GREENSBORO, N.C. — The former homeowner of the Spencer Love House says she regrets selling the historic mansion after demolition began earlier this week.
Bonnie McElveen-Hunter told our news partner, the Triad Business Journal, that if she knew the new owner would tear down the home, she wouldn't have sold it.
The Spencer Love House on Country Club Drive in the Old Irving Park neighborhood was built in the 1930s by J. Spencer Love, the founder of Burlington Industries.
The new owner is a successful developer, Roy Carroll.
He said he planned to renovate the home, but the plans weren't feasible.
"As we have stated, the interior of the house was built for a 1937 lifestyle with a configuration that did not meet the needs of how we live in our homes today." Carroll wrote in a statement. "Many elements of the house would not be deemed adequate by current inspection and planning requirements."
He said he plans to preserve the feel and aesthetic of the neighborhood. He responded to McElveen-Hunter's criticism of the demolition.
"We appreciate that Ms. Hunter has strong personal attachments and family memories at the home," Carroll said in a statement to WFMY News 2. "Ms. Hunter decided to sign the sale agreement without knowing or questioning the buyer or their intentions. It seems disingenuous for a seller to so publicly express sellers' remorse after cashing a multi-million-dollar check. It was a great property in the past, and we plan to create a property that will be great for generations to come."
Another notable former owner of the Spencer Love home was Benjamin Cone, Cone textile heir and former Greensboro mayor. The most recent owner, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, was a former ambassador to Finland and founder of marketing agency Pace Communications.
The home is located in a National Registered Historic District, but it is not protected from demolition. Only two houses in Irving Park are listed in the National Register of Historic Places which protects the properties from demolition but the Spencer Love House is not one of them.
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