702 Kimbrough St, Raleigh, NC 27608

Those who linger at the Louvre eventually stumble upon the Sully Wing, where the museum's oldest history reveals itself. Beneath it lies a 12th-century medieval fortress, its limestone walls engineered to bear enormous weight and outlast time. In the sixteenth century, King Francis I (r. 1515-1547) knew there was no stronger foundation on which to build his royal palace, the building we now know as the Louvre. The story resonates in two ways: we admire the King's prudence in reuse, and we're drawn, almost instinctively, to structures built on enduring foundations. That same logic neatly captures the story and trajectory of 702 Kimbrough. Fully intending to tear down the original house, the owner wisely sought counsel from a well-respected structural engineer to take a hard look at the foundation. What he didn't expect to hear was welcome news: ''It's built as well-if not better-than modern-day construction.'' With that assurance, the plan changed. Keeping the foundation, floors, and fireplace intact, the owner embarked on a full-scale renovation, transforming a nondescript 1940s cottage into a home so charming and impeccably finished that you'd swear it was newly built. Every surface has been freshly repainted, the floors refinished, and each item identified in a pre-listing inspection by veteran Walt Cooper addressed; the report is freely available for review. Set within one of Five Points' most prized enclaves, and directly across from a city-owned, city-maintained park spa