Saved from the wrecking ball in 1986 by an ad hoc committee of the Society, this shining example of Victoriana has been decked our in authentic period colors by its current owners. Built as one of a pair of identical speculative houses by C. C. Dub, a prominent tobacconist, in 1896, it was the first home of Barnes R. Penn, hi5 wife the former Mary Katherine Penn, and their daughter, Elizabeth, who resided here while building the Queen Anne home across the Street at 1020 Main St. For many years the property was home to the R. A. Arrington family, then to Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Scales. Prom the 1940’s to the 1970’s, it was the residence of the Robert E. Turner family. Vacant and in dire need of repair from neglect, it was purchased at auction by [lope Harbor, next door, which planned to demolish the property for a parking lot.

Society volunteers and the donations from many area businesses rehabilitated the structure enough to attract a response to a single advertisement from the McCaws, who were living and operating a professional photography studio in SiIver Spring, Maryland. Billie McCaw is a native of Chatham. The once dilapidated porch has been rebuilt, the windows were completely repaired, and after stripping the clapboard, the home has been painted in a three-colored scheme of light chocolate siding, buff trim, and New England red accents. 

After updating the infrastructure in a labor of love, the McCaw family has installed an authentic tin ceiling in the kitchen, period wallpaper, and hand- painted a ceiling medallion in the dining room. An arth-toned shingle roof has been installed to harmonize with the striking color scheme of the house. All the handsome 1896 mouldings, mantels, pocket doors, front and back staircases, and tall Victorian ceilings have been retained. 

Serving as their private residence, the home also operates as an attractive bed & breakfast inn, which advertises as a “timeless experience of the gaslight era.” The parlor bedroom features a Renaissance Revival bed and a period keyboard musical instrument. The Lodging guests enjoy the clawfoot tub, elegant Victorian furnishings, “gingerbread” deck overlooking the backyard, and a screened porch with a jacuzzi spa. The McCaws are now renovating to Victorian charm a commercial space for Fine Art Photography in the 1921 Masonic Temple. Their dedication to the restoration of the Dula-Penn home is a tribute to historic preservation in a block that is the southern gateway to Danville’s Historic District.