THE COOPER MEEK HOUSE

By Katie Baker

Standing tall, roughly two blocks from the Columbia town square, the Cooper Meek House is a lesson in historic preservation. From 1912 until the present day, the home has been a single-family residence, a multi-family apartment community, and was then converted back into a single-family residence. After all the hands that touched this home, it was the Huckaby/Bedwell family that sought to restore the home to its original grandeur.

The majestic home was built in 1912, the same year the Titanic set sail, by J.H. Dinning and his wife, Willie F. Dinning. The Dinnings lived at 613 Mayes Place while this home was being built. Mr. Dinning was an attorney, and they owned the home for 13 years. In 1925, Maury National Bank took over the property as the Dinning family lost the home due to financial issues.

The home was then purchased by Mrs. Emma Brown Meek in 1930. She sold the home to Mrs. Lem Thomas in 1941. Miss Mary Nicholson, Thomas’s daughter, inherited the home and in 1981 it was purchased by Joe and Irene Huckaby at auction. Present owners are Joe and Connie Bedwell, who inherited the home from the Huckabys, Connie’s parents, in 2008.

Through all the changing of hands the home underwent several iterations. The home served as a source of income for Miss Mary Nicholson as she rented out apartments in the home providing boarding. After renovations in 1981 and 1982, the Huckabys also rented six apartments until 1991 when they returned the home back to a single-family dwelling. Many original details have been preserved and restored such as the red oak pine floors, doors, hardware, and tile lighting. A carriage house that includes a former smokehouse room has been converted into a garage next to the five-car parking pad.

The main entrance hall of the home features a beveled glass front door accented with lead glass windows. On either side of the entrance hall, matching pocket doors open into the main living and dining rooms while the rest of the first floor features a parlor room, office, primary bedroom, and updated kitchen. The grand staircase to the second floor features a built-in quilt box window seat underneath three lead glass windows. The second floor has a secondary exterior entrance that leads into the preserved kitchen and sitting area. Beyond the common areas are three bedrooms, several bathrooms, and two unique sunrooms that were once apartment kitchens. Ascending further up the main staircase will lead to the third-floor apartment that features two bedrooms, a kitchen sitting area, a bathroom, and storage closets. At every turn, a historic home enthusiast is treated to original doors, floors, moldings, and eight unique fireplaces. One fireplace in the main living room is a replica of the fireplace in the Oval Office.

In 1982 the home was recognized as a “certified historic structure” by the US Department of Labor. On the outside, the home is a stately three-story central block brick construction home featuring a peaked roof, hip dormers, tall brick chimneys, and a wraparound terrace accented by two covered porches. The landscaping is dotted with 100-year-old boxwoods and unbeknownst to most people, there is a cave buried under the front lawn that stretches to the Duck River north of Mayes Place.

The Huckaby/Bedwell family has spent over 40 years in the home and Joe and Connie Bedwell recently decided to pass the torch to a new owner. Connie and her husband Joe relish the memories they created in the house with their children and grandchildren. The expansive home has allowed them to host many holidays and birthdays with everyone in tow, and they have loved watching downtown Columbia flourish over the years. They even purchased their very own trolley golf cart to ferry themselves and the family down to the new vibrant square when the weather is nice. The Bedwells have listed their home for sale for the first time since 1981 so that another person can appreciate and carry on the home’s legacy. For more information on 310 W 6th Street contact the Katie Baker Group of RE/ MAX Encore. This is truly a unique property and a rare opportunity to live on one of Columbia’s most coveted corners.

Special thanks to the Huckaby and Bedwell families for providing the history of this lovely home.

KATIE BAKER is a local Realtor and owner of the Katie Baker Group with RE/MAX Encore in downtown Columbia. Baker and her team of professional agents work to elevate the real estate experience while overseeing every aspect of a purchase or sale. She believes the right mix of technology, exceptional service, and an expansive network of relationships are the keys to success in every real estate venture.