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It's hard to believe that this section of Fourth Ward was on the outer
fringes of Charlotte in the late 1800's. It was also one of the most
fashionable residential districts in the entire community. Look at the
one-story projection or wing on the far right side of the Overcarsh
House. This is probably the oldest frame structure in Uptown
Charlotte. That was the entire house when it was built, and it dates
from before the Civil War.
The house was greatly expanded around 1880 when Elias Overcarsh, a Methodist minister, had the main block constructed in the then-fashionable Queen Anne style. Rev. Overcarsh must have inherited a lot of money, because he spared no expense in making his "new" Victorian home a showplace.
Irregularity of plan and massing and variety of color and texture characterize the Queen Anne style. Look at the different kinds of roofs, windows, and exterior siding on the Overcarsh House, and you will see examples of these distinguishing features.
The Queen Anne style began in England in the 1860's when architect Richard Norman Shaw invented the style. But it really caught on in the United States when the British government chose the Queen Anne style for two buildings it erected at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. Tourists flocked to Philadelphia from all over the country and were enchanted by the extravagant ornateness of what they saw. Whether Elias Overcarsh visited the Centennial Exposition is not known. But it's obvious that he liked the Queen Anne style. One wonders whether Methodist founder John Wesley would have approved of such ornate showiness. Probably not.
Continue north on Pine Street until you reach Ninth Street. Notice the two-story frame store building on your immediate left that now houses Alexander Michael's Restaurant.
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