It was the architect R.B. “Button” Graham who, in 1893, first acquired the lot presently addressed as 155 Sutherlin Avenue. The purchase was made at the time Major Sutherlin began selling off his property along what would subsequently become Sutherlin Avenue. We’ve written about Button Graham before, but it is useful here to recall that Robert Bertrand or “Button” as he was known, along with his brother John Vincent, arrived in Danville in 1877 and here they established Graham Brothers, Architects with offices near the corner of Main and North Market Streets. Button built his own home at 879 Green Street around 1885. The home started out as an Italianate style house but later was renovated, and a three-story, buff-colored brick turret was added to the facade. The Graham brothers are also credited with designing the Danville Train Depot.

In February of 1893, Button acquired a large lot at the corner of Green Street and Sutherlin Avenue for $400. He appears to have held onto the property for some time, likely as a speculation venture, and sold it in August of 1906 “with improvements” for $2,500. This “improvement” was the house at 163 Sutherlin Avenue, the Meeks-Perry house.

The home passed from Laura M. and James Bryan Akers, who acquired the property in 1906, to F.M. and Bessie Payne Meeks, who purchased the property at auction after the Akers, having taken out a loan against the property to pay a debt, defaulted on that loan. You can read more about the property at 163 Sutherlin Avenue and its owners and residents here, but a brief review of that history is necessary to understand how Mr. Meeks, in 1919, divided his lot and sold the rear portion of it to Burnell P. Jones, Sr.

Burnell Preston Jones was born January 18, 1891 in Nottoway, Virginia, the only son of George and Eleanor Maddux Jones. He graduated dental school in 1916 and moved to Danville shortly thereafter. He served in World War One in the Dental Corp, and when the war ended, he returned to Danville. In October of 1917 he married Martha Ann Rowell, a native of Surry, Virginia. Mr. Jones was an avid and passionate cultivator of roses, and the home at 163 Sutherlin Avenue was, at one time, known for its landscaping and for its rose garden. Mr. Jones lectured and wrote papers on the subject of roses and served as a trustee of the American Rose Society.

Mr. Jones lived within walking distance of his office, and it was his custom to walk to work each morning. On the morning of September 12, 1958, he collapsed in front of Rhodes Furniture store on the 500 block of Main Street, the victim of a heart attack. As his wife, Martha, predeceased him in 1948 when she died of ovarian cancer, the house passed to the couple’s only son, Burnell Preston Jones, Jr.

Burnell, Jr. was born February 2, 1921 in Danville, Virginia. He married Rena Ann Devereux of Wayne County, North Carolina on October 15, 1950. Rena taught piano from the home and, when she passed in 2018, she left behind many students, young and old, who were grateful to have known her. Burnell passed away in 1997, and Rena sold the home in 2004 to Steven Decker for $25,000. Two years later, it was acquired by Walter Davis who has recently listed the home for sale.

Sources:
Census and Vital records found at Familysearch.org
Images and vital information, including biographical sketches found at FindaGrave.com
Death notices and other information found in the Danville Register, Danville Bee and other newspaper archives at Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank.com
Census, Directory, Newspaper, and other information compiled by Paul Liepe