Preservation Chapel Hill Presents Benefit Concert to fund preservation of historic Strayhorn House in Carrboro

Toney was a boy of eleven when his mother was sold on the auction block in Hillsborough after a failed runaway attempt. Nellie remembered being whipped for eating apples out of her master's orchard. In 1877 the newly freed couple was married. In 1879, in spite of post-war difficulties for freedmen, they constructed a home on Jones Ferry Road. Together the couple prospered in the midst of immense racial tension.

"What's amazing about this story is the fearlessness of Toney and Nellie to pursue their dreams in spite of all the obstacles - sometimes violent obstacles - that they faced in the Reconstruction South," says Cheri Szcodronski, Executive Director of Preservation Chapel Hill. "The home is a symbol of strength and resiliency during a very difficult time in our history."

Today, the home is owned by Delores Clark, the great-grandaughter of Toney and Nellie Strayhorn. In 2010, Preservation Chapel Hill launched an effort to raise $10,000 to restore the home and preserve its triumphant story. With the help of Capstone Builders, this fundraising effort resulted in the successful reconstruction of rotted floors, collapsed foundations, damaged plaster, inadequate gutters, and a rusted out HVAC system. The last remaining project is to replace the roof - which is over 50 years old.

To fund the roof replacement, Preservation Chapel Hill presents the Strayhorn House Benefit Concert on Sunday, February 3rd from 3-5 pm at the Carrboro Century Center. The Alex Smith Quartet will open the concert, followed by the NC Central University Jazz Combo who will perform the music of famed jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, descendant of Toney and Nellie. Light refreshments will be served.

The fundraiser has been organized by Preservation Chapel Hill intern Langston Harris, a senior at NC Central University. "This event celebrates the home of Toney and Nellie Strayhorn, whose devotion to their family stands strong like the foundation of their family home," Harris says.

Tickets to the event are $10 and may be purchased either at the door or in advance by calling Preservation Chapel Hill at 919-942-7818. Additional donations will be gladly accepted.

This event is sponsored by Preservation Chapel Hill, The Town of Carrboro, and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Inc.