Wayne County, NC - Miscellaneous File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Lori Price Cobb . William & Emmet Robinson Collection Johnston County Heritage Center Reference Box, P.C.1.1. George Ragsdale Collection KIRBY-ROBINSON HOUSE By: Charles S. Norwood The Red Cross Headquarters at 300 S. William Street was formerly known as the Kirby-Robinson House. It was built by Dr. George L. Kirby in 1872 on the corner lot where the Federal Building now stands, being the Southeastern corner of John and Mulberry Streets. Dr. Kirby was a prominent doctor from Sampson County who began the practice of medicine in Goldsboro in 1865 soon after he was released from service in the C.S.A. army. In 1894 Dr. Kirby was appointed Superintendent of N.C. Hospital for the insane in Raleigh (Dix Hill) and moved his family to Raleigh. Dr. and Mrs. Kirby were the parents of ten children. Four of their girls married Goldsboro men... Susan married Dr. Robinson, Sally married C. W. Wilkins, Ella married E. B. Borden, Jr. and Laura married Dr. John Spicer. Their only son gained national famed as a psychiatrist, having taught at Cornell, Columbia and New York University before being placed in charge of U.S. Amry Hospital #1 during World War I. In 1903 Dr. Kirby sold his lot on John and Mulberry Street to the government for our first federally owned Post Office building (for 56 years the Post Office here was in rented quarters). He retained the privilege of selling his home which he did to his son-in-law, Dr. Marius Emmet Robinson. Dr. Robinson, a native of Goldsboro (B. July 27, 1847) had married Susan Green Kirby in 1891. He was the son of William Robinson and Eliza Davis. William Robinson came to Wayne County in 1842 and was a leading citizen of Old Waynesborough when the decision was made to move the courthouse to Goldsboro in 1847. Dr. Robinson is said to be the first child born in Goldsboro after it was incorporated in 1847. The house as it stood on John and Mulberry was one of the finest homes in town with solid brick walls with coins on each corner. Eves and overhangs supported by elaborately decorated brackets. On the roof was a square cupola and there were two porches, one on the front facing John Street and a side porch on the Mulberry Street side. Both porches were supported by large square posts and round banisters and rail. A picture taken just before the house was moved will bear out this description. Dr. Robinson had acquired a large lot on the Southeast corner of William and Spruce Street from Capt. James Knight, engineer on the Weldon & Wilmington Railroad. The lot was large enough for three houses but only one house was on the lot when T.R. Robinson made the purchase in 1892. It is believed Dr. Robinson lived in the Knight house for a short while before moving it to the rear of the lot and facing it on Spruce Street. The Knight house then became 300 E. Spruce Street. It became rental property of Dr. Robinson and listed as such until 1974. Dr. Robinson having acquired the Kirby House was now prepared for its moving to 300 S. William Street where it stands today. Very few changes were made in the move and only a close comparison of the before and after pictures will reveal that the cupola was replaced by a captains walk on the roof. Some of the fancy cornices, bracketts, and trim was left off. The brick work was changed to stucco or pebble dash as it is often called. In moving it was necessary to removed all brick and dismantle the house, then completely rebuilt. The porches were also rebuilt as they were originally but in 1946 M.E. Robinson, Jr. removed _____________________ replaced it with a brick terrace. The interior of the house is definitely Victorian as it resembles Goldsboro homes of the same decade, particulary the staircase ___ membered trim and door casings. High ceilings and massive double _______ up the front two rooms into a spacious hall. In 1910 Mrs. Robinson's mother and sisters returned to Goldsboro from Raleigh (after Dr. Kirby's death) and built their home on the south ____ Robinson home and on part of the orginal Knight lot. Dr. M.E. Robinson died March 1918 and Mrs. Robinson died in ________ only son, M.E. Robinson, Jr. inherited the property having occupied _____ all his life. Emmet Robinson, a manufacturer of wood products f___ held many public offices of importance. He was an alderman, ________ commissioner, and State Highway Commissioner for the eastern division ________ instrumental in removing the railroad rails from Center Street overnight _______ causing the Railroad Co. to cease traveling through the middle of __________. __________ Robinson, Jr. died in 1967 an left the property to his wife, Mary ______, who gave the property to the Red Cross - Wayne Chapter, in January _________. _________________________________________________________________________ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. 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