A Victorian Masterpiece
The Dodd-Hinsdale House, located at 330 Hillsborough Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, offers one of the last reminders of the beauty and grace that once defined the western corridor from the Capitol. Its history spans from its construction in the late 19th century to its meticulous restoration as the Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern.
The house is a quintessential example of the Second Empire Victorian style, a style developed in France under Napoleon III and marked by heavy ornate modification of Empire styles. The interior of the home features fourteen-foot ceilings, deep bay windows, solid masonry walls, and intricate woodwork.
Dodd and Hinsdale
The home was originally built for Mayor William H. Dodd on a lot given to him by his parents in 1871. The home was completed in 1879, but soon thereafter was lost by the Dodd Family due to financial reversals.
In 1890, the house was purchased by Colonel John W. Hinsdale, who married Ellen Devereaux, a direct descendent of Joel Lane, soon after the Civil War. Everyday living for the Hinsdale family was formal; assisted by a butler and a cook, every meal was served in the dining room with the good silver and china. The home remained in the Hinsdale family until John, a son and the last Hinsdale, died in 1971 at the age of 92.
A Living Historic Site
Following the death of John Hinsdale, the house was deteriorating and faced the threat of demolition due to vandalism and vagrancy. In 1993, Ted Reynolds, his wife Peggy, along with their daughter and son, Kim and David, obtained an Option to Purchase the property and quickly developed a strategy to restore it to its initial grandeur.
Within two years, the Reynolds family purchased the property. The exhaustive project transformed the main floors into elegant dining rooms and the lower level (the English basement) into a more casual tavern. Today, the Dodd-Hinsdale House stands as a testament to Raleigh's architectural heritage, serving as a "living" historic site where guests can experience 19th-century grandeur alongside modern fine dining.
