JIM AND JOHN WEBB

Jim and John Webb were born in Aguascalientes, Mexico.  Their father worked for the Guggenheim family's American Mines and according to his sister-in-law Dorothy was killed by the famous Pancho Villa. According to Jim Webb's stepson, Archie Kelly, the father died suddenly of appendicitis.  Either way, it is confirmed that his mother moved to Covina CA where they raised turkeys and oranges.  The family later moved to Berkeley and built a homeplace at 36 Tamalpais Road.

JAMES MURRAY "JIM" WEBB (1908-2000)

Jim Webb went to Pomona College then received a BA in architecture from the University of California Berkeley in 1937.  In the Army, he got TB and spent time in an Army hospital in Colorado.  Then he got a MA in City Planning from MIT in 1946.  For a time, he worked for architect William Wurster in California. Wurster created the "Bay Area Style," an informal modem style of California Ranch that adapted to hilly sites by means of raised basements, with porches, patios, balconies and carports extending the living space out into nature. The post and beam frameworks eliminated the need for loadbearing interior retaining walls and ceilings, thus interiors had flowing spaces and cathedral ceilings.

Webb left California to join the UNC-Chapel Hill's new City and Regional Planning School in 1947.  He remained on their faculty for 30 years. Webb practiced in Chapel Hill with his brother John until John returned to Berkeley.  He started the firm City Planning and Architecture Associates (CPAA) in the late 1950's, recruiting Don Stewart as a partner.  Webb left CPAA in the mid-1970's to practice on his own where he continued until his death. 

Significant clusters of Jim and John Webb houses were built in Chapel Hill: Whitehead Circle, located near UNC Hospital, and Highland Woods, located across the 15-501 Bypass from Laurel Hill.  Webb was also involved with site planning for Research Triangle Park, Forest Hills Shopping Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Appalachian State University. 

Barbara Henderson Kelly, with three young sons from a previous marriage, married Jim Webb in 1957 and they divorced in the 1970’s.  Jim did not remarry.  Kelly died in 2002.

JOHN BRUCE WEBB (1910-1997)

John Webb was a brilliant designer. Like his brother, he attended the University of California Berkeley.  He met Dorothy Davies (pictured left with Webb and her daughter at their wedding) in Detroit in the early 1950's  when they both worked as architects for Albert Kahn.  After marrying around 1954, they moved to North Carolina for John to practice with Jim.  Later, they moved back to Berkeley and she went to design school at UC-Berkeley.  She taught at the California School of Fine Arts and the Rudolph Schaffer School of Design, where she recalls Frank Lloyd Wright coming to the school to play the piano.  He then worked for John Carl Warnecke.  Dorothy and John divorced, and John moved to Warnecke's office in Washington. While there, he designed President John F. Kennedy's gravesite.  By the late 1960's, John met a younger man (pictured with Webb, lower left) that would become his life partner.  He put this young man through school and they were together until Webb died. 

Webb would reunite with Dorothy, not romantically but professionally.  By the early 1970's she had remarried the internationally known architect Felix Candela.  John came out of retirement to work for them for many years and lived all over the world, including Athens, Paris, London, and Saudi Arabia, until his second retirement at the family home in Berkeley.

The JFK Gravesite in Washington DC.

1948 - The Thomas M. Stanback House, 531 Dogwood Drive, Chapel Hill.  According to Dail Dixon, Jim Webb was the designer in collaboration with architect Larry Enersen.  Sold to Walter and Anne Hollander sometime before 1974.  Bought in 2006 by current owner Tony Hall.  Renovations by Dixon Weinstein Architects.

1948 - The Norman Eliason House, 103 Round Hill Road, Chapel Hill.  A ranch with side-gable roof, vertical wood siding, metal vertical casement windows, a rear chimney, and a large rear patio.  Webb later enclosed the original screen porch at the right as a dining room and added a carport. At the left end is a 2-bedroom addition made by Webb about 1980. The house faces to the rear, with a deck overlooking the rear yard. Sold to current owner Mary Jane Penniall Dale in 1988.  Photos by Dave Potter.

1949 - Walter and Jean Johnson Spearman House, 418 Whitehead Circle, Chapel Hill.   Sold in 1992 to current owners William Neville and Elizabeth Haskin.  3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1.7 acres.  Haskin added custom cabinets in the kitchen.

1950 - The Wynn-MacIntyre House, 900 Stagecoach Road, Chapel Hill.  Built for Earl and Rhoda Wynn. 
Sold to Alan MacIntyre in 1957 who still lives there.

1950 - The Phillip and Lucille Handler Residence, 2529 Perkins Road, Durham.  Sold to John P. and Barbara Boineau in 1970.  Sold to Edward M. and Sylvia G. Arnett in 1980.  Sold in 2001 to current owners Edwin Iverson and Merlise Clyde.

1950 - The George Watts Hill, Jr. House, 1212 Hill Street, Durham.  Sold in 1967 to Anton and Leopoldina Peterlin.  Sold in 1978 to current owners Joel C. and Christine J. Huber.  2474 square feet.  Renovated by Jim and John Webb in the late 1980's.  Bottom right blue photo by former Webb employee William Campbell.

1951 - The Joseph and Pearl P. Morrison House, 407 Whitehead Circle, Chapel Hill.  Built for current owners.

1951 - The Richard and Francis Calhoun House was at 104 and 106 Pine Lane, Chapel Hill.  The original house, 104, was a split level with a side-gable roof, concrete block lower level, wood shake walls on the upper level, and an entrance set in the middle level with tall transoms and an adjacent casement window with glazing below. At the left side was a screen porch. Ellington & Sparrow was the contractor. Jim Webb added a separate 2-story building at the left side in 1953, containing one room on each level and a screened porch elevated on metal posts.  This building became 106 Pine Lane.  These two houses were destroyed in December 2006 and replaced by two newer 4000 sf houses $1.5M each.   Above photo is the new 104 Pine Lane, taken by Leilani Carter.

1952 - The Kenneth and Frances Brinkhous Residence, 524 Dogwood Drive, Chapel Hill.  Commissioned in 1950.  Brinkhous was the founder of the cure for hemophilia.  There is a building named after him at UNC - Chapel Hill.  Sold in 2003 to current owner David B. Thomas, a pathologist that studied under Dr. Brinkhous and was a personal friend of Jim Webb.  8.1 acres.  Landscape design by Lewis Clarke.  Second photo by Dail Dixon.  On and off the market since 2006.

1952 - The Louis and Thelma Thurstone House, 400 Laurel Hill Road, Chapel Hill, an L-shaped house.  An two-car carport extends from the right side and is connected by a screen porch.  Sold in 1980 to Clarence E. and Jane Whitefield.  Sold in 2000 to current owners Phillip J. and Susan L. Lyons.  Photos by Dave Potter. 

1952 - The Lowell and Fern Ashby Residence, 902 Stagecoach Road, Chapel Hill.  Sold in 1965 to Albert and Kate Pollard.  Sold in 1969 to Jean Grote Yates.  Sold in 1974 to Roberta S. Brown.  Sold in 1980 to Jonathan P. and Ada Sher.  Sold in 1984 to Peter and Carolyn Curtis. Lucy Carol Davis designed a foyer/bedroom/bath in 1991 in the same style as Webb.  Sold in 1998 to current owners Barry Howard and Keith Poteat.  Color photo by Dail Dixon. 

1953 - The Kunkle Residence, 2525 Perkins Road, Durham. Jim Webb also designed an addition in the late 50s.  Kunkle sold to the Blums in 1961 who sold to Stephen and Katrina Dooda in 2005.  The Dooda's added on a garage and walk-in closet addition designed by Ellen Cassilly in 2007.

1953 - The Ruth Price House, 4 Briar Bridge Lane, Chapel Hill.  Jim Webb designed this for Price but bought it himself in 1979.  Currently owned by Jim Webb's estate, a philanthropy set up to support the UNC Planning School.  Webb's stepson Archie lives there now.  Bottom photo by Dail Dixon.

1953 - The William and Ida Friday House, 412 Whitehead Circle, Chapel Hill.  Sold in 1957 to JR and Elaine Hamrick.  Sold in 1962 to Frank Decazenove.  Sold to Ellen S. Burgin and Peter B. Fair in 2003. Sold in 2006 to current owners Matthew Maciejewski and Donna Cook.

1954 - The Thomas Floyd Drew and Katherine Conn Drew House, 511 Transylvania Avenue, Raleigh.  Country Club Hills developer Ed Richards built it as demonstration house for Better Homes and Gardens.  Sold to Nan Russell Sanderson and Jesse O. Sanderson in 1967.  Sold to Salah and Amina Elmaghraby in 1985.  Sold to current owners, landscape architect Dennis Glazener and his wife Sharon Glazener, in 1994.  They added a very elegant pool, above, and with Thomas Crowder have more renovations planned.

1954 - 2742 Circle Drive, Durham.  Sold to Redford and Virginia Williams.  Sold in 1984 to Elwood Albert Linney and Susan Diane Donerly.  Sold in 1994 to current owners Mark and Nancy Handler. 

1954 - The Thomas Darden House at 124 Fern Lane, Chapel Hill.  Sold to John and Alice Cross in 1985.  Sold in 1999 to Malcolm and Jennie Kendall.  Sold in 2004 to current owners Burton and Kathleen Goldstein.  Renovations by Dixon Weinstein Architects.  Bottom photo by Dail Dixon.   

 1955 - The Louis and Mary Welt Residence, 614 Morgan Creek Road, Chapel Hill.  Sold in 1972 to Richard and Mayhew Bear.  Sold to Marguerite I. Most in 1985.  Sold in 1999 to current owners, landscape architect Laura Moore and her husband Robert Moore. Photos by Laura Moore.

1955 - The George and Alice Welsh Residence, 377 Tenney Circle, Chapel Hill.  Sold to David and Margaret Brunn in 1971.  Sold to Richard Drake Lamberton in 1984.  Sold in 1991 to current owners Susan Gravely and Bill Ross.  Designed by Jim Webb in association with California modernist architect Cliff May.  5100 square feet.  Renovated by Jon Condoret and contractor Stan Stutts. 

1957 - The Robert and Josie Stipe House, 1022 Highland Woods, Chapel Hill. Sold in 1972 to Charles Swisher.  Sold in 1975 to current owners Nortin M. and Carol Hadler.  According to John Schwab, Stipe always regretted selling it.  Renovations and additions by Dixon Weinstein Architects.

1957 - The Douglas and Jane H. Humm Residence, 1439 Smith Level Road, Chapel Hill NC. 14 largely wooded acres with a spring fed pond.  The house Split level ranch with 5000 square feet, 3500 of them finished and heated on two floors.  Technically 4 bedrooms, although one of these was designed to be a study. It has a darkroom and a shop area downstairs in addition to a large multipurpose room. Occupied by their son Alan Humm and his wife Jean Humm.  Photos by Leilani Carter.

1957 - The Donald R. and Margie R. Matthews Residence, 421 Brookside Drive, Chapel Hill.  2250 square feet.  1.33 acres.  Sold in 1961 to Harold R. and Anne E. Hall.  Sold to Rudolf and Ruth Koster in 1989.  Renovation in 1990's.  Sold in 1997 to current owners Mark and Lorea Civiok. 

1957 - The Jud and Persis Van Wyk House, 1020 Highland Woods, Chapel Hill.  Sold in 2004 to current owners Lex and Ann Alexander.  Renovated in 2006 by designer John Lindsey.  Bottom photo by Nicole Alvarez.

1957 - The Sager/Parker House, 1010 Highland Woods, Chapel Hill.  Built for Robert and Elizabeth Sager.  Sold in 1967 to current owners John and Peg Parker.  Bottom photo by Dail Dixon. 

1957 - The J. Alex and Betty McMahon House, 419 Whitehead Circle, Chapel Hill.  1850 square feet.  Sold to William A. Olsen, Jr., in 1961.  Sold to Virginia Viser Spence in 1964.  Sold to Robert and Elena Watson in 1973. Sold to William and Nancy Hooke in 1988.  Sold to Richard and Mildred Robinson in 1992. Sold in 1999 to Aravinda DeSilva and Amy Brett Weil.  Sold in 2009 to current owner Thomas W. Mansfield. 

1957 - The Fred and Josephine Weedon House, 100 Pine Lane, Chapel Hill.  Built on a slope, with an exposed basement at the rear, with wood shingle siding, sliding windows, an interior concrete block chimney, and a recessed entrance with an adjacent jalousie window. A deck and rear bedroom balcony was added in 1981. Ellington & Sparrow was the contractor. The Weedons' daughter and current owner, Josie Stipe, was deeded the house in 1972.  Bottom photo by Dail Dixon.

1957 - The Henry S. and Gertrude Mitchell Willis Residence I, 357 Tenney Circle, Chapel Hill.   Sold in 1980 to Everett K. and Elizabeth Owen Wilson.  Sold in 2003 to Nancy Hansen.  2058 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2-1/2 bathrooms.  Sold in 2009 to Frank Baumgartner.

1957 - The Henry S. and Gertrude Mitchell Willis Residence II, 355 Tenney Circle, Chapel Hill. Sold in 1960 to Gertrude's mother Charlotte B. Mitchell.  Sold in 1974 back to Henry S. and Gertrude Mitchell Willis, presumably when Charlotte died. Sold in 1984 to Everett K. and Elizabeth Owen Wilson.  Sold in 1993 to Leslie Jarrett Lawler.  Sold in 2007 to Nancy Hansen.  1508 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.   Sold in 2009 to Frank Baumgartner.

1958 - The John and Ruth Schwab House, 1030 Highland Woods Road, Chapel Hill.  Don Stewart was the primary architect. Stewart did additions in 1965 and again in 1979.   Sold in 2007 to Kristen Huff and Daniel Delaney.  Sold in October 2009 to Richard Harrill.

1958 - The Nathan Rodman Residence, 2 Bartram Drive, Chapel Hill.  Photo by Dail Dixon.  Sold in 1970 to current owners Carol and Tom Baer.

1958 - The Donald Hayman House, 1038 Highland Woods Drive, Chapel Hill. 
2075 square feet.  Built for the current owner.

1958 - The Paul H. and Mary Kestler Clyde Residence, 1211 Woodburn Road, Durham.  Sold to Nicholas and Carol Gillham in 1968.  The addition was designed by Donald Stewart.  Sold to Richard and Meredith Brunel in 2002.  Sold to Jeffrey Smith and Gregory Orlando in 2007.  1806 square feet.  Photos by Meredith Brunel.

1959 - The Harry R. and Lucinda Lee Bixler Residence, 1111 Sourwood Drive, Chapel Hill.  Sold in 1984 to Ronald Batson.  Sold in 1993 to current owners David Honigmann and Betty Maultsby.  Photos by George Smart.

1960 - The EK Powe Jr. House, 81 Beverly Drive, Durham.  Sold to Oliver and Judith Charlton in 1977.  Sold in 1980 to Duncan and Sandra Yaggy.  Sold in 1985 to current owners Michael Allen Gillespie and Nancy S. Henley.  Photo by George Smart.

1960 - The Bill and Lois Terrill Residence, 1027 Highland Woods Road, Chapel Hill.  Sold to William Jackson Stewart in 1989.  Sold to Joy Javits Stewart in 2001. Sold in 2008 to current owners Blaesius Rainer and Elisabeth Schweins.  2160 square feet.  Bottom photo by Dail Dixon.

1962 - The John and Margaret Gulick House, 1029 Highland Woods Road, Chapel Hill. 
Sold in 1992 to current owners Fred and Lawanda Hall.   Renovations and additions by Dail Dixon when he was at Designworks in Carrboro.  Bottom photo by Dail Dixon.

1966 - The John and Ruby Graham Residence, 108 Glendale Drive, Chapel Hill.  Built by Carl Ellington.  Sold in June 2006 to Dennis and Jean Hendrickson who have made significant improvements.  Top photo by Leilani Carter.  Bottom two photos by Nicole Alvarez.

1967 - The Ethel Redney Akin Residence, 414 Lyons, Chapel Hill.  1200 square feet. Sold in 1970 to Donald Lewis Madison and Beverly Webster Madison. Donald Madison sold the house in 1985 to current owner Brian Whittier.  Bottom photo by Lucy Pittman.

1967 - The Pearson and Jeannie Stewart Residence, 112 Glendale Drive, Chapel Hill.  Sold in 2003 to current owners Irene and Pape Gaye.  Features an open kitchen/living room which has been renovated by Sophie Piesse and built by Gaye and Kennedy Builders of Hillsborough.  Photos by Seth Tice Lewis.   

1976 - The Floyd Fried House.  416 Whitehead Circle, Chapel Hill.  3178 square feet on 2 acres.  Built by JP Goforth of Security Building Company. Last two photos by John Goddin.  Sold in 2008 to current owner Richard Darling.