Our next sneak peek is the William and Katherine Brownell House!

The Brownell House was originally built in 1928 as one of the early speculative homes in the neighborhood. The Brownell's were the first occupants of the home. Dr. William Brownell was an educational psychology professor at Duke University. Dr. Brownell's background in education made him a staunch advocate for public schools, speaking out at numerous PTA meetings throughout his life on the subject. Katherine was also an advocate for public schools, demonstrated by her support of the 1948 Durham school supplement levy to increase taxes to aid in funding public schools. This Tudor-Revival home's clipped-gabled roof is a dashing and unique feature on the home tour. Some interior retained features include the fireplaces, the radiators, and the bathroom hardware. To see this and seven other of Hope Valley's earliest built homes, join us on our 2026 Home Tour on May 16th and 17th. Tickets can be purchased at www.preservationdurham.org/hometour or at the link in our bio! We still need more volunteers to docent in 2 or 4-hour shifts on either day of the tour. All volunteers get a free home tour ticket to enjoy the tour themselves! If interested, you can check out the sign-up form in our bio. In celebration of this year's home tour, we are also hosting our annual meeting and home tour lecture at the Hope Valley Country Club. Learn more about Preservation Durham and the history of Hope Valley at this FREE event on May 12th. Register for free at www.preservationdurham.org/hometourlecture or at the link in our bio!