It's time to get your tickets for an unforgettable evening! Over the past few months, we've gathered stories from our organization’s 50-year history to share at our anniversary event, featuring a timeline starting in 1974. Stroll through history (drink in hand) as we revisit milestones like the loss of the Washington Duke Hotel, the saving of St. Joseph’s A.M.E. in 1975, and the evolution of Durham’s historic districts. Explore how historic tax credits have transformed Durham's tobacco heritage and celebrate key preservation moments from the 1980s to today. This evening is a heartfelt Thank You to our community, members, partners and supporters for all we’ve accomplished together. Join us, and invite others, to learn about Durham's preservation journey and show your support for the future.
The event is Tuesday, November 19th from 6-8pm at the Fruit (305 S. Dillard St). This is a free event open to the public, with a suggested donation of $25/person for those who are able to contribute and sponsorship opportunities are still available!
Celebrate Durham history with a guided tour of Durham’s famous Old Maplewood Cemetery. Newly designated on the National Register of Historic Places, Maplewood was created in the early 1870s as Durham’s very first public amenity. Tickets are good for the entire day, Saturday, October 19, from 9:30am-4:30pm. The tour is free for Preservation Durham members, $15 for early bird, and $20 for day of general admission. Preservation Durham Tour Guides will be leading concurrent loops through different areas of the cemetery that you can hop on or off at any time. You can join at any time throughout the day and stay as long as you like. Each loop is about 75 minutes from start to finish and we usually have three loops going at once.
Join the Friends of Geer Cemetery for a tour of historic Geer Cemetery, newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a model example of important historic preservation work in our Durham community. The tour will illuminate a history too often unseen, that of the graveyard itself as well as the African Americans laid to rest there and the role they played in building Durham. The tour is free for Preservation Durham and Friends of Geer Cemetery Members, $15 General Admission. Space is limited and you must select a timed session on the second page during registration.
Preservation Durham’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
Tuesday, November 19, 6-8pm, The Durham Fruit
Tickets are available now for our 50th Anniversary Celebration next month! We hope you’ll join us and journey through time and delve into the preservation stories of the past 50 years in Durham. Share drinks and appetizers with friends as we celebrate our community preservation award winners and toast to the next 50 years! This event is free and open to everyone with a suggested donation of $25/person for those who are able. Invite friends, family, neighbors, everyone!
Preservation Durham has a plaque program with nearly 300 plaques marking historic properties all across Durham! With a plaque, you can share the name and date of your historic property, demonstrating its cultural significance to Durham. The plaque program has been a beloved program for years now, and is one of our most popular programs! The plaques are strictly honorary and serve as a public history tool. Acceptance into the plaque program does not protect your house or mean Preservation Durham has any control over future changes. For eligibility, your house must be at least 70 years old and located within Durham County. Acceptance requires a well researched application, documenting your property’s history and inhabitants. Many property owners are able to complete the research themselves, but Preservation Durham has a team of volunteers who will complete the research and report for a donation. For more information, check out our website linked below with the new interactive map that shows plaques across the county! If you want more information on a specific property, many plaque properties are on Open Durham, so check there first!
The Ellerbees have sensitively renovated several properties in Durham and will be recognized for their preservation work at Preservation North Carolina’s annual conference on October 16th. Taylor and Dylan have saved over two dozen houses around the state. We thank and congratulate them for their continuous hard work in preservation in Durham! Read more about Preservation NC’s annual awards here.
Often people reach out asking if we have access to original drawings or floor plans for their house. More often, the answer is that we do not but can suggest a few places to search for clues and looking at pattern books is often top of the list. A recent sleuth took the question into his own hands and then shared the results on Open Durham!
While researching the Duke Faculty homes, Rich was able to find information on the design firm in NY that did the plans for the homes back in the 1880’s. Turns out, it was a New York architect, Robert W. Shoppell, founder of the “Co-Operative Building Plan Association” that produced mail-order designs in an attempt to make an architect designed home more affordable. Thanks to the sleuth, the house and floor plans of the Cranford-Wannamaker house at 1019 W Trinity are now online. The design above is the front elevation from R.W. Shoppell House Design #174. Thanks, Rich!
Last month we launched a campaign to raise $7,500 for Open Durham by the end of the year. I’m pleased to share that only a month in and we’ve raised $1,100. We’re closer to our goal but there is still plenty of time to chip in and show your support for this informative and fun digital resource!
Local events and news from us and our partners in preservation you may be interested in.
- ASHES to ASHES Symposium. October 4, 9 am-4 pm. The symposium marks the beginning of an official launch of the ancestral burial grounds project directed and conducted by the joint partnerships of the Department of History and the Department of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. The symposium is open to the public. More information here.
- Pauli Murray Pilgrimage. October 5. Starting at the Pauli Murray Center, participants will traverse a 4.5-mile route or a 1-mile abridged option, visiting sites significant to Pauli's childhood. Along the way, you'll receive selected prayers, meditations, and conversation starters to foster reflection and connection. This pilgrimage is open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation or family ties with Pauli Murray. All participants in this free event will also receive a FREE self-guided tour of Pauli Murray’s childhood home during the pilgrimage! Come and engage in this enriching experience blending history, spirituality, and community! Tickets and more information here.
- Cocktails & Cornices Walking Tour. October 9, 5:30-7pm. Preservation Durham’s popular “Architecture and Urban Landscape” tour, modified for a weeknight happy hour event in the social district. FREE for Preservation Durham Members; $12 for non-members. Drinks on your own. SOLD OUT
- Preservation North Carolina Annual Conference. October 16-18. Rocky Mount and Tarboro. Great opportunity to learn more about historic preservation activities around the state and collaborate with partners in other municipalities. More information and registration here.
- Maplewood Cemetery Tour. October 19, 9:30-4:30. Celebrate Durham history with a guided tour of Durham’s famous Old Maplewood Cemetery (newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places). Tours will be led all day. Tickets and more information here.
- Trinity Park Home Tour 2024: “If These Houses Could Talk”. October 20, 12-5pm. Explore 12 of the architectural gems that make Trinity Park special, and learn the unique stories they have to tell. A time-honored tradition for over 40 years, the Trinity Park Home Tour is a fun way to connect with your community! Tickets and more information here.
- Neighborhoods Hike with Local Historian John Schelp. October 27, 10am. Local street historian John Schelp will join us as we walk through Old West, Watts-Hillandale and Walltown. Co-hosted by the Museum of Durham History, Preservation Durham and the Sierra Club. Two-hour walking tour starts at Ninth & Green, across from White Star. No sign-up required.
- Historic Geer Cemetery Tour. November 2, Timed Tours. Join the Friends of Geer Cemetery for a tour of the historic cemetery and learn how this cemetery is a model of important historic preservation work in our community. Timed tour tickets and more information here.
- History Among Friends: Cemetery Citizens by Adam Rosenblatt. November 14, 6-7pm. Join Preservation Durham and the Museum of Durham History for a conversation with local author and Duke Professor, Adam Rosenblatt. Tickets and more information here.
- SAVE THE DATE! Preservation Durham’s 50th Anniversary Celebration & Awards. Tuesday, November 19, 6-8pm. The Durham Fruit. More information and tickets for this FREE community event available online later this month.
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