Mary Margaret Underwood’s earliest memory of her home goes back to when she was just ten years old. The great-granddaughter of textile tycoon Charles Cannon of textile manufacturing company Cannon Mills, Underwood vaguely remembers moving into the house shortly after her parents bought it in 1975. “After my great-grandparents passed away, they didn’t leave the home to anyone, so it was put up for auction,” the designer explains. Luckily, Underwood’s parents—her mother is the granddaughter of Charles and Ruth Cannon—were able to purchase the home and keep it in the family.
Lucky indeed. Located in Concord’s historic district, the home is an architectural diamond. Prolific American architect Charles Barton Keen designed the home for the Cannon family back in 1928. A favorite residential designer for wealthy tobacco and textile families, Keen is most known for designing Reynolda, located in Winston-Salem, for Katharine and R.J. Reynolds in the early twentieth century.
The Cannon home is equally as special. The 9,000-square-foot residence is a centerpiece to Concord’s historic Union Street. With its symmetrical features and hipped roof, the Colonial Revival home (with Arts and Crafts elements) had been renovated once since it was built. When Underwood and her husband, Bob, were presented with the option of purchasing the home from her parents, they knew there would be some lengthy updates. But for the designer, it didn’t matter—the family’s legacy was in the home, and she would stop at nothing to preserve it.
In 2021, the Underwoods commenced renovations with the help of architects Virginia Moore and Don Duffy of Duffy-Magas + Associates, the latter of whom spearheaded the home’s new design. The updates included expanding the kitchen to twice its original size, enclosing the front porch, as well as adding a pool, a folly, and a veranda off the back of the house. A three-car garage was also incorporated. “Being in the historic district, I really felt I needed to honor the history of the home,” says Underwood. Inside, original details such as the hand-carved marble mantle in the living room; the 14K gold trim on the foyer’s plaster carvings, molding, and railings; and etched brass valances in the living room were preserved in an effort to remain consistent with the home’s rich history.
The interiors, however, were an enigma to the seasoned designer. “When I started this project, I was initially stumped,” says Underwood. “My mom and I are very traditional in our aesthetics. I’m a mix of that. I like antiques but I also like some modern twists.” The balancing act between maintaining the traditional elements of her childhood home and modernizing it came to fruition with contemporary lighting swaps, lacquered ceilings, upholstered walls, marble tile detail, and more. “They’re subtle but impactful changes that instantly updated the home.”
Since 1928, the home has been a prominent fixture in the Cannon family, bringing together generations for the last century. The renovation and design process has brought joy to Underwood, who loves to host her children and grandchildren often. “I’m all about my home being fun for the grandchildren and comfortable for my family. Nothing is too precious here,” she explains. For now, the one-hundred-year-old historic property continues to be a place of happiness and history for the family, and Underwood hopes that will continue for years to come. “I really do hope it stays in the family. That would be my dream.”
