Thanks to the overwhelming support from the Durham community (and beyond), we are thrilled to announce that we not only met but exceeded our fundraising goal of $2,500 in just 48 hours! With donations from six states, ranging from $5-$250, we raised the necessary funds to submit the Local Landmark nomination for The Chicken Hut and cover the application fee.
The incredible response and quick action is a testament to the deep love and appreciation for The Chicken Hut and its role in Durham’s history. We are so thrilled that this important piece of our city's past (and present) has a chance to receive the official recognition and protection it deserves.
With the funds secured and the research complete, we have officially submitted the Local Landmark nomination to the City of Durham. The process is now in the hands of city staff, and we will keep you updated as the application moves through review and when it will be scheduled for consideration by the Historic Preservation Commission because we'll want your support at that meeting!
Given the overwhelmingly positive response to this effort, Preservation Durham is excited to announce a new initiative: moving forward, we are striving to research, submit, and cover the application fees for one new Local Landmark nomination per year. This effort will help preserve and recognize more sites of Durham’s rich and diverse history, ensuring that historically significant sites and their stewards receive the recognition and protection they deserve. To further this goal, our new effort will be incorporated into our annual awards program as a way to take nominations from the community (with property owner support) and work to recognize more underrepresented sites across Durham county.
We couldn’t have done this without you! Stay tuned for details next month on how you can get involved in our ongoing efforts. Together, we are making history and ensuring that Durham’s cultural landmarks stand the test of time.
P.S. We’re working on adding the research to Open Durham so you can read the history and comment with your own Chicken Hut stories - stay tuned!
Get your early-bird tickets today for the 2025 tour, May 17-18, 12-4pm!
As we round off the end of our 50th anniversary, we wanted to continue the celebration of Durham’s history and Preservation Durham’s impact in helping share that history by highlighting our plaque program as this year’s home tour theme. It was a difficult decision to choose only nine houses from nearly 300 plaques but we are so excited to highlight these home and share their history with you. Each home has a unique story, represented through the history of each individual that lived in them. Each property’s history is recognized with a plaque, paying homage to those who came before, while celebrating the evolution of the homes by the current home owners.
Our roster is unique in that it spans across multiple neighborhoods, decades, and styles. We also have a mix of homeowners who did the research or applied for a plaque themselves. Which brings us to another date to save: May 13th from 5:30-7:30pm at the Carolina Theatre. May 13th is the date of our home tour lecture and annual member’s meeting. The home tour lecture will feature a panel of guests to share the history of some of the houses featured on this year’s tour, as well as the process that goes into researching each one. Registration for the lecture and member’s meeting will be available on our website later this month.
Snag your early bird tickets while they last! Tickets are $30 for members and $40 for general admission. Prices will increase May 1 so don’t wait!
Do you love history, architecture, and seeing how people make a house a home? Do you like meeting new people? If the answer to either or both of those questions is yes, then you should volunteer as a docent for our home tour this year! We’re in need volunteers for both days of the home tour. The minimum commitment is 2 hours and you can sign up for one or both days of the tour. We’ll give you all the information you need and you’ll never be alone. Volunteers get to attend the home tour FOR FREE on either day and join us for the after-party. Sign-up with a friend and make it a date!
Interested in sponsoring the annual home tour and other Preservation Durham programs and events - putting your brand and business in front of hundreds of like-minded people who love Durham and it’s historic architecture? Consider becoming a Sustaining Sponsor! Visit the link below for 2025 opportunities or reach out to Julianne Patterson.
Walking tours are back this spring and summer! After the successful launch of the Cocktails and Cornices tour last year, we’re offering six dates for you to check out the tour yourself this year. The tour will be held (weather pending) the second Tuesday of each month April-September from 5:30-7pm. The tour is free for Preservation Durham members and $12 for general admission. Check out the tour page for more information and to register for what are sure to be sold out tours.
Last year, Preservation Durham partnered with the City of Durham to pursue a Certified Local Government grant for the nomination of Emorywood Estates to the National Register. The grant was awarded and the City is now seeking proposals from qualified consultants to undertake the survey and nomination.
Emorywood Estates is a mid-century African American residential community with houses dating from 1964 to the 1980s. It was advertised to Durham’s growing Black middle-class and attracted lawyers, doctors, teachers, and more. Preservation Durham submitted the initial study list application for the neighborhood in 2011 and in 2020, it was officially added. Preservation Durham board member and NCCU History Dept Chair, Dr. Charles Johnson, has documented the history of the community’s residents for years and we are excited to see this designation come to fruition. To learn more about the impactful residents of this Durham neighborhood, check out the City of Durham’s Neighborhood Improvement Service Department's Our Community Stories series which featured Emorywood Estates in 2021.
To learn more about the project you can review the RFP.
Request for proposal has been extended until March 14th.
Durham Planning Academy Spots Open
If you are interested in becoming more involved with the Durham City-County planning the planning department is hosting a planning academy. This is a two-day, in-person learning sessions where you learn the various terminology, resources, and involvement opportunities related to Durham planning.
This is a great, free resource for anybody who has thoughts about Durham planning and wants to get more involved! The learning sessions are May 2nd & 3rd. Application for this event is due March 14th.
Psst… If you made it this far in the newsletter, lucky you! You’re getting a sneak peak of one of the houses highlighted on this year’s annual home tour.
The James R. and Lola B. Weatherly House is a wonderful example of preservation that tells a story. Originally built in 1925 by the Weatherly’s, the home was in their family until 1973. It was then sold seven times, finally coming into the hands of Alicia Hylton-Daniel of Hylton-Daniel Design who rehabilitated the home with a keen eye to the preservation of its historic characteristics. Through rehabilitation, Hylton-Daniel tells a story of Black success in Durham, celebrating purveyors of Durham’s Black Wall Street both before and after its demolition. Every interior design decision was intentionally made to stay true to the history of the house and to contribute to a greater story of Black success and history in Durham.
Suzanne Fischer, who lived in the house from 1999 to 2022 detailed her love for the home saying, “My devotion to that house only got stronger over my 22 years there—despite all the nonglamorous ways I had to spend money on it—on the foundation, plumbing issues, a new roof, shoring up that gorgeous porch. At the same time, my love of Durham also grew: I made amazing friends there, met my now-husband, rejoiced with every new downtown restaurant that opened, cheered when the DPAC was built, and supported all the businesses that took a chance on Old North Durham and its neighboring districts.” This home has remained a beloved structure and is a testament to Durhamites dedication and love for Durham.
The James R. and Lola B. Weatherly House is one of the newest additions to our plaque program and we are delighted to celebrate Alicia Hylton-Daniel’s fantastic preservation work on our upcoming 2025 Annual Home Tour. To see the James R. and Lola B. Weatherly House up close, you can buy tickets to our 2025 annual home tour!
The Harriet Tubman YWCA was a central hub for Black women in the Durham area, acting as temporary housing and meeting space for many individuals and organizations alike. The Harriet Tubman YWCA was completed in 1953, and since it was established during the Jim Crow era, it was a segregated space meant to address the absence of a “separate but equal” YWCA establishment for Black women.
The Harriet Tubman YWCA is located in the Hayti Neighborhood, which was largely disrupted by the Durham urban renewal program in the mid-late 1900s. Luckily, the YWCA was not demolished and remained a staple within the community until the 1970s when the organization left the building. The building was used as a meeting space and eventually a childcare center in the 1990s. In 2018, it condemned and slated for demolition but was purchased and saved in 2019 by Reinvestment Partners with plans to rehabilitate the building into affordable housing. The building was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year.
Preservation Durham continues to monitor the status of the Harriet Tubman YWCA, acknowledging its influence as a community center within Durham. To learn more about this important site, check out the Open Durham page.
New book by Durham native, Rick Jackson!
Check out Durham Murder & Mayhem
“Since its genesis, Durham has been a city where crime was woven into the very fabric of its existence. Over the years, there have been many murders, robberies and shootouts on the streets, in the alleys and on the outskirts of town. Locals like Ernest Walker, who killed a couple during a drunken night, have left their mark. A wife staged a robbery of her and her husband in a scam that was later uncovered. Learn about “whiskey kingpin” Logan Forsyth and how he met his end. See the in-depth investigation of the murder at Doc King’s store. Find out the details of the axe murder of Rosa Crockett. Rick Jackson retells these stories and more about the shady side of Durham.”
Check out Durham Murder and Mayhem to learn more about Durham’s fascinating history!
Local events and news from us and our partners in preservation you may be interested in.
- Preservation Durham Plaque Application Training. March 4th, 11 am- 1 pm. The Chesterfield. Learn how to do research and fill out the application for Preservation Durham’s plaque program with a guided lecture. It will be recorded if you are unable to attend but interested! Register here.
- Durham Planning Academy Sessions. May 2 and 3. Registration due March 14th.
- Hayti Heritage Center Hosts 30 Years of Film. March 15th and 16th. Hayti Heritage Center is partnering with numerous local organizations to celebrate 30 years of film with workshops, films, and special guests!
- Stories That Connect Us: Behind the Project. March 18th, 6pm. Durham County Main Library. Learn more from the Hillsborough Historic Alliance’s Telling the Full Story project with a panel discussion about the process of the project. The project includes community conversations, oral histories, and interactive maps! They will also be showing project videos to inspire viewers own historic projects. Learn more here.
- Women’s History Month Guided Tour. Pauli Murray Center. March 29th. Pauli Murray Center Executive Director, Angel Thorpe Mason, is hosting a guided tour of the Pauli Murray Center, highlighting Pauli Murray’s work in promoting women’s rights. ageer Here.
- Preservation Durham 2025 Annual Meeting and Home Tour Lecture. May 13th, 5:30-7:30pm. The Carolina Theatre. More information coming soon!
- Preservation Durham 2025 Home Tour: The Golden Anniversary. May 17th and 18th, 12 pm to 4 pm each day. Join us as we celebrate our plaque program with nine houses varying in architectural style, date built, and histories!
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