| Hermitage Court Gateways
Hermitage Court
1912
By Dr. Dan L. Morrill
July 2, 1980
On February 28, 1912, the Charlotte Observer annouced that
Floyd M. Simmons of the Simmons Company, a local real estate firm, had
purchased a tract of land which was contiguous with
Myers Park, the elegant streetcar suburb which the Stephens Company
had recently begun.
John Nolen (1869-1937), the landscape architect for Myers Park, also
designed the Simmons developement, which was named "Hermitage Court."
1 Hermitage Court opened on October 10, 1912. 2
Among the amenities of the suburb were massive entrance gates at either
end of the boulevard. 3 "It is believed by the developers
these gateways will lend a tone and exclusiveness to the suburb which
could be derived in no other way, "the Charlotte Observer
reported on March 21, 1912. 4 Construction of the gateways
was in progress by early September 1912. 5 They were finished
before the offical opening of Hermitage Court on October 10, 1912. The
Charlotte Observer was expansive in its description of these
edifices.
At either entrance to Hermitage Court is a handsome granite
gateway, pointed with red cement mortar. The work on these was done by
two Scotchmen who came here for the purpose from Aberdeen Scotland
last June. On one Gate appears the inscription, 'Ye Easte Gayte," and
on the other, "Ye Weste Gayte." They are designed after the entrance
ways to Andrew Jackson's old home near Nashville. 6
Notes
1 Charlotte Observer (Feb. 28, 1912), p. 6.
2 Charlotte Observer (Oct. 10, 1912), p. 5.
3 For an early photograph of the western gate, see
Charlotte Observer (Nov. 3, 1912), p. 9.
4 Charlotte Observer (Mar. 21, 1912), p. 6.
5 Charlotte Observer (Sept. 2, 1912), p. 5.
6 Charlotte Observer (Oct. 10, 1912), p. 5. |
