Ruby’s home in Raleigh, NC, contains many fine pieces of significance to the Massenburg family. It is her wish that, wherever possible, these items stay in the family. Personally, I would be very excited to see these treasures pass into the hands of the youngest Massenburg generation: Bailey, Ben, Evan, Kelly, India, and Robert.
The history of how so many of these things came to be in my mother’s home is pretty interesting. When my mother was a child, along with brothers Ben and Billy, their family lived in a house in Louisburg that was owned by Lillian Massenburg, one of the siblings of Ben Massenburg, my grandfather, who was married to Blanche Collins Massenburg (later Tompkins).
After Blanche’s husband Ben passed away, she and her three children left the Louisburg home. Some of the items in that house went with Blanche to her new home and eventually ended up in her Norfolk house. Those items, like the what-not shelf that lived in the corner of her living room, will be very familiar to Anne and Ben. When Blanche passed away, many of those pieces went to my mother.
Other items stayed in the Louisburg house with Lillian. Lillian never married and eventually settled in Henderson, NC, about an hour from Raleigh. In her old age, my mother was her caregiver. As a child and teenager, I spent a lot of time in Lillian’s house with the bulk of the heirlooms you’ll see on this site. When Lillian passed away, they came into my mother’s possession.
I have a theory that since Lillian was not married, her household was the natural repository for generations of Mangum and Massenburg treasures. Now it’s up to Ruby and me to make sure they are cared for and loved by generations to come.
Please scroll through this site and enjoy the pictures, and by all means, let me know if you see something you want. If it has not been claimed by another family member, I will do whatever it takes to get it to you!
The same is true for items that don’t have the Massenburg/Mangum provenance. All furnishings in my mom’s house are good quality and beautiful, and they are all looking for a new home. So please be sure to look through the galleries of other treasures in Ruby’s house.
Much Love and Happiness to Us All–
Jane