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Discover the heartwarming journey of a couple who turned humble beginnings into a legacy of craftsmanship and community spirit, culminating in the sale of one of Lewisville’s grandest homes.
The recent sale of one of the grandest and highest priced homes in Lewisville history went largely unnoticed. But the legacy of the Tally home’s builder, James Tally, and wife, Wilma, is a story of times gone by worth sharing and cherishing.
Ogburn Station on the north side of Winston Salem was the homeplace of young James Tally. In the 1940s Winston Salem had a stronghold in the tobacco and textile markets, and was a community of sprawling estates of the elite, and a large working class of farmers, mechanics and laborers. James learned at an early age that he would need to work to support his family, and at age 11 took his first job as Winston Salem Journal paper boy. A family move to Shattalon Drive in 1956 shifted James’ work as a 16 year old to Mt. Tabor Food Market and bus driver, while attending Northwest High School. It is at the Food Market that James met 14 year old Wilma Adams from Winston Salem suburb Vienna, who would be his wife for 57 years. With a seed of determination after a teacher told him he would never succeed, James finished high school headed to RJR Tobacco Company as chief repairman. Once married, his bride Wilma also joined on at RJR.
Wilma’s father, a self-employed brick mason, encouraged James to pursue a second vocation while working second shift at Reynolds. And in the early 1970s having earned a General Contractor license, James started building homes with his wife, who had an eye for decorating. They became quite the team with daughter in tow – James building spec homes with Wilma decorating, doing his bookkeeping, and sometimes even staking foundations with her husband. After more than 32 years full time at Reynolds and building homes, James retired from RJR and pursued his love of home building full time.
James built over 75 homes across Forsyth County – in Sunny Acres, Shallowford Lakes, Greenfield Estates, Grandview, New Sherwood, Woodgrove, Shamrock Acres, Thornhill, Huntscroft, Wellsprings, Century Oaks, etc. His attention to detail, dedication to clients, and disciplined job-site management resulted in beautiful homes, his stellar reputation and an unmatched determination.
So at the young age of 63, James and Wilma embarked on their greatest build – their 7500 sf Lewisville home on nearly 17.5 sprawling acres just on the outskirts of town. Buying a large tract of land that they split with dear friends, James built the home next door while completing his own. With a binder of clipped pictures from magazines of some of their favorite home features and trends, this dynamic couple incorporated 50 years of building expertise into their dream home. The most exceptional and personal feature – a Moravian star in-lay floor of cherry and oak underneath a lit dome of the same star, a reflection of their commitment to faith, family and the community’s heritage. James Tally and wife Wilma, as whispers of humble beginnings with work ethic to build masterpieces, forever woven into the bricks and beams of the Winston Salem community.
The Tally Home was listed by Broocks Foster, sold by Amanda Merrill both of Coldwell Banker Advantage.
About Coldwell Banker Advantage
Coldwell Banker Advantage is part of the Coldwell Banker Advantage Family of Companies, with offices throughout the Triangle, Triad, Lake Gaston, Kerr Lake, Fayetteville, Southern Pines & Pinehurst, Asheville, Wilmington, New Bern, Washington, and Myrtle Beach marketplaces. In 2023, the Coldwell Banker Advantage Family of companies served approximately 17,897 clients, representing more than $6.2 Billion in real estate sales.
For more information, please contact:
Broocks Foster | REALTOR®
Coldwell Banker Advantage
BFoster@CBAdvantage.com
