The thoughts of renovating and operating two distinctly different Triad social venues had Dana Kadwell questioning her financial savviness and her sanity.
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Dana Kadwell, the new owner of the McAlister-Leftwich House
historic wedding and event venue is pictured in the center's
ballroom.
Walt Unks, Winston-Salem Journal
Kadwell's MLH Event Venue LLC recently spent $1.3 million to purchase the historic McAlister-Leftwich property at 507 N. Church St. that's within walking distance of downtown Greensboro.
Kadwell and co-curator Jesse Smith operate the facility. The property was converted to a wedding and community events venue in 2019.
"It's a convenient location off downtown with all the hotel availability there," Kadwell said.
She said more than $150,000 has been spent on upgrades with much more in the process "to help the house reach its full community potential," Kadwell said.
"There's been a lot of unforeseen maintenance things that happened, things that are going to have no bearing on what you see, but you have to get done."
Meanwhile, Kadwell has taken ownership of the Graham Mill, a former hosiery mill in downtown Graham built in 1934.Â
Kadwell said that even though at that time she was in the midst of renovating a former hosiery plant in Graham into an entertainment venue, she thought the McAlister-Leftwich property was too good of an opportunity to pass up — at the right price.
Both properties host weddings, as well as community, social, corporate and fundraising events.
"It's been the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life, jump-starting two businesses at the same time has been very complicated," Kadwell said.
"This has been reminding myself why I love this industry so much."
'Hail Mary' moment
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The exterior of the historic McAlister-Leftwich House wedding
and event venue at 507 N. Church St. in Greensboro. The Leftwich
house is pictured on the left while the McAlister House is on the
right. A breezeway connects the two houses.
Walt Unks, Winston-Salem Journal
Kadwell said she initially thought she would have up to a year to evaluate the McAlister-Leftwich House on a lease-to-purchase agreement with the previous owners, Clay and Kaitlin Holland, and Cheryl Briley.
"I really wanted to get into it to see if I could actually do it right," Kadwell said.
However, after some maintenance issues arose in late 2025, Kadwell said the previous owners "were very much like 'we don't want to deal with anything else. You either buy it now or walk away.' So I had to move up my timeline about seven months."
In what Kadwell called her "Hail Mary moment," she contacted her lender, First Citizens Bank, and said, 'I know this is crazy, but what do you think about this (purchase)?'
"I knew either I could do it, or I could walk away from this."
Her First Citizens lender reviewed the loan request and advised Kadwell to obtain a U.S. Small Business Administration loan.
"They treated this business like a startup and gave me a little bit of working capital to get through the first two years," Kadwell said.
After getting the lending approval from First Citizens Bank to take on both renovation projects, "we just jumped all in," Kadwell said.
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One of the dressing suites available at the historic
McAlister-Leftwich House wedding and event venue at 507 N. Church
St. in Greensboro.
Walt Unks, Winston-Salem Journal
Kadwell expects it could take at least two years to turn a profit with the properties based on her previous experiences in operating a similar property in New Hill.
"There was a concern about having to rebuild the business, rebuild relationships after the previous owners sort of took a step back, and let people know we're here as an option," she said.
Kadwell said ultimately, she chose to trust her gut instincts on purchasing the property.
"I have spent a lot of time (since beginning the lease-to-purchase deal) meeting with vendors and other industry people in the community," Kadwell said.
"When they stepped onto the property, you saw the excitement in their face, like they knew there is something special here."
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A breezeway connects the two historic houses.
Walt Unks, Winston-Salem Journal
Most of all, Kadwell said, "I live my life very much not wanting to have any regrets.
"I knew that if I walked away from this I would have really big regrets."
Historic background
According to the McAlister-Leftwich House website, the Gant–McAlister House was built in 1914 and "stands as a remarkable example of the architectural transition from Queen Anne to Colonial Revival design in early 20th-century Greensboro."
The Gant family lived in the house for three decades before it was purchased by the McAlister family in 1949.
Dr. Jean McAlister cared for local families during the region’s polio outbreak. Her brother, Lacy McAlister, was known for his work supporting the rehabilitation of young men navigating life after incarceration. In time, the McAlister family gifted the home to First Presbyterian Church.
When the property no longer met the church’s needs, preservationist Anne Carlson ensured its future by carefully relocating the house to its current residence.
The Dixon–Leftwich–Murphy House, built in 1875, is a national landmark residence.
It is one of Greensboro’s most notable Gothic Revival–inspired residences, and one of only three examples of the style remaining in the city. When the property was built by nurseryman Martin Dixon, the large parcel was then on the northern edge of Greensboro.
In 1887, the property was purchased by Colonel A.H. Leftwich, and in 1903, it passed to T.J. and Annie Leftwich-Murphy. Murphy would later serve twice as mayor of Greensboro, further tying the home to the city’s civic history.
Over the years, the house has adapted to many roles, including apartments, an antique shop, and office space, before beginning its current chapter as a gathering place for celebrations and special events.
Taking a tourÂ
Drawing on her nearly two decades in the events industry, foremost as a wedding planner, Kadwell said she and Smith lead with a hospitality-first approach "where every detail is intentional, every guest feels genuinely cared for, and every moment is thoughtfully held from start to finish."
Because of the historic preservation status of the two houses, the curators are limited in what structural upgrades they can make.
They have embraced what makes the property special, such as keeping the original bicycle ring sound to the front doorbell, "which children just love," Kadwell said.
The centerpiece of the venue is the ballroom on the first floor on the McAlister portion that can serve up to 120 guests.
"The beautiful thing about this ballroom space is it is transformative in how it can be used," Kadwell said.
"You can have a wedding ceremony here and have the dinner or reception outside, or vice versa and have dancing in the air conditioning.
"We do whatever makes sense for your event and the guest count."
A first-floor room in the Leftwich portion serves as a smaller space for wedding ceremonies, corporate and social events, and birthday parties.
There are plenty of rooms designed to host guests and wedding party members before and after the ceremony.
The upstairs features a typical bridal preparation suite.
There's also a mini-sports den for the men with a small putting green, card table and TV.
"In a lot of venues, the groom's room is just a closet, so we really wanted something comfortable," Kadwell said.
The den is "to entice them to arrive early and stay on the property. When they are here on time, things tend to run a little smoother," she said with a chuckle.
Part of the upstairs in the McAlister portion is being converted into a co-working space for people in the creative industry, as well as on-site child care because "as a mother and an entrepreneur, it can be a challenge running a business and having young children running around."Â
Availability
Kadwell said the McAlister-Leftwich House will be available year-round, but with limited rentals "because the houses can't handle" too much business.
"It's too old, so our goal is about 40 weddings and between 20 and 30 social events a year. We anticipate for weddings, it will be mid-March to late June, and then from September to December for corporate and social events."
"That's about how much wear and tear we figure it can take, and we want to be good stewards of the space."
Given there are between 10 parking spaces behind the house and about 15 street parking spaces, the curators are renting the parking lot of the nearby Christ Church for events. There's also valet service available for some events.Â
Kadwell says she continues to stay in contact with many of her clients since starting in 2006.
Kadwell said as an example early in her career, she helped host a father-daughter dance at a community school.
"I remember thinking one day, one of these little girls is going to get married in this venue, and sure enough that happens last year," Kadwell said.
"I would love to have father-daughter dances here because it's so neat being part of people's histories in that way."Â
"What I have found in my years in this industry is that people love to come back to places that are meaningful to them. We're lucky there are so many colleges in the Triad that people still like to consider it and North Carolina as home."
"It's all about hospitality," Kadwell said. "You're in this industry because of hospitality, because you care about other people, you want to serve other people.
"From the moment they walk into that door, it doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, who you love, you are cared for, you are seen, you are welcome here."Â
The McAlister-Leftwich House wedding and event venue in Greensboro's Fisher Park Historic District is under new ownership. Take a look inside …
