03/03/2026
Asbury-Parker, the House with the "Witch’s Hat"
Albemarle once featured a Queen Anne masterpiece with a striking turret topped by what architects call a "Witch’s Hat." It was the only one of its kind in town, but the most incredible part of the Asbury-Parker home isn't how it was built… it’s how it finally fell.
From 1905 through the 1940s, this house was the beating heart of Albemarle’s social scene, hosting legendary parties for decades. But as the town changed, so did the home—becoming apartments and eventually being "chopped up" into a Professional Building in the 1950s.
The house met the wrecking ball in 1977, but that iconic Witch’s Hat actually survived the demolition. It was saved and stored in a field, and it even survived falling off a trailer during a move—only to be struck and totaled by a speeding truck in a final, cruel twist of fate.
Today, it’s just a parking lot. But in my latest painting, "Lot Full," I’ve restored that turret to its former glory.
I’m the Albemarle Agent—keeping our history from being paved over, one brushstroke at a time.
