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From left City of Washington Historic Preservation Planner Domini Cunningham, Terrell Award winner Nicky Hosey and Realtor Scott Campbell in front of 738 E. Main Street.

738 W. Main Street in Washington went from substandard to superb during Hosey Ice Inc.’s 18-month renovation. (Steve Barnes/Washington Daily News)

The house at 738 W. Main Street in Washington had been an eyesore for years. The elderly couple who lived there couldn’t manage repairs, and the house fell further into disrepair after they passed.

Their heirs decided to sell the property as is and the first buyer walked away a few months later, apparently overwhelmed by the amount of time, effort and money it would take to revive the 1920’s structure.

Enter Chocowinity native Nicky Hosey (McCullough) and her husband Brandon, owners of Hosey Ice Inc.

They bought the property in 2020 and 18 months later the City of Washington and Scott Campbell, Realtor, chose them for the Rena K. Terrell Good Neighbor Award winners for bringing the home back to life.

“I think we were the only ones in the neighborhood who didn’t want to tear it down,” Nicky Hosey said. “The amount of stuff inside and outside the house was amazing and took a long time to get rid of. There were three cars, 12 refrigerators and lots of other debris in the backyard and there were weeds and other wild plants growing into the kitchen.”

Hosey and her husband have done other renovation projects around town and weren’t fazed by the dilapidated state and sometimes discussing things they found during the cleanout process. In fact, they saw great potential where no one else did.

“We just didn’t want to tear down history,” she said. “We knew it would fit the neighborhood when we got it cleaned up and looking decent, so we went at it from that angle from the start. We were thinking about living in it ourselves, then thought about an Airbnb before we decided to renovate it and sell it. It’s a good thing we aren’t scared of big projects because this defiantly was one.”

The couple totally redid the three bedroom, three bath, 2,500 square foot house over the 18 months after they acquired it and said the neighbors were a constant source of encouragement.

“We had three different families walk up while we were working to share their memories about this place,” Hosey said. “The current neighbors were very positive and encouraging throughout the process and we are pleased with the transformation. We hope the current family feels the love that we put into this project.”

The Terrell Awards are made possible through a partnership between the City of Washington and realtor Scott Campbell. Campbell, an agent with Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty, is an ardent supporter of historic preservation and worked with the city to recognize the dedication of property owners in the Washington area who preserve the stories of these historic homes and businesses. The awards are given out in four categories: Best Residential Rehab, Best Commercial Rehab, the Good Neighbor Award and Stewardship Award.

Rena K. Terrell was a founding member of Washington Historic Preservation Commission,spearheaded the creation of the Historic District in the 1970’s as well as being author of the East Main Street neighborhood magazine, “The East Ender.” Devoted to preserving historic resources and assets, Terrell was also a member of the state Historic Preservation Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as board member of the Historic Albemarle Tour. The awards started in the 80’s, then faded away before Campbell and the City revived them in 2012.

“Nicky and Brandon took a place that was abandoned, looked horrible and was in terrible condition and turned it into a neighborhood jewel,” Campbell said. “That is what this award is all about and they are very deserving.”

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