The Story Of The Old House:

Old House seems to be a magnet for interesting people. The house was originally built as a private residence by William Lenoir Smith (who was a soldier in the North Carolina 23rd Infantry- CSA during the Civil War) and his wife, Katherine D. Smith, in 1873. The building sits on several hundred acres of property that has remained in the family in Gaston County, North Carolina. For nearly one hundred years, the building was primarily surrounded by little more than farm land.

William and Katherine Smith had a daughter named Myrtle, who lived in the house and eventually married into the Brandon family. In the early part of the 20th century, Myrtle gave birth to a particularly eccentric character named Evan Lenoir Brandon in the house. As an adult, Evan became a botanical enthusiast and built large greenhouses on the property, growing lots of different types of agriculture, including bamboo, black walnut, pecan, and chestnut trees. Evan also kept several pet monkeys at the house. The monkeys spent lots of time on the porch (now the lounge of the studio) and in the greenhouses behind the building. At some point, Evan also acquired a pair of Colobus monkeys, which were far less people-oriented. The Colobus monkeys were very intelligent and would often spend time in the greenhouses, where they learned to unscrew lightbulbs from their sockets and hurl them at unsuspecting visitors. In 1955, Evan became a local celebrity when he wrote a book entitled Green Pond, which was published by Vanguard Press, about a father and son in Gaston County and takes place between the Civil War and the 1950s. (A newspaper article about Green Pond appears on the wall in the lounge today. We also have a copy of the book at the studio.)

Evan raised several children, including a son born in 1930 named Elmer D. Brandon. (Elmer hated the name "Elmer" and went by the name "Dee.") After his parents moved to a larger house on nearby Clover Road, Dee took up residence in the house and lived there until the late 1970s. Dee and his family then moved to another nearby residence, and and although most of the family still remains in the same area, the original house sat vacant for nearly twenty years.

In 1993 Dee's daughter, Janet, married Gastonia native, musician, and recording enthusiast David Black. David had spent much of his youth touring with various bands as a drummer and live sound mixer before returning to Gastonia and getting work as an electrical systems engineer. One day, while tending to the family property, David got what he called "a vision" of turning the long-unused building into a functional recording studio. David and Janet presented the idea to the family and got permission to renovate the old homestead. While the Brandon family began renovation of the building's exterior, David enlisted fellow musician Scott Applegate to assist in the interior design and construction of the studio.

The family spent almost nine months disassembling two brick fireplaces, re-roofing, and installing new windows on the building. David and Scott worked intensely on the interior, putting up double-walls, installing floating floors, and designing new electrical, plumbing, and climate-control systems for the house. David was also able to apply his vast electrical knowledge with the help of Quality Engineering, the local electrical design firm for whom he worked. After two-and-a-half years of labor, Old House Studio was complete and open for business in September of 1998.

With a unique combination of personality, talent, and dedication, David quickly found a niche in the local recording community and won over many acts, including Gastonia native singer/songwriter Sammy Johns, whose 1975 hit "Chevy Van" garnered him national attention. In 1999, the comfort of the studio led to a full-time venture for David. Before long, Old House had become a favored location for nearby freelance recording engineers and producers, as well. In December 1999, Mix Magazine featured Old House in it's Project Studio column. As an avid gear enthusiast with an eagerness to learn, David made sure that the studio's equipment collection grew almost as fast as his engineering skills and the studio continued to thrive.

In April of 2005, after a series of unfortunate health problems, David Black passed away at the age of 49. While trying to maintain projects mid-stream, Janet Black and Scott Applegate enlisted the help of freelance engineer Chris Garges. Everyone agreed that it would be a shame to see David's hard work come to an end entirely, so with the blessing of family and friends, Old House Studio has continued to thrive and grow in a way befitting of David's enthusiasm.

Chris has served as chief engineer since 2005 and the studio has continued to host sessions with freelance engineers and producers as well. In June of 2008, Old House Studio celebrated a major milestone in any studio's history-- a mixing console upgrade. In September of that year, the studio celebrated another milestone-- its tenth anniversary.

Old House remains a fun place for interesting characters to gather and create. In the grand tradition of unique characters who've inhabited the house at one time or another, we think William Lenoir Smith would be proud.