(Preservation North Carolina)

No buyers have stepped forward to purchase the Paschal House in Raleigh, N.C. Now the nonprofit Preservation North Carolina may hold a design contest to spur interest in developing the three-acre property appropriately, while preserving the mid-century modern structure.

"It's the greatest modern house in North Carolina," says architect Frank Harmon. "It's such an exemplary house, built with respect to site and climate. It bonds with the landscape, using all natural materials and few finishes."

Designed in 1950 by architect James Fitzgibbon, the Paschal House was out of the ordinary for North Carolina, built with a combination of modernist—specifically Wrightian—principles and all-natural materials. Many features are built-ins, including shelves and cabinets. Stairs down to the hearth are part of a conversation pit where family and friends get together before the large stone chimney.

"It's designed so that the outside becomes part of the inside. Large windows in the house create a sense that you are part of the natural world," says Myrick Howard, president of Preservation North Carolina.

Howard estimates the cost of the house is $2.5 to $5.7 million. The 3,340 square-foot house sits on three acres. Buyers could reduce the cost of the house and land a few ways while keeping the integrity of the property.

Financial incentives include a state tax credit for rehabilitation for up to 30 percent, and the city of Raleigh is likely to landmark the property, which would also reduce property taxes up to 50 percent.

Preservation North Carolina is considering a design competition in which architects would design up to four new houses on the site; the most appropriate designs will be selected for construction on the property. Howard says that four new houses will help reduce the cost without destroying the vista to and from the Paschal House.

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