CityViewNC.com | 25
Susanna Stiles (inset) had the benefit of
learning the history of her 1929 French country
home from her husband's grandmother, Mary
Lu Enright, pictured below. The home's
original doorknocker is still
in use today.
S
usanna Stiles always had a
preference for the fluffy and
the furry over the flora and
the fauna.
"I was more of an animal lover," she said.
But when she moved into the 1929 French
country home that had been in her husband
Grant's family for generations, she inherited
the responsibility of a half-acre's worth of
azaleas, crape myrtles, camelias, climbing
roses and an assortment of other colorful
treats.
Fortunately, she was able to call
in reinforcements. Her mother,
Mary Wade, is an avid gardener
whose own mother, Mary Monroe,
could make practically anything
flourish. Mother and daughter
regularly teamed up to plant, prune
and weed the history-laden grounds
on the corner of Raeford Road and
Dobbin Avenue in Haymount.
"I've learned a lot," Stiles said.
"Now I'm interested in all of it
myself."
She also had the benefit of
learning the history of the home
from her husband's grandmother,
Mary Lu Enright, who grew up in the home
under the auspices of her parents, Lucille and
Chester Williams.
Chester Williams was a man who believed
in both the importance of history and of
children having fun.
CityViewNC.com | 25
