Construction on the house on the corner of Highland Ave. and Orchard Hill, now known as 21 Highland was started in 1890. The first resident was S.B. Thompson who moved in around 1892. By 1900 the house had been sold to Dr. Butler who is one of Caldwell Butler's ancestors. By 1908 Will Blair owned the house. Mr. Blair was a prosperous builder and may be responsible for the front porch as we see it today. Between 1903 and 1907 the front porch took on a new shape. Before this time he house had a small porch on the north and east corner only. The current porch is of the same architectural period and demonstrates great craftsmanship. Mr. Blair was a victim of the great depression and records indicate he may have lost the house to bankruptcy. Mr. Blair then bought a title company and search for title flaws and brought judgments against many properties including Roanoke's Municipal Building.
J.M. Williams owned 21 Highland from 1933-46. Additional owners include John Stokes and the Cronk family. Community Hospital then purchased the property on 2-19-92.
The house celebrated on a beginning of a new century in 1900. 21 Highland had survived the great depression and had it's lights extinguished for the raid sirens of World War II. It had watched the city change from mostly horse and carriages to streetcars and now to car, airplanes and space travel. It had weathered many violent storms and watched as nearby houses caught fire and burned.
Architectural Importance
21 Highland had countless important features which remained in the house unmolested. The house had a cut stone foundation which had never been painted. The rap around porch boasted twenty-six columns sitting on cut stone pillars, dental molding and original standing seam tin roof. There were many leaded glass windows and transoms. The interior woodwork was breathtaking and had never been painted and glowed with a rich patina. The bathroom retained period tile fixtures and was lighted by a beautiful leaded windows. The house had many great mantles, a oak beamed ceiling and hardwood floors. Even the chimney was a mason's masterpiece. These are just a few of the amazing elements that adorned the grand mansion.
Aesthetic Features
21 Highland offered many extraordinary works of are exemplified by the pictured fireplace. The majolica glazed tile surrounding the fireplace depict a maiden in her garden surrounded by birds and plants. Below marches a band of cupids playing music. The cast iron fire back echo the theme. The mantle and over mantle are extraordinarily carved by a great artist. The mantle retains it's original finish enhanced by years of patina. The carving is not being duplicated today and any price can be loosely attributed to Daniel Pabst. Pabst immigrated to the USA in 1870 and worked in Philadelphia until his retirement in 1896. The importance of the fireplace is heightened by it still being in the same location since the late 19th century. The home offers scores of elements equally important.
21 Highland had countless important features which remained in the house unmolested. The house had a cut stone foundation which had never been painted. The rap around porch boasted twenty-six columns sitting on cut stone pillars, dental molding and original standing seam tin roof. There were many leaded glass windows and transoms. The interior woodwork was breathtaking and had never been painted and glowed with a rich patina. The bathroom retained period tile fixtures and was lighted by a beautiful leaded windows. The house had many great mantles, a oak beamed ceiling and hardwood floors. Even the chimney was a mason's masterpiece. These are just a few of the amazing elements that adorned the grand mansion.
21 Highland offered many extraordinary works of are exemplified by the pictured fireplace. The majolica glazed tile surrounding the fireplace depict a maiden in her garden surrounded by birds and plants. Below marches a band of cupids playing music. The cast iron fire back echo the theme. The mantle and over mantle are extraordinarily carved by a great artist. The mantle retains it's original finish enhanced by years of patina. The carving is not being duplicated today and any price can be loosely attributed to Daniel Pabst. Pabst immigrated to the USA in 1870 and worked in Philadelphia until his retirement in 1896. The importance of the fireplace is heightened by it still being in the same location since the late 19th century. The home offers scores of elements equally important.