photography by J. Sinclair

When Steven and Laura Wall relocated from Atlanta to Greensboro eight years ago, they wanted to live on the edge of downtown to take advantage of its many amenities.

Each had a successful career — Steve as an environmental toxicologist and Laura as a design director in communications — and there was talk of starting a family in the not-too-distant future. What the couple sought was a house with character and charm, in a pleasant neighborhood, with rooms to grow.

What the Walls eventually bought was the 1916 Crawford House in the Aycock Historic District — a real “fixer-upper,” an early-20th-century four-square in need of tender loving care. While the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Laura explained that the house was in a sad state of neglect, describing it as “unsocial” with a chopped-up floor plan that left visitors feeling isolated.

The front entryway, which had once welcomed guests with its wide staircase, had been walled off, creating a visual dead end. An early addition to the side of the house was also closed, instead being used as a storage area that could only be accessed from the back porch. Original brick fireplaces were hidden under drywall mud, and hardwood floors were covered with the residue of black glue.

Shortly after moving in, Mr. Wilson, the Wall’s 90-year-old next door neighbor, revealed that the house had once served as a neighborhood bakery — a fact that certainly explained the gravel driveway that wrapped around the house and the glut of outlets that lined the storage area wall at countertop height.

Needless to say, there was a lot to do.

Once their renovation began in earnest, the couple rolled up their sleeves, removed partitions, uncovered original surfaces, and effectively allowed the house to breathe again. The Walls opened the front foyer and reinstalled the steps, transformed the storage area into a spacious family room, and enlarged the kitchen from a modest galley to a gracious gourmet space.

Fortunately, the Walls had a little help from their friends, or more accurately, their neighbors.

In a neighborhood populated with its share of musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, artisans, and opportunities to attend porch parties, the Walls had no trouble finding talented carpenters like Pete Williams and Andy Ware. Between them, the crew custom built breakfast-nook bench seats, an entertainment center, built-in desk and bookshelves, and a fireplace mantel.

Bead board wainscoting complemented the home’s period look while recycled English leaded- and stained-glass windows from the ‘20s added understated elegance. From fireplace mantel columns to architectural supports in the kitchen expansion, scaled-down versions of the home’s front-porch columns were used in appropriate supporting roles, becoming a recurring theme throughout the house.

Similarly, a recurring theme in Laura’s life is the many supporting roles she finds herself in. As chairperson for the Aycock Historic District’s Community Development Committee, Laura has helped secure funding from local foundations and city grants for projects that go well beyond beautification.

The Summit Avenue Corridor Plan is a case in point, and a project Laura is especially excited about. As the gateway to Greensboro’s arts and cultural district, the plan promises to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to downtown with proposals for a greenway project, a Rotarian-planned carousel, and an expansion of the Greensboro Historical Museum where Laura also serves as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.

Whether they’re planting 150 trees in their neighborhood to replenish the original tree canopy or supporting development plans as an agent of change, Laura and Steven are committed to enhancing the quality of life beyond the four walls of their home.

And, ultimately, they know that with the addition of two children, in the end, it’s the Walls — all four of them — and their neighbors who are the beneficiaries.