Historic house tour a success
Published 5:26 pm Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Participants got to tour a historic house in Kenbridge Dec. 2, learning more about the architectural structure that set it apart from other homes in the area.
The Lunenburg County Historical Society hosted the tour, which brought approximately 90 participants, according to event organizer Anne Hamlett.
The subject of the tour was the Coleman-Munn House, located at 316 E. Fifth Ave.
Hamlett said the Coleman-Munn House, named after William and Martha Coleman, was constructed in 1927.
She said the house was built using a modified Tudor Revival design, which Hamlett said is sometimes called “English cottage” architecture.
“This building style is characterized by gables that are stucco-faced and enhanced with half-timbering,” Hamlett said.
It’s possible that this is the only home in the county that was built using this style, Hamlett said.
The house was later owned by the Irby family after Lewis William “Billy” Irby married the daughter of William and Martha Coleman, Betty.
Hamlett said a few members of the Irby family attended the house tour.
Courtney and Michael Bender purchased the home in 2013. Michael is an engineer by training and a project manager at Kenbridge Construction Co., Hamlett said. He and
Courtney, branch manager of Benchmark Community Bank in Kenbridge, have worked to modernize the home.
The home saw several renovations, first by the Irby family and by the Bender family. These changes included the installation of a separate apartment on the right side of the house and replacing the majority of the windows among others.
Hamlett said the Benders restored the original oak floors and cleaned and rewired a number of the original light fixtures.