36.004205, -78.909731
Kronheimer House, 1925.
Benjamin Franklin Kronheimer built the Kronheimer Department Store at 315 West Main St. around ~1900 ; Kronheimer built his Renaissance Revival residence in Trinity Park in 1924. (1925 CD) Kronheimer lived in the Cleveland-Holloway neighborhood prior to constructing this home, and thus was an early standard bearer in the 'Durham Jewish migration' from Cleveland-Holloway to Trinity Park.
The architectural inventory describes the house as such:
Enhanced by its setting back from the street on a large lot and surrounded by mature trees, the house appears to be unaltered on the exterior. The low-hipped roof covered with terra-cotta tile, sawn brackets in the deep eaves, stone relief of swags, and the Ionic stone arcade of the recessed corner porch constitute the principal aspects of the design. The focal point of th main facade is the entrance bay with an arched entry framed by Ionic columns and pilasters bearing a full entablature and three windows above framed in stone and outline by spiraling colonettes.
Kronheimer only lived in the house a few years, as he died in 1938.
Kronheimer House, 1980.
Unfortunately, I can find little or nothing in the secondary sources about Kronheimer or Kronheimer's beyond this - if anyone wishes to do the primary research to expound upon this information, please feel free to comment.
Kronheimer House, 10.03.09
Comments
Submitted by Abraham Friedman (not verified) on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 3:38pm
In reply to I have a complete history by Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous,
I've been looking for information on the Durham Kronheimers. Fannye's daughter, Lenora/Lonnie was my father's grandmother. She had my grandmother with a Troub and that line seems to be more accounted for in my geneology.
Submitted by Marsosudiro (not verified) on Wed, 7/21/2010 - 1:33pm
Minerva sure has some pretty on it.
BTW: until I clicked on the map, I didn't realize that alleys in Trinity Park had numbers to them. Makes sense. I just didn't realize there was a labeling system more than "alley between Minerva and Gloria"
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 7/21/2010 - 9:43pm
Beautiful house!
Submitted by Dacian (not verified) on Thu, 7/22/2010 - 3:23pm
Interesting note about the alleys! I looked up all of them - there are a lot more than I realized:
1 Alley: between Broad, F, Clarendon, and W Club
2 Alley: between 9th, W Club, Iredell, and W Knox
3 Alley: between Iredell, W Club, Broad, and Englewood
4 Alley: between Broad, Green, Clarendon, and W Markham
5 Alley: between Clarendon, Green, Sedgefield, and W Markham
6 Alley: between Onslow, Englewood, Lancaster, and W Markham
7 Alley: between Lancaster, Englewood, N Buchanan, and W Markham
8 Alley: between 9th, W Markham, Iredell, and Perry
9 Alley: between 9th, W Markham, Iredell, and 8 Alley
10 Alley: between Iredell, W Markham, Broad, and Perry
11 Alley: between Watts, Urban, N Duke, and Dacian
12 Alley: between N Buchanan, Urban, Watts, and Dacian
13 Alley: between N Buchanan, Dacian, N Duke, and Monmouth
14 Alley: between N Buchanan, Monmouth, N Duke, and W Trinity
15 Alley: between N Buchanan, W Trinity, N Gregson, and Minerva
16 Alley: between N Buchanan, Minerva, N Gregson, and Gloria
17 Alley: between Watts, Gloria, N Gregson, and Lamond
18 Alley: between Ripley, Gunter, Rosedale, and W Lakewood
19 Alley: not found in Google Maps
20 Alley: not found in Google Maps
21 Alley: bisects Carolina Circle (see http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=21+Alley,+D…)
22 Alley: not found in Google Maps
23 Alley: not found in Google Maps (but there is a Trail 23 off Surrey Green Ln)
24 Alley: between N Mangum, W Parrish, N Church, and E Main
25 Alley: between N Corcoran, E Chapel Hill, W Orange, and W Parrish
26 Alley: between N Corcoran, E Chapel Hill, W Orange, and W Parrish
27 Alley (aka McCollum Alley): between Rigsbee, Hunt, N Mangum, and W Seminary
28 Alley: between Dillard, E Main, S Elizabeth, and E Peabody
29 Alley: between Glendale, W Knox, Acadia, and W Markham
30 Alley: between Acadia, E Knox, N Magnum, and W Markham
31 Alley: not found in Google Maps
32 Alley: between N Roxboro, Knox, Vista, and E Markham
33 Alley: between Hardee, Holloway, Herbert, and Liberty
34 Alley: not found in Google Maps
35 Alley: between S Driver, Angier, Salem, and E Peabody
36 Alley: not found in Google Maps
37 Alley (aka Buchanan Alley): between Carroll, Yancey, Arnette, and Morehead
Submitted by Batman (not verified) on Thu, 7/22/2010 - 9:09pm
I used to park my car along here when I went to Durham High. Even as a teenaged boy with absolutely NO interests in design or style, I realized this was a special house. I am curious to know what became of the Kronheimers...Any descendants? Any family or friends still in the area? Any idea what the house was like in the 1930's - 1940's?
Submitted by Englewood (not verified) on Thu, 7/22/2010 - 10:36pm
House was designed by Raleigh architect R. Murray Nelson. Looks like it could be on Beverly Hills 90210!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 7/26/2011 - 2:00am
I have a complete history of the Kronheimer family.Ben was my great uncle.There are many members of the family still living.They are the descendants of two of the Kronheimer daughters,Fannye and Minnie. Minnie married William Guthrie Frasier of Durham.He was the owner of Jones and Frasier Jewelry Co on Main Street.
Submitted by Claire Slaughter (not verified) on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 10:12am
I grew up in my family's house at 310 Watts Street around the corner from this house. In the 1950s-1970 a single gentleman lived in the house with his butler. I can't remember his name and everybody who would know is now gone so I can't ask. He may have been a Kronheimer. I know we always referred to it (and still do) as the Kronheimer house in my family.
Submitted by Billie Miller (not verified) on Sun, 9/23/2012 - 3:36pm
In reply to I grew up in my family's by Claire Slaughter (not verified)
The gentleman living in the Kronheimer home was Harry Lehman, son of Bertie Kronheimer Lehman. I think his butler was named James.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 9/10/2011 - 2:00am
I Googled Benjamin Franklin Kronheimer and found a reference to his 1938 death in VA: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/lcfh/nameresults1.asp?NAV=46&… I think, anyway.
Submitted by Catherine Bishir (not verified) on Thu, 3/27/2014 - 11:27am
Gorgeous house. What's the documentation of the architect's identity. I'm writing up a bio for ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu on G. Murray Nelson and would love to know.
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