The Fauntleroy Home Destroyed and Rebuilt

The Fauntleroy Home Destroyed and Rebuilt. .

"Mr. Fauntleroy, I think you have built one of the nicest residences...in this section of the country." JMB Lewis

In October of 1900, the home of Thomas and Mary Anna Dearing Fauntleroy was completely destroyed by a catastrophic and quickly-spreading fire that purportedly originated with a kerosene lamp. It was the second house named Avoca on that site to be ruined by such a disaster, the previous being destroyed in 1879. The Fauntleroys immediately began searching for an architect to oversee the construction of their new home on the site of the previous two houses. The architectural design contract was awarded to Lynchburg's John Minor Bolts Lewis and the building subcontract was given to J.T. McLaughlin, also of Lynchburg. The final bill for McLaughlin's work was $5,988, which was $2,000 over budget., In March of 1901, the construction phase was initiated and the house was finalized by the end of October. Avoca bears several of the customary elements of Queen Anne residence architecture. Among these are the house's prominent gables, wraparound porch, asymmetry and its majestic tower. Eclecticism was the order of the day during that historical period., Lewis was a native of Culpeper and graduated from the University of Virginia's architecture school in 1891. Following his completion of the Fauntleroy home, Lewis successfully completed the construction of buildings on the campus of Woodberry Forest School, the Lynchburg Hospital (which stood in the Garland Hill neighborhood), the Lynchburg Cotton Mill, and several upscale residences in Lynchburg. In the year following the fulfillment of the Avoca contract, he entered into a partnership with William R. Burnham in the architecture firm of Lewis and Burnham. He resumed individual proprietorship from 1912 - 1918 and eventually accepted the presidency of a Lynchburg. manufacturing company., J.M.B. Lewis's private residence at 1314 Clay Street in Lynchburg (also built in 1901) stands today as a shining example of his skill. One of his more notable feats was designing the interior of the Academy of Music building in Lynchburg. In its heyday, the Academy hosted notables such as Ethel Barrymore, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. Lewis died on April 17, 1950 at the age of 82. He is buried in Lynchburg's Spring Hill Cemetery., (Captions) , J.M.B.Lewis, Architect, The Lynchburg News (October, 1900). Note the incorrect spelling of the house name., Avoca (ca 1900), The Lynchburg News (October 27, 1901), Thomas and Mary Anna D. Fauntleroy , Owners of Avoca (ca.1900)