For their restoration of the Grice-Fearing House in Elizabeth City. Built in 1798 and expanded in 1808, it is one of the oldest homes in downtown Elizabeth City. The Falcons now operate the home as a bed-and-breakfast.

Not long after purchasing a lot in Elizabeth City in 1798, Francis Grice began the construction of a modest two-story house, with only one room on each floor. A few years after his death in 1808, his widow married Isaiah Fearing, the first of five generations of the Fearing family to live in the house.

Isaiah Fearing was one of the most prominent of the New England immigrants drawn to Elizabeth City in the early 19th century. A Harvard-educated man, he fought and was captured by the British during the War of 1812. After his release in 1814, Fearing made his way to Elizabeth City, where he operated a general store and served as postmaster from 1823 to 1829.

Following the death of his first wife, Isaiah Fearing remarried in 1824. The couple substantially improved and enlarged the house, retaining the original nine-over-nine sash windows and interior staircase from the original structure.

Passed down from one family member to the next, the house eventually suffered from neglect. By 2004, when Georgene and Vidal Falcon moved to Elizabeth City, many thought the Grice-Fearing House was no longer salvageable due to rot, termite damage and other problems. Yet the Falcons were intrigued by the potential of the once-gracious home, so they took the plunge and bought the Grice-Fearing House for restoration as a bed-and-breakfast.

The renovation process took more than two years and required all new mechanical systems and the addition of a sunroom. Meanwhile, the Falcons immersed themselves in other community preservation efforts, including the Elizabeth City Historic Neighborhoods Association and the Museum of the Albemarle.

According to George Jackson, Vice Chairman of PNC, “Having grown up less than a hundred yards from the Grice-Fearing House, I know the neighborhood well, and I lamented what appeared to be its slow, steady, but inevitable deterioration. I am grateful for the critical role played by Vidal and Georgene in reversing the trend.”

For their renovation of the Grice-Fearing House and for advancing the cause of preservation in Elizabeth City and beyond, we are pleased to present this Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit to Vidal and Georgene Falcon.