Internet auction over, but historic home still for sale

By Connie Sage

EDENTON

Maybe it's the sour economy. Or the price. But $750,000 was the highest bid for historic Pembroke Hall in an Internet auction held over the holidays.

Described as one of North Carolina's landmark Greek Revival-style homes, Pembroke Hall is still for sale, but not online.

On the market since 2002, the family-owned 1850 mansion at one time was listed for $2.9 million. Its current asking price is $1.4 million.

Owners Marvin B. "Jerry" Smith and his wife, Sharon, held an online auction to drum up interest in the property, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The opening Internet bid was $100,000; Smith would not disclose the auction's reserve price. Bids were accepted from Dec. 11 to Jan. 9 and then extended for several more days.

"The economy is so bad, no one's buying anything," Smith, now of Sea Island, Ga., said Wednesday. "We had incredible interest, and we'll follow up on the people who were seriously interested, and hopefully something will come of it."

Real estate agent Benbury Wood Jr. said there were more than 3,000 online hits from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Kansas, Georgia and Pennsylvania, and at least seven bids.

The estate, on a 2-acre bluff in the town's historic district overlooking Edenton Bay, was featured in The Wall Street Journal on Dec. 27. Still, there have been no takers for the 17-room mansion with 12 Italian marble fireplaces and a wine cellar.

The Wessington House, an 1850 home across the street from Pembroke Hall, was sold in November for $1.6 million. Its former owner said she could no longer afford to maintain the 10-room brick mansion, which also is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pembroke Hall had been owned by Smith's mother, Gertrude Murray Rosevear, who died in 1993.

She was a descendant of Josiah Collins, whose family built the home.