"We have one of the best historical preservation districts in the state; we should have one of the best architectural salvage in the state." Rachel Fink, project manager at Historic Salisbury Foundation, said that to the Salisbury Post in July while standing in a showroom full of old doors, mantels and light fixtures.
That showroom is Reclaimed Relics at 120-C N. Church Street, and for the 51st OctoberTour on October 10 and 11 it is a stop on the trolley route. The houses on this year's tour show what Salisbury's historic housing looks like after decades of upkeep. Reclaimed Relics is where much of that upkeep comes from, and it stays open on Saturdays long after the trolleys stop running.
A Tour That Stays Close to West Square
Rowan County Tourism places this year's tour in the West Square Historic District, the Hurley Park area and Downtown Salisbury. The official map shows most of the homes within a few blocks of each other. Three are on Confederate Avenue and two are on South Fulton Street. Here are the eight sites, numbered as they are on the map:
- Walter McCanless House, 200 Confederate Ave. A Renaissance Revival home built for industrialist Walter F. McCanless, with walnut woodwork, carved marble mantels, and elaborate plaster and metalwork.
- Hardiman-Davis House, 223 Confederate Ave. A Tudor Revival with an unusual "drunken brick" exterior, on OctoberTour for the first time. Goodman Lumber Company supplied the lumber and millwork, and the current owners did an extensive renovation that kept or replicated the historic features.
- Mattox-Crawford House, 231 Confederate Ave. Designed by Louis H. Asbury for former Pittsburgh Pirates player J.P. Mattox and his wife, Daisy Belk Mattox, whose family was connected to the Belk stores.
- D.A. Davis Cottage, 127 W. Bank St. One of three similar rental homes built in a row. D.A. Davis commissioned them and his brother-in-law, Alfred Johnson, built them. HSF calls the cottage an "in progress" preservation project.
- Dr. Josephus W. Hall House, 226 S. Jackson St. The building started as an academy, became a residence, and was altered by Dr. Hall. Its detached kitchen, where enslaved people historically worked, has been restored and is open to the public.
- Minnie Lord Henderson House, 220 S. Fulton St. Built for a widow as a modern Arts and Crafts home. Its current owners first saw it on OctoberTour.
- A.G. Peeler House, 418 S. Fulton St.
- Gaskill-Morris-Blackmer House, 425 W. Horah St.
Several entries share one idea. The McCanless mantels, the Goodman Lumber millwork at Hardiman-Davis that was kept or replicated, and the cottage on Bank Street still being restored all describe houses whose original parts have to be repaired, matched or replaced over time. The Henderson House shows the tour has already led at least one couple to the house they now own.
Ticket holders with Patrons' tickets have two more stops. Barber Farm hosts the Patrons' Party, and the Utzman-Chambers House serves as the Patrons' Porch hospitality house.
The Warehouse Behind the Woodwork
For years, HSF kept the materials it saved from going to the landfill in the old ice house next to the railroad tracks on East Horah Street. Shoppers could get in only once a month, at Second Saturday Salvage events. Volunteers often set pieces up outside because the building was tall but not very open.
The collection now fills the former Fun Factory space on North Church Street. Fink told the Post that Fun Factory moved out in February and HSF's lease started March 1. Moving everything took about two months, which she called "grueling," and volunteers sorted the stock as it went in. Items donated during the move went straight to the new building, so, in her words, "not everyone has seen everything in here until now."
The bigger change is how often it's open. Reclaimed Relics is open to the public every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the week, you can call the HSF office at 704-636-0103 to set up a visit. Fink explained why:
"During the week, call us, and we can come open it up because when you are working on a house, sometimes, you need things quickly."
The stock includes antique doors, windows, mantels, trim, wrought iron, lighting and hardware. Fink said the trim and molding profiles run from the 1800s to the 1960s and '70s, and the light fixtures date from the turn of the century to the 1950s. Staff sort by style more than by date. A shopper who says "I have an art deco house" gets further than one who only knows the year the house was built.
The supply depends on houses that can't be saved. When an owner decides to demolish, HSF asks to salvage first. Fink said that "saves them money at the dump, and it helps us get things out of it." She also said she wants people to be able to get these materials "with ease and not at an insane price point."
How Tour Weekend Works With the Warehouse
During tour weekend, Reclaimed Relics keeps the tour's hours on both days, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m., and trolleys stop there throughout the day. That makes it one of the few Sundays the warehouse is open to everyone without an appointment. The practical details:
- Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 in person on the day of the tour, $10 for ages 6 to 10, and free for children 5 and under. One ticket covers both days. Buy them through Historic Salisbury Foundation's ticket page.
- Last tour each day starts at 4:30 p.m., so get in line by then. The ticket booth is on South Jackson Street near the Hall House Museum and handles will-call and lost and found.
- Trolleys are free for ticket holders and run during tour hours both days. You can get on and off at any stop and see the homes in any order.
- Parking has no designated lot. The guide points to public and street-side spaces around Bank Street and the tour sites, and asks visitors to use only legal spaces.
- Restrooms are at the festival near the Hall House, at Reclaimed Relics, and inside Rowan Public Library at 201 W. Fisher St. on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Photos of home exteriors are allowed. Photos inside the private homes are not.
The free OctoberTour Festival is back on Bank Street at the Hall House Museum this year, with local artisans, food trucks and live music during tour hours. The OctoberTour homepage says preservation partners will be there too. The 2026 materials don't list individual vendors or performers yet, so check the official OctoberTour guide before you go if there's a specific act or food truck you want to find.
The Patrons' Party on Friday, October 9, runs from 6:30 to 11 p.m. and costs $175 per person. That ticket also covers the home tours and the Patrons' Porch on Saturday and Sunday. Attendance is capped.
The Saturdays After
After October 11, Reclaimed Relics goes back to its regular hours. The next three Saturdays are October 17, October 24 and October 31, each from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Taking a measurement or a photo of a door, mantel or light fixture from your own house makes it easier for staff to match a style.
Halloween falls on one of those Saturdays. On October 31, the city's Halloween Fun Fest starts with merchant trick-or-treating downtown from 4 to 6 p.m. Games, entertainers and a hayride run at Bell Tower Green from 4 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a costume contest at 6:30 p.m. The night before, on Friday, October 30, the Witches Dance Bizarre Bazaar comes downtown from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. with choreographed dances, more than 60 vendors and food trucks, and admission is free. That means a Saturday morning at the warehouse on North Church Street can be followed by an afternoon downtown with the kids.
The Salisbury Post's July story on the move has photos of the new showroom. Historic Salisbury Foundation lists the warehouse hours and takes calls for weekday appointments at 704-636-0103.
If OctoberTour has you wondering how your home's original woodwork, mantels or restoration work might affect its value, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Landmark Properties can talk you through what we see in Salisbury's historic neighborhoods. Start with "What's My Home Worth?" and we'll take it from there.
