It’s not entirely clear when the house at 1033 Main Street was built. At the time of its constructed it was designed to be “nearly identical” to the home next door at 1031 Main Street. It is generally believed that both homes were built as investment properties by Caleb Conley Dula in 1896. Deed records suggest, however, that the “lot of land” Mr. Dula sold to brothers Walters Azariah and Charlton Gilmore Holland in 1905 was yet undeveloped. The two brothers held onto the property until 1908 when Walters sold his half to his brother. The deed record for this conveyance also refers to the property as a “lot of land” and mentions no improvements. It’s possible the house was therefore constructed by Holland shortly after this time.
The Holland family were prolific in the early days of Danville, and several of their homes still stand. Walters was employed in the grocery business, while brother Gilmore was associated with the Danville Traction and Power Company and, later, president of the Westbrook Elevator Company. Holland, in his earlier days, was also something of a real estate investor, operating as a partner in the insurance and real estate firm of Waddill, Holland, and Flinn Building Corporation, so it is likely that Mr. Holland had a hand in the construction of the house on Main Street. Though it is believed that the home was built for speculation, Gilmore Holland did live here from the time of his acquisition of the property (or the construction of the home, whichever came later) until 1919 when he sold the home to Rorer Anderson James. This property was near his boyhood home and the home of his parents at 968 Main Street.
The senior Mr James, Rorer Abraham, was a lawyer and politician. While in office he purchased the Danville Register and later the Danville Bee. The younger Rorer Anderson James followed his father in the newspaper business for many years in the 1920’s and 30’s. Like his father, the younger Rorer James studied law at the University of Virginia after completing his early education at the Virginia Military Institute. In 1919 he married Elizabeth Letcher Stuart, daughter of J.E.B. Stuart Jr., and granddaughter of the famous Civil War cavalry general, J.E.B. Stuart, Sr. James shared this Main Street home with his wife and two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne.
In 1931, Mr. James sold 1033 Main Street to Carol Y. Anderson. Three years later, a deed is recorded in which the deed is transferred to Rutledge C. Clement and Frank Talbot, trustees of Homeowner’s Loan Corporation. This could indicate the major renovations that have rendered the home to its present appearance, spare of Victorian ornamentation and with a stucco exterior rather than the traditional wood siding.
In 1939, James Ambrose Durham and his wife Ambrosia purchased the home. Almost exactly two years later, the home was purchased by Georgia Elizabeth Conner who owned the home and resided here until 1956 when the property was transferred to her daughter Virginia Adelaide Dollins. It was Virginia’s sister Nedra who lived here, however, until their mother’s death in 1969. Conner descendants continued to live in the home until 1998 when the property was sold and became part of Hope Harbor, an alcoholism treatment center. The house transferred ownership several times from 1989 until 2010 when it was acquired by Elvord and Eresterine Guidry who have been making improvements to the home.
Sources:
Census and Vital records found at Familysearch.org
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
