The Historic Preservation Society of Durham

Preservation Durham works to protect Durham’s unique sense of place by sharing our passion and knowledge. We offer education and advocacy to the public, stakeholders and public officials. We encourage everyone to preserve the places they love and show them how. We collaborate to protect Durham for future generations.

Preservation Durham is made up of folks who believe that place is important and that our past helps to shape our future. We want Durham to embrace growth and change but also to protect its sense of place – its unique identity in the Triangle – and to remain open and available to all in our community. Everyone’s story has a place.

Durham began in 1854, when Dr. Bartlett Durham sold four acres of land to the North Carolina Railroad Company to build a new station between Hillsborough and Raleigh. A small village soon sprang up around the depot. In 1865, huge armies of Union and Confederate forces gathered around Durham’s Station as General Joseph E. Johnston negotiated his surrender to General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place , the largest troop surrender at the end of the Civil War.

Duke’s mansion, Fairview, was built across the street from W Duke Sons & Co Tobacco Factory

R. F. Morris had opened the first tobacco factory in 1854, but the industry came into its own after the Civil War as demand for smoking tobacco spread nation-wide with returning veterans.