise construction of a bellows factory on East Ninth Street along the western side of the railroad tracks just east of College Street.
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The Newcombs prospered in Charlotte. By 1884 John and George had acquired sole ownership of the bellows factory they had constructed, greatly expanding the scope of its operations to include the manufacture of windows and sashes. The brothers had also entered the construction business. Meanwhile, Gussie Newcomb and her sister-in-law Susie Adelaide Newcomb (1847-1933) also became active in the local business community, purchasing a local millinery store on West Trade Street in 1881 that they operated as S. and G. Newcomb’s Millinery Store, catering to the wealthier ladies of the community. The brothers and their wives bought two adjacent vacant lots in 1884 with the intent of building homes suitable to their financial status in the community. Both homes were completed by late 1884. By 1891, however, the brothers had sold the manufacturing plant, George and his family had sold their house and moved to Richmond, Virginia, and John had built a new bellows factory behind his home. John passed away unexpectedly the following year, leaving his son George to run the factory.
In 1894, John and Gussie’s daughter Augusta (1972-1956), also known as Gussie, married Earnest Wiley Berryhill (1866-1931). Four years later, the Berryhills moved into the West 9th Street house with the elder Gussie after purchasing a grocery store at 401 West 9th Street, located diagonally across the street from the Newcomb family home. They were later joined by John and Gussie’s son George (1869-1925) who moved into the house in the early 1900s following the deaths of his wife and two of their four sons.
Earnest Wiley Berryhill continued to live in the West 9th Street home with his wife, son John Newcomb Berryhill (1894-1979), and in-laws until his death in 1931. The longtime grocer was a respected businessman who often sent groceries to the needy with no expectation of repayment. He also served as a founder and director of Citizens Savings Bank. As a result of his local renown, the Newcomb family home became known as the Berryhill House. Upon her husband’s death, the younger Gussie convinced their son John (then a longtime executive with the DuPont Company) to return to Charlotte to look after the store and the family's real estate interests. After Gussie’s declining health prompted a move into a nearby nursing home, John converted the Berryhill House into a four-unit apartment house that he maintained and operated for several years. The Junior League of Charlotte subsequently purchased the house in 1975 for renovation and resale.