It's not haunted, it just needs a friend

CHAPEL HILL -- Walking into the Edward Kidder Graham House is a lot like walking into a haunted house.

The floors creak, the rooms are covered in cobwebs, and the cracks in the structure allow an eerie breeze to pass through the hallways.

"I'd like to have real neighbors instead of ghosts," said David Bordsen, who lives behind the historic home on 115 Battle Lane.

Although there may not be any real haunting going on, preservationists hope to find a buyer to renovate the house.

Preservation North Carolina announced an agreement Tuesday that allows the nonprofit organization to seek potential buyers for the Edward Kidder Graham House, just off the university campus in the Franklin-Rosemary Historic District.

Owners Sherman and Kay Richardson are asking $900,000 for the two-story Colonial Revival house in its current condition.

Experts estimate it will cost several hundred thousand dollars to repair and renovate the structure, which was condemned by the town of Chapel Hill after recent storm damage.

Renovations needed on the house include extensive structural repairs as well as basic plumbing and electrical work, said restoration contractor Todd Dickinson, of Dickinson Restorations in Hillsborough.

Original detailing such as bay windows, sliding pocket doors and an open floor plan set this older home apart from homes being built today, he said.

Cathleen Turner, regional director for Preservation North Carolina, said the organization is looking for a buyer who will restore the home to contemporary standards within three years while respecting its historical features.

"This house is emblematic of a certain period in Chapel Hill's development," Turner said.

Edward Graham built the house in 1908 and lived in it until 1914 when he became president of the University of North Carolina. Other residents of the house included his cousin Frank Porter Graham, who also became president of the university and a U.S. senator.

Preservation North Carolina is confident that it will find a sympathetic, committed buyer for the property.

"We know they're out there," Turner said. "This house has so much going for it."