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Town Center Plan
January 2007
Appendix 2
4. James Pugh House
10018 Chapel Hill Road
Perhaps Morrisville’s most visible landmark is the James M. Pugh House.
The structure has elaborate sawn wok displayed on the bracketed eaves,
gable and vergeboards and front porch. Pugh, a prosperous merchant,
built the home around 1870 and reflects the new wealth Morrisville
experienced during Reconstruction. The “gingerbread trim” on the home
and outbuildings is the best example of the unique Morrisville sawnwork.
Pugh’s daughter, Mabel, is one of North Carolina’s most significant
artists. During the 1920’s she illustrated books and magazines published
in New York and abroad. She is best known for her printmaking and
portraiture. Mabel is perhaps Morrisville’s earliest published author; she
wrote and illustrated a book about her childhood in Morrisville titled
“Carolina Blue Bonnet.”
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Photo by Ernest Dollar