Gazing today upon the grimy, deteriorating structure at 112 S. Fulton St., it’s difficult to envision the stately home that existed decades ago and the famous, elegant couple who presided over lively dinners and parties there, entertaining visitors from Hollywood and Broadway, as well as the high society of Salisbury.
Sidney and Suzanne Blackmer were once the toast of the town. A Salisbury native, he went on to become an acclaimed stage and screen star, while she was a successful actress as well ó and former Radio City Rockette whose legs were insured for $1 million.
Unfortunately, the house wasn’t insured when fire struck in 1984, a catastrophe that continues to have repercussions years after both of the house’s famous owners have left the stage. After two decades in which preservation plans have surfaced and faded, one of their sons, Jonathan Blackmer, has filed an application to demolish the house, or what’s left of it. The house had previously appeared perilously close to the wrecking ball in 1989, when the Historic Preservation Commission signed off on demolition but included a delay to allow for further preservation attempts. The Salisbury City Council then voted to rescind the demolition permit. Backed by local preservationists, the Historic Salisbury Foundation over the years has made overtures to buy the property, from Suzanne Blackmer and later from her son, to no avail.
While Salisbury has many historic structures that can boast of intriguing stories and connections to bygone eras, the Blackmer house has a particularly colorful resumé by virtue of its celebrity inhabitants. Although unknown to younger generations of movie buffs, Sidney Blackmer was an accomplished star of stage and screen. With appearances in more than 160 movies, his honors include a Tony Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the N.C. Award in Fine Arts, the state’s highest arts award. His second wife, Suzanne, was a star in her own right, dancing in the Ziegfield Follies, performing on Broadway and appearing in scores of movies. Mrs. Blackmer, who died in 2004, had hoped that the house could one day be converted into a museum dedicated to her husband’s career.
That was a worthy dream, one that local preservationists have at times tried to facilitate. Yet neither they nor the city may be more successful here than they were two years ago, when the First United Methodist Church demolished three turn-of-the-century buildings on West Fisher Street. Although city council subsequently gained local authorization to regulate demolitions within the downtown historic district, the Blackmer House lies outside that zone, in the West Square Historic District.
If demolition occurs, it will be a loss for local history. Beyond its celebrity owners, the house has a lengthy history of its own, dating to 1821 when it was the Salisbury Academy for girls. As it stands now, however, the gilded days are long gone. The house is an eyesore and the subject of neighborhood concerns about potential hazards. Even if preservationists and the owner could reach an agreement, restoration would be costly. Time may finally be running out on hopes to craft a Hollywood ending for this old house’s story.