OUR CHARLOTTE OFFICE
GessnerLaw’s Charlotte, NC office is located at 602 East Morehead Street in the historic G. G. Galloway House. Built in 1914-15, the home was designed by architect Willian Peeps. G. G. Galloway House is located in the Dilworth area of Charlotte. Today, the Dilworth neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Dilworth Historic District. The G. G. Galloway House is the last remaining structure of one of the first residential neighborhoods in Dilworth.
The Galloway residence combines natural stone and shingles to create a rustic effect. The G. G. Galloway House is a significant local example of the Bungalow architectural style with English Tudor motifs.
HISTORIC OVERVIEW
This 10-room house was built for Gaston Gilbert Galloway and his wife, Carrie Marshall Brown Galloway in 1914-15 following their marriage. The Galloway House was their first and only house together. G. G. Galloway was a real estate man. He became the first vice-president of the Charlotte-based Trader’s Land Company in 1911.
The president of the firm was Peter Marshall Brown, Galloway’s soon to be father-in-law. Following Brown’s death, Galloway became president of Trader’s Land Company and around the same time married Carrie Marshall Brown Galloway. At first the newlyweds lived in the Brown home, but made plans to build a house of their own. The Galloways then purchased a lot from the Charlotte Consolidated Construction Company (also known as the 4 C’s).The 4 C’s was established by Dilworth to develop Charlotte’s first streetcar suburb.
When designing and building the Galloway home, Peeps included some interesting features not often seen. The home was meant to have a very large porch, which was uncommon, there was use of stone for the exterior, an angled front stairway, and a den with rounded arch windows. It was a very well-appointed home.
The Galloways never had children. Once G.G. Galloway passed away, the house had many different owners. In 1974 brothers Vince and Gary Walker and their fellow Harding High graduate Mike Farmer bought the Galloway House. In July of 1975, Stonehenge, a 50 seat restaurant, was opened. The restaurant was not only known for its casual dinning menu, but for the stunning interior of the establishment. The inside of the restaurant had polished exposed beams, stained glass windows, and antique decor throughout. However, Stonehenge closed 5 years later in October 1980. The restaurant was known to be a success, although there was a high turnover of the staff as well as being robbed eight times. Because of these factors the partners decided to close the restaurant down.
In 1981 it was purchased by Nelson Casstevens, Jr. for use as his law firm office. Eventually, Casstevens retired and dissolved his firm — so he had no more need for the house. Casstevens put it up for sale and found a buyer who wanted just the dirt under the house. In August 2014, Casstevens filed for a certificate to demolish the house for which he’d sought and won local historic landmark designation the year after he opened his law office in 1981.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission granted the certificate but used its authority to delay demolition for a year in hopes of saving the house. Consulting director Dan Morrill described it as “a well-preserved, handsomely appointed example of bungalow-style architecture rendered in … a large elegant manor.” If things had gone as local preservationists feared, the elegant Dilworth bungalow at 602 E. Morehead St. would have spent 2015 — the centennial of its beginning — getting cleared by bulldozers.
Instead, in 2015 Nicole and Ron Sodoma stepped up to buy and preserve the 10-room, 4800 square-foot brick house with its distinctive sweeping, rock-faced porch and columns — among the last of the stately homes that once lined East Morehead and celebrated the G. G. Galloway House’s 100 years. The Sodomas have restored the Galloway house in a way that preserves the quality of the original home.
“I really enjoy having my Charlotte Office in the beautiful G. G. Galloway House which has so much character and unique space, providing room for my firm to grow for years to come. And, our clients absolutely love it!” said Gessner. “From the front door parking to the extensive and relaxing porch and cozy fireplaces inside, our clients feel at home when they come to see us.”
