The Thompson Residence, 1101 Virginia Street

Whether it’s the “Three Bears’ House” or “Cinderella’s House,” people who know the Thompson House are enchanted by its fanciful Old World style. It stands as a well-preserved example of Period Revival architecture in the neighborhood.

In October 1917, the Greensboro Daily News reported, “Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Thompson have bought one of the attractive homes on West Bessemer Avenue from the J.E. Latham company and expect to move into it within the next few days.” The Germanic Revival cottage was originally addressed as 300 West Bessemer Avenue when Anne and R.L. Thompson purchased the house. Bessemer, Virginia, and Parkway were streets associated with Fisher Park, Extended, a new phase of Fisher Park developed by Latham in 1916.

The house was likely designed by Raleigh James Hughes. The Greensboro Daily News announced in February 1916 “that contract had just been let for the erection of six handsome dwellings in Fisher Park, Extended, three on Bessemer Avenue and three on Virginia Street.” Considering that the house was sold in October the next year, it’s possible this is one of the six commissions Hughes received from Latham.

The house is considered a “Period Revival” because it recalls an earlier architectural tradition. Many houses of the 1910s and 1920s fall within the Period Revival category. The clipped “Jerkin Head” gables, flower boxes, sawn balusters, and kick eaves of the front porch give the Thompson House a rare “Germanic Cottage” appearance. The walls are terra cotta tile parged with stucco. Interior appointments are not as thematic: plaster walls, a charming staircase with multiple landings, and simple moldings. Originally, the house featured a flat tile roof and walls covered in ivy. Otherwise, the appearance of the house is much unchanged. It was showcased in the 2017 Tour of Historic Homes & Gardens.