The house at 840 Main Street was constructed in 1902 by contractor Henry A. Osborne for tobacconist Edward G. Moseley.
Edward Gannaway Moseley was born in 1854 in Buckingham County, Virginia, the second of four children born to William Marshall Moseley and Emeline George Gills. The family relocated to Danville in 1856 when Edward was two years old.
In 1877 Edward married Nora Miller of Danville. The couple had one child whom they adopted (daughter of Beverly Moseley and Florence Milner, relatives of both Edward and Emeline.) Nora would later grow up to marry her neighbor Plumer W. Wiseman of 842 Main Street.
Mr. Moseley’s foray into the tobacco industry began in 1880 when he joined the Pace Talbott Tobacco Company. In 1884, he founded his own concern, the E. G. Moseley Tobacco Company. In 1883 he was elected to the City Council, along with Capt. Harry Wooding, replacing D. F. Batts and Bud Lipscomb, two black council members who had won their seats during Reconstruction. He continued to serve until 1898, when failing health and the advice of his doctor persuaded him to resign.
It is owing to Mr. Moseley that Cabell Street Methodist Church was founded, and he is likewise to be credited for raising much of the construction cost of the 1930 edifice that was built on the corner of Berryman Avenue and Colquhoun Street and later named after him as Moseley Memorial Methodist Church. (See companion post.)
Mr. Moseley, apart from his work in tobacco and politics, was also a publisher and as such published the “Danville Methodist” as well as “The Methodist” until failing health forced him to retire. In recognition of his work, he was elected Honorary Member of the Virginia Press Body.
After Mr. Moseley’s death, Mrs. Moseley remained in the house for about eight more years before selling it to a relative, Mrs. Mary Moseley Ley who ran a boarding house, while Mrs. Moseley moved in with her daughter and son-in-law at 968 Main Street.
Nearly six years later the house was conveyed to George Wesley Terry and Delphia Herndon Terry. After Mr. Terry’s death in 1949, Mrs. Terry married Dr. R.W. Garnett, director of Danville’s Health Department, a position held for thirty years. With his wife, Dr. Garnett lived here until 1976 when he died at age 95. After Mrs. Garnett’s death in April 1982, the house was purchased by Charles Staubus and Ray Harris, who began restoring the home to its former Edwardian excellence. Unfortunately, Mr. Staubus suffered some setbacks with his healthy and many of his restoration plans never took place.
Dan and Sarah Latham purchased the property in 2004, rescuing the home from failing foundation and sagging floors and at last giving the home the fresh coat (or coats) of paint it needed so badly for so long.
The house is presently the home of Steve and Angela Delgiorno.
Sources:
The Bee; Danville, Virginia; “Churchman Victim of Paralysis”; 20 Sep 1930
Danville Historical Society; Holiday Tour Archives; 1997, 2010
