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A Greenville couple is trying to save the historic Bon Haven mansion and restore it so it can serve as a centerpiece of revitalization efforts on the north side of the city of Spartanburg.
Donald and Caroline Naysmith, who specialize in reclaiming and restoring historic structures, have presented an offer to Dexter Cleveland, a descendent of the house’s original owner, to purchase the property for $385,000.
“We thought we had restored our last house, but we saw (Bon Haven) in the news and that it was going to be demolished,” Caroline Naysmith said. “For us to even think about how to put that house back together, it would be the most costly project we’ve ever attempted. But we’re up for it.”
So far, however, the couple said Cleveland has not responded to their offer.
For decades, the couple has purchased and restored old structures in Missouri, Colorado, New York and North Carolina, transforming the properties into successful wedding venues, a family camp retreat and a five-star bed and breakfast.
Today, the couple owns and operates four companies, including Cardon Properties LLC, which focuses on acquiring and restoring historic properties.
Caroline Naysmith said she and her husband met with Cleveland on several occasions at Bon Haven to examine the house and 5.76-acre lot at 728 N. Church St.
On March 3, the couple gave Cleveland a purchase proposal for Bon Haven. In the proposal, the Naysmiths said their offer price was based on the tax value of the land, $58,600.
“What we’re offering is more than five and a half times the land’s taxable value,” Caroline Naysmith said.
On top of the $385,000 purchase offer, the Naysmiths estimate it will take $2.5 million to fully restore the property to historic standards — $600,000 to replace the features that have been stripped from the house and $1.9 million to refurbish and landscape the house and property.
Views of the restored mansion would be opened up so passersby could see and enjoy the property, the couple said.
Once the home is restored, the Naysmiths would research the highest and best use for the property. Bon Haven could become a bed and breakfast, a wedding venue, a restaurant or professional office space, Caroline Naysmith said.
The Naysmiths made their offer good until March 13, but said they are still interested in the property. Caroline Naysmith said they're disappointed they haven’t had any kind of response from Cleveland.
The couple has tried reaching out to him without any luck, she said.
Attempts by the Herald-Journal to contact Cleveland by phone and email Friday went unanswered.
“Does it not mean anything for him to save the house?” Caroline Naysmith said. “He did offer for me to buy the house’s bricks when we first met him. But I wouldn’t want to take a brick off of that house.”
Bon Haven was built in 1884 by John B. Cleveland, a founder of Converse College, the city’s water system and its public school system.
The house and property are owned by LEROMA Family Partnership and Cleve Land 3 Limited Partnership, for which Dexter Cleveland is the registered agent.
The house is one of the finest examples of Second Empire-style architecture in the Upstate, according to its National Register of Historic Places application. Although the house is on the National Register, it is not protected from demolition.
On Feb. 22, the city’s building inspections department issued a demolition permit for the property. The permit, which doesn’t say when the house will be torn down, was issued to Cleveland.
“We sat with (Cleveland) and we showed him our contract and we said we’ve done all this research on what the land is worth and this is what it is,” Caroline Naysmith said. “And he asked, ‘What about the house?’ But we can’t start out spending $1 million for a house that isn’t worth that much.”
Community efforts in recent years to raise funds to save Bon Haven have been unsuccessful, including one that was supported by the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation.
“It’s terribly unfortunate that opportunities to save this landmark could not be acted upon,” said Michael Bedenbaugh, executive director of the Palmetto Trust. “It takes a team effort by all persons involved to ensure difficult properties like this can be saved. It’s unfortunate that dynamic has not come into play for Bon Haven yet.”
In 2015, most of Bon Haven’s key historic features, including fireplace mantles, stairways and wooden components, were stripped and taken by Alabama-based Southern Accents Architectural Antiques.
Caroline Naysmith said she has managed to track down the original staircases, windows and porch columns.
“Most people in the restoration business would say that there is not enough left of Bon Haven to restore,” she said. “We don’t feel that way. It is a huge project, but we would love to be the ones to bring it back. We’re hoping (Cleveland) is encouraged to do the right thing for the town, because there are people who love the property.”
City Councilmember Erica Brown, who represents the district that includes Bon Haven, said she would love to see the house renovated into something good for the community, but that it’s ultimately the owner’s choice what to do with the property.
“At the end of the day, you can’t force somebody to do something with their private property,” she said. “Historic preservation is important to the Spartanburg community as a whole, and it helps to tell the story of the community. It’d be really nice if Bon Haven could continue to be part of that story.”
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