One of my favorite small church structures in Durham, the building at 1801 East Main Street originally housed the Advent Christian Church. It was built in the early 1920s, and is the only church of that vintage still standing in East Durham.
By 1944, it housed the "House of Prayer," which remained here at least through the 1960s. It currently houses the Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ.
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Looking northwest from Maple Street, 1920s.
(Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection)
The Louise Knitting Mill was established in ~1915 - one of dozens of medium-sized textile manufacturers located throughout East and West Durham.
It appears that the company fell upon hard times in the 1950s; the Board of Directors voted to liquidate the company assets in July 1956, conveying the factory to the Fidelity Bank. The corporation was dissolved in September 1957.
Sometime during the 1950s, the Griffin Hosiery Mill occupied the building.
Looking north-northwest on Maple Street, late 1950s. The original building is in the background.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
In September 1965, WS Griffin and his wife Thelma conveyed the buildings to Newcomb Reproductions, Inc.
1980
By the 1990s, this company was known as Craftique. In October 1996, Craftique conveyed the land to JF Wilkerson Contracting Co. Sometime between 1994 and 1999, the buildings were demolished - it isn't clear why.
In 2002, Habitat for Humanity bought the land from JF Wilkerson and built the houses which stand on the land now.
Former site of the Louise Knitting Mill, 10.02.10
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108 South Hyde Park, 1980
One of my favorite little houses in Durham was the Flood-Herndon House at 108 S. Hyde Park~2007.
~2005
(Courtesy Carrie Mowry)
~2005
(Courtesy Carrie Mowry)
~2005
(Courtesy Carrie Mowry)
~2005
(Courtesy Carrie Mowry)
~2005
(Courtesy Carrie Mowry)
Per the historic inventory:
The one story house with a two-story bell cast roof was constructed by engineer J. Albert Flood in early 1900. Mr. Flood had his office in the lower part of the tower with his drafting space on the second floor. Currently two units, the house originally had a center hall format. The house retains its wraparound porch with Tuscan columns, some original cabinets and two intact Victorian fireplaces. The ample yard features a two-car garage fronting on Plum St.
Sadly, the house was destroyed by fire in ~2007.
108 South Hyde Park, 10.02.10
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Lions Club Workshop for the Blind, 1950s.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
The southwest corner of S. Maple Street and East Main Street was the location of the Knit-Well Hosiery Mill by the 1930s; in 1937, the buildings are noted as "vacant" on the Sanborn Map of that same year.
1937 Sanborn.
The Lions Club Workshop for the Blind was started in 1936; they purchased the Knit-Well Hosiery Co. buildings in March of 1939. The Lions Club appears to have utilized a portion of the original building (the mid-block portion) and replaced/added the structure on the corner of South Maple and East Main, designed by architect Marion Ham. The building is noted as a "Mattress Factory" on the 1950 Sanborn Map - its construction date is unclear, but my guess is that it was built in the 1940s, post-WWII.
In 1951, "Durham and Her People" describes:
The Lions Club Workshop for the Blind, started on a small scale in the early Thirties, now occupies its own plant at East Main and Maple, representing an investment of over $100,000. About 15 blind people are employed in the making of mattresses, which are sold over a wide area.
Lions Club Workshop for the Blind, 1950s.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
Sometime later, the older structure was demolished, and the 1940s building was extended westward, as the company purchased houses to the south and west and demolished them to expand the factory.
The organization later changed its name to LC Industries, and is still in existence in Durham. In 2004, the building was bought by TROSA and remained under their ownership as of March 2011. The complex takes up most of the large block bounded by East Main, South Maple, South Hyde Park, and Angier Avenue.
1800 East Main St., 10.02.10
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1307 North Mangum, 1930s
Built on land that was originally part of the property of 1311 North Mangum Street, directly to the north, the International Style house at 1307 North Mangum Street was built by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Gamble in 1935. Mrs. Gamble's father, Richard E. Dillard, who owned 1311 North Mangum, subdivided his property and gave the southern portion to his daughter and son-in-law to build their house.
The Gambles who "took an active interest in modern art, architecture, and photography" worked with Asheville architectural firm Greene and Rogers to design the house. The house was an early example of an International Style house in the country, and particularly unique for being located in Durham - in North Carolina - in the South.
Per the historic inventory:
A celebrated novelty in Durham when built, the house integrates technology and aesthetics that combine metal, glass, and poured concrete in a design for a new open spatial vision boldly expressing the principles of the Bauhaus, the leading German school of design in the 1920s and 1930s. ... The flat, unadorned walls, which form the box-like sections of the house that truthfully reflect the floor plan, and bands of windows that often make a 90-degree turn at corners, are hallmarks of a style that was just beginning to appear in the United States in the 1930s but was never widely accepted, least so in the Southeast, for domestic architecture.
Emphasis throughout is on the horizontal. Undecorated surfaces of exterior walls and windows longer than they are tall enhance the effect of expansion along the ground. The many windows plus the frequent access to terraces on both levels increase the impression of large open spaces as the separation between indoors and outdoors is diminished. The floor plan is also unusual for its time as the communal living areas are at the rear of the house and the kitchen is at the front. A curved staircase, indirect lighting, fireplace surround of mirrors and black Belgian marble, and vivid color schemes highlight the interior.
In the decade after its construction, the house was featured in national magazines, and for many years was included in the Durham Chamber of Commerce's brochure "Points of Interest in Durham, North Carolina"
In the 1950s, the house had an unfortunate treatment with Permastone on its exterior, and slid into disrepair after conversion to a rental property. 
Gamble house with a sheathing of Permastone, late 1970s.
In the late 1970s, the house was purchased by Gerard Tempest (who remodeled Fire Station #1 as an office building in the 1970s and would build "The Villa" in Chapel Hill out of parts of demolished Durham mansions.) Tempest refurbished the house in the late 1970s, adding it to the National Register in 1978.
The house remains in the Tempest family; it remains impressive on the interior, and enjoys a beautifully bucolic vista from the backyard, aided by the property's 0.66 acres and the fact that the middle of the block at the rear of the property trails back into lowlands and a powerline easement. 
1307 North Mangum, 02.12.11
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2618 Hillsborough Road, 06.17.58
I'm not sure I've ever seen a house decapitated in quite the same way 2618 Hillsborough Road was. It's almost as if the crew responsible for the shrinking of the Old Cigarette Factory in 1948 was hungry for work. Building Shortening Services? The Home Halving Co.?
2618 Hillsborough Road, 06.07.09
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101 South Guthrie
In an area of the city exhibiting a multitude of wonderful bungalows, 101 South Guthrie stands out as one of East Durham's (and Durham's) largest and most elaborate, given its unusual wraparound front porch. It and the full block of houses to its east on East Main are owned by a single LLC landlord.
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104 South Guthrie, 1980
Although it's hard to tell now, the small community grocery store building at 104 S. Guthrie was built between 1890-1913; it was originally located half a block south, on the northwest corner of South Guthrie and Angier Avenue. Between 1913 and 1919, it was moved to the north. By 1919, JC Spencer is noted as the grocer at this location in the city directories.
The store had been repeatedly remuddled, losing much of its original character. The corbelled roofline, still intact in 1980, appears to have been removed at this point.
104 South Guthrie, 10.02.10
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2117 East Main, 1980
Carpenter Thomas M. Young built this two-story T-shaped house around 1905. Mr. Boyd, who had been living in a house next door on South Guthrie Ave. that was constructed by Young for his daughter and her husband, purchased this house from the Young estate and moved into it in 1930 after leasing it out for a short while.
One room additions on the rear of the original house resulted in a double-pile center hall plan on the first story. The basic house type is enhanced on the interior by handsome woodworking and intricate Victorian mantelpieces with overmantels featuring rich turned ornament that reflect Mr. Young's carpentry skills.
The Boyd family has continued to live in the house since the 1930s, although as of March 2011, it is for sale.
2117 East Main, 10.02.10
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Postcard of the Ross House, circa 1930s
(Courtesy Sherry Handfinger)
One of the more unusual early 20th century houses still standing in Durham is the Dr. George Ross house at 2111 East Main Street. Ross lived at this location, which doubled as his medical office, from the early 20th century until his death in 1941. Ross was born in 1863 - I'm not sure when he built his original house at this location, but the house which still stands was constructed in the 1920s, replacing the original.
In 1944, Eddie Royal was living in the house, likely as a tenant of Ross' widow. It appears that he bought the house at auction when she died in 1947
In 1952, "live bait" is listed after his name in the city directory. By 1957, he shared the house with Esther Jinks, but Esther is gone by 1960. Eddie Royal and his wife Myrtle sold the property to Bobby and Patricia Holliman in 1961, who sold the house to the Gonzales family in 1997, who sold the house to the current owner in 2007.
Ross House, 1980
The front porch and orientation of the house is unusual; the inventory describes it thusly:
Its focal point is the one story wing on the main facade consisting of two gable-roofed wings set at angles to each other and to the main two-story double-pile block. These one-story wings are spanned by a shallow superimposed gable above a curved porch supported by elephantine piers. The porch piers, gables and second story of the main block are sheathed in split shake shingles, while the lower elevations are weatherboarded. Another unorthodox feature of the house is the very narrow exterior chimney on the main facade that pierces the deep eaves of the high hipped roof and culminates in a corbelled stack.
Effusively architecturally jargony description aside, it's a wonderfully strange design.
2111 East Main, 10.02.10
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2108 East Main, 1985
(Courtesy Sherry Handfinger)
From the historic inventory:
This late 19th century house constructed for [Thomas] Alford is one of the most elaborate Queen Anne style houses surviving in East Durham. Originally, the house stood on South Guthrie Avenue directly behind the former Y.E. Smith School. It was built for Thomas H. Alford, who ran D.L. Alford and Company, a grocery and general merchandise store on South Driver Street. The city purchased the house in the 1930s for use by the school's home economics department. The house was moved to the present site in the 1930s to make room for additions to the rear of the school.
Its vernacular ornament concentrated in the gables consists of scalloped boards and carved sunbursts supported by sawn brackets. The west gable surmounts a two-story three-sided bay and incorporates sawn drop pendant brackets at its apex. The porch posts of box pylons on brick plinths appear to be replacement supports, probably installed when the house was moved to its present site.
1950s aerial showing the west side of 2108 East Main before the construction of the fire station next store.
2108 East Main, 1985
(Courtesy Sherry Handfinger)
The house was purchased by the current owner-occupant in 2007.
2108 East Main, 10.02.10
2108 East Main, 10.02.10
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Aerial of 103 South Driver, early 1950s.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
The southeast corner of East Main and South Driver Sts., 103 South Driver (yes, the odd and even numbers switch sides of the street on South Driver vs. North Driver) was the site of an Victorian frame structure from the early 20th century until the mid 1950s.
In 1957, the Durham Fire Department supplanted the original Fire Station #3 at East Main and Elizabeth Streets with a new Station #3 at this location.
Second Fire Station #3 under construction, 06.24.55
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
Second Fire Station #3 under construction, 10.09.55
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
This remained the fire station that served East Durham for the next 40 years.
In 1998, this Fire Station #3, and Engine #3 moved to 822 North Miami Blvd. The building at 103 S. Driver was taken over by the Public Works division of the City of Durham. Neighbors say they were saddened by the move at the time, as the persistent presence of the firefighters helped to stabilize the area during the 1990s. 
103 South Driver, 10.02.10
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ABC reporter Lou Davis aired a nice piece this weekend about TJ McDermott and his re-opening of King's sandwich shop (with an intro from yours truly.)
"Northgate Park - Guess Road Flood Photos" - 08.25.57
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
"Northgate Park - Guess Road Flood Photos" - 08.25.57
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
The following was included with the above as "Northgate Park - Guess Road Flood Photos." Not sure where the below was taken, but I like his spirit.
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Open Durham is the next phase of the award winning Durham, NC-based geographic/architectural history website Endangered Durham. The vision is for a far more functional platform for the content of Endangered Durham - one with integrated mapping, rich categories for easy search and reference, short views for the quick info and longer views for the more extensive read. Organized like an archive with rich search functionality at the forefront. But the vision for Open Durham goes beyond a better Endangered Durham.
Please make a tax-deductible donation now by clicking the "Donate" button in the sidebar. Click here to read more about what Open Durham will look like, and how you can help bring it to fruition
North Driver and East Main Street, looking north, 1946. Carr United Methodist is partly visible on the left, before the completion of the sanctuary in 1949.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)
Carr United Methodist church began out of the establishment of the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company in East Durham. Julian Carr, who, along with the Dukes was a lifelong Methodist, provided the funds to establish the church on the north side of the railroad tracks, across from the factory. The first structure was a frame building located at the northeast corner of Clay (then called Watts) and Peabody Streets.
At a quarterly conference at Trinity Church in 1885, the main topic of discussion was church expansion - to reach out to the people of the eastern and western parts of Durham. At that time, a building committee for the eastern section was appointed including: Julian S. Carr, chairman, E. J. Parrish, Rev. Alexander Walker, J. C. Angier, James Southgate, J. B. Walker, T. B. Smith, H. N. Snow, T. D. Jones, J. M. Odell, Washington Duke, and W. H. Branson. They obtained permission to hold services on the fourth floor of the East Durham Cotton Mill on E. Pettigrew Street until a church could be built. At the annual conference held in Durham in 1885, the Rev. W. S. Black was named presiding elder and the Rev. Amos Gregson, a local lay pastor was appointed pastor of the East End and West End churches. On July 22, 1886, Gregson reported to the District Conference: "The religious services of East Durham are held in the factory of the Durham Cotton Mfg. Co. At this place we have organized a church of twelve members and have a Sunday School numbering one hundred officers, teachers, and scholars. We expect soon to begin the erection of a house of worship which when finished will cost about $2,000." The site for the first church, a lot of about 3/4 acres, was purchased from Mr. Grey Barbee for the sum of $300. This lot was located directly across the railroad from the mill on the southeast corner of Clay and Peabody Streets. The cornerstone of the church was laid on August 26, 1886. This date is now accepted as the birthday of Carr Methodist Church. The church was named for General Julian S. Carr, a member of the building committee, who on many occasions made liberal donations to the building fund and other needs of the church. The charter members of the church were: A. E. Brewer, Mariah Brewer, J. P. Hornbuckle, Susan S. Hornbuckle, Lela P.
Faucette, Richard F. Hornbuckle, James R. Cole, Smanthy B. Cole, Ira Mayton, A. M. Culberson, Alice W. Faucette, Laura B. Faucette, and Amos Gregson, pastor. The officers of the Sunday School were: W. H. Branson, Superintendent, E. C. Barnhardt, Secretary. Teachers were: J. R. Cole, J. P. Hornbuckle, E. W. Hayes, T. J. W. Brown, Jennie P. McLeod, Mrs. Clara Branson, Mary Geans, Nettie Wilson, Annie Lloyd, E. W. Worth, Jennie Cox, and H. C. Kirk - a total of 14. There were 114 scholars on roll. The first couple married in the church were Mr. and Mrs. T. J. W. Brown.
The first structure was only one room and was used until 1908, when a wing was built on the west side and called the Sunday School unit. This was closed off from the main room by sliding doors which could be opened and used during the worship service.
In 1916, it became evident more room was needed. Since the town was growing to the north, the trustees decided to try to secure a building site in a more centralized location. They bargained for a lot on the corner of E. Main and Driver Streets, known as the T. B. Smith property. At this time, conditions became uncertain due to World War I, so it was decided to take the money available and add a two story annex to the present building. It was added to the north side of the main room, completed in 1917 and used for 15 years.
In 1925, three houses burned on Driver Avenue near E. Main Street. The trustees secured these lots along with land purchased from Mr. H. A. Jones for a total of $5,800. This amount was paid in one year. These lots provided space for the new church and parsonage.
The congregation built the new church in stages over the period of 1925-1949. It appears that the original church was demolished in 1932 (although the original Parsonage stood until relatively recently.)
A building fund was started under the leadership of Rev. J. H. Buffaloe and Mr. J. B. Simpson was named treasurer. The fund grew until there was a total of $25,426 in the treasury. In 1930, the new parsonage was built at a cost of $9,186, leaving a balance of $16,240. With this plus $3,500 which had to be borrowed, the educational unit was built. This was a three story brick building. Worship services were held in the auditorium on the ground floor. The pastor's study, office, and classrooms were on the second level and there were classrooms on the third floor. Rev. J. A. Russell was pastor at this time. He and his family were the first occupants of the new parsonage.
Rev. M. C. Dunn was appointed to Carr in 1941. The membership of the church at that time was 620 with $1,972.81 in the building fund. Under Mr. Dunn's leadership, a program was launched to raise the necessary money for the new sanctuary. It was estimated at this time that $30,000 would build the new addition but it soon became evident that this was far too small an amount. Actual construction of the sanctuary was begun in 1947 and completed in 1949, at the cost of $149,633. Rev. Dunn remained pastor for 11 years during which time the membership increased to 900. This figure reflects the activity that marked the decade of the 1940's and early 1950's - World War II era. This was a period of great activity on the part of the congregation. During this time, $115,000 was raised for the new sanctuary.
Some of the activities participated in during these years included: a Carr Church Newsletter for service men and women from the church and community, basketball teams, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts,art classes, the Community Players, a community library, a nursery and a playground.
Rev. T. J. Whitehead came as pastor in 1952. During his pastorate, the remaining debt was reduced to $10,000. At the morning service on April 8, 1956, Mr. J. B. Simpson, the treasurer of the building fund since its beginning in 1930, had the privilege of handing to the pastor, Rev. H. B. Lewis, a check covering the last payment on the principal of indebtedness. On August 26, 1956, dedication services for the sanctuary were held with Paul M. Barber, Bishop; C. D. Barclift, District Superintendent; and H. B. Lewis, Pastor, presiding.
In September 1956, a loan of $10,000 was made for the renovation of the education unit. A committee for long range planning was appointed and during this year the old auditorium on the ground floor of the education unit was divided to provide more space for the nursery and kindergarten classes. Also a committee was appointed for beautification of church grounds. This was to be an ongoing project.
On Christmas Day 1960, Rev. Carl A. Johnson, the pastor, answered his call of departure from this life. His death brought great grief. His brief ministry made a real impact on the church. Stepping in as interim pastor was Dr. H. E. Myers, retired professor from Duke Divinity School. He and his wife, "Mrs. Rosa", served with much love and understanding during their six month stay. Since the Myers family was living in their own home, it seemed an ideal time to complete a needed renovation of the parsonage.
In June 1961, Rev. W. A. Seawell was appointed to Carr. In 1962 the H. A. Jones property on the corner of Driver Avenue and
E. Main Street was purchased for $8,000. The house was removed, a temporary parking lot replacing it. This lot was to be used until further beautification plans could be made. In April 1962, the H. W. Stallings property on the north side of the parsonage was purchased for a sum of $7,500. The house was removed, the lot leveled, seeded, and used as an addition to the parsonage grounds. Later a redwood fence was installed around the parsonage property along with shrubbery in front of the fence. Also at this time wrought iron and brass rails were installed on the steps at the sanctuary entrance.
In October 1962, the Barbour property behind the church, on Cherry Grove Street was purchased for $5,000. In May 1963, the Carpenter property on East Main Street bordering the parking lot was purchased for $4,500. The rent from the two houses on these lots was used to help retire our loan.
A complete renovation program was adopted in 1965 for the whole church, setting up a priority list - each to be done as funds
became available. [...] It became evident a new organ was needed to replace the one that had been given in honor of Mrs. Nell Morris, teacher of the Friendly Bible Class (later renamed the Nell Morris Bible Class). An organ fund was established and in 1967 a new organ was purchased at a cost of $14,000. These funds were given as memorials for Mrs. Morris who died April 5, 1966. As the old organ was given to honor "Miss Nell", the new one was in memory of this much loved lady.
Mrs. Henrietta Morris, who served for several years on the beautification committee prior to her death in July 1966, left a sizeable sum in a trust fund, the interest to be used for outside beautification and continuing maintenance. The beautification committee started working on the plans she had presented: the removal of the two houses on lots the church had purchased, paving the parking lot and planting shrubbery. In March 1968, the State Highway Commission, in order to extend the East-West Expressway, bought the East Durham Cemetery for the sum of $9,850. The cemetery, given by the Barbee family, was owned jointly by Angier Avenue Baptist Church and Carr Methodist Church. The Highway Commission moved the graves to other cemeteries as designated by the families of the deceased. The money, $4,925, the church received from this sale was used for building repairs.
In 1968, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged and became the United Methodist Church. At
this time the Women's Society of Christian Service became the United Methodist Women.
Under the leadership of Rev. L. J. Bridges in 1969, the members felt the need for spiritual growth and began making plans for study. At the June 1970 Conference, Rev. R. F. Bundy was appointed to Carr. Under his leadership in April 1971, planning was completed and the church participated in its first Lay Witness Mission. This gave a spiritual surge of increased participation on the part of many and gave new growth to the life of the church.
The Y. E. Smith Branch of the Durham City and County Library, housed in the educational building of the church for 25 years was officially closed as of August 31, 1972.
Both the church and the parsonage underwent considerable renovation in 1972. Various repairs were made throughout. Also, both buildings received paint, wallpaper and carpet. Through the estate of Mrs. Ida Baker, the church became the recipient of approximately $18,000 endowment funds.
In 1973 the church voted to begin a bus ministry for those without transportation and by fall 1974, a bus had been purchased
and was in operation.
Carr United Methodist, 1980
During [1984] , the stained glass windows in the sanctuary were covered with Lexan, a material for the protection of the windows from outside damage. The entire church building was in need of a new roof [by 1985]. It was estimated that it would take approximately $46,000 to get this work done and the money should be on hand by the time the work was started. By June 1, 1986, the entire amount had been raised, the money in the bank waiting for the completion of the work.
The course of East Durham over the subsequent 10 years was an interesting study in cohort effect; while neighborhoods such as Edgemont has fallen on hard times through the 1950s and 60s - and even harder times during the 70s and 80s - East Durham remained a reasonably stable community during those decades. The generation of people who had established their homes in East Durham during the first decades of the 20th century remained in place; their children, however, did not. As an entire generation of East Durham began to pass away during the 1980s and 1990s, property went on the market and was not desirable to homeowners - landlords began to buy up houses, subdivide them, and rent them cheaply. The demographics of East Durham changed dramatically over this period.
By the 2000s, Carr United Methodist was hanging on, but barely. In 2008, the congregation had waned from 1000 strong in the 1950s to ~12 members. The remaining members decided to shutter the church by 2010, when they "signed over" the buildings to Shepherd's House UMC, "a church composed mostly of immigrants from Zimbabwe that was already sharing space at Carr and successfully reaching out to the surrounding neighborhood," the the Durham News article from July 2010.
Former Carr United Methodist, current Shepherd's House UMC 10.02.10
(I've done something a bit different here; I've placed the information in the first 3 comments below, a copied section from the above quoted church pamphlet entitled "I Remember." Because the short comments reminded me so much of comments on these posts, I've placed them there rather than in the text of the post.)
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Bulls at the East Durham Ballpark, 1913.
From "Baseball's Hometown Teams: The Story of the Minor Leagues" by Bruce Chadwick
By 1901 several local businessmen affiliated with the Durham Athletic Association attempted to pull together a team to play in the Virginia-Carolina league (or perhaps the Class C North Carolina League.) It seems that by 1902, a "Durham Bulls" team was established. The Durham Bulls' website inconsistently refers to this early team as the "Tobacconists" or the Bulls. The team evidently played on the Trinity College field - at the north end of what is now Duke's East Campus. The team had disappeared again by July of that same year.
In 1909 the Durham Traction Company built a baseball field on North Driver Street. Special streetcars would take people out the East Durham route - down E. Main to Angier, east on Angier to S. Driver, north on Driver to the ballpark. (The streetcar then continued north to Holloway, and west on Holloway to Mangum.) By 1910, a Durham city baseball league was established, with teams from the Durham Hosiery Mill No.1, the YMCA, East Durham, and West Durham.
In 1913, a more successful attempt to establish professional baseball in Durham was undertaken. That year, the North Carolina League was re-formed, and the local team was again named the "Durham Bulls" - a Class D farm team for the Cincinnati Reds. The Bulls played in the East Durham ballpark as well. 
Sanborn Map of East Durham, showing the East Durham ballpark at N. Driver and West (now Taylor) Sts., 1913.
The games were interrupted for World War I, and then the league disbanded.
The Piedmont League was established in 1919, and the Bulls were one of the members. The Bulls were successful, and in 1926, private funds were raised to build a new ballpark for the club closer to downtown, on open land near Corporation and Morris Streets, known as El Toro Ballpark. The baseball field on North Driver was abandoned by the Bulls, but is still noted as an "athletic field" on the 1937 Sanborn maps (the bleachers appear to have disappeared.)
1920s photo, looking south on North Driver Street from near Southgate Street, with the overgrown edge of the ballpark site on the right.
In 1939, the Durham Public Schools built a new Junior High School on the baseball field site: East Durham Junior High. In 1950, a new gymnasium was added to the north end of the originally-L-shaped structure
Looking southwest from North Driver Street, 1950s. The newer gymnasium is in the foreground, set back from the original facade.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
Bird's Eye view, looking northeast, 1950s.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
East Durham Junior High, 01.19.55
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
East Durham Junior High became the Holton Middle School at some point in the early 1960s, although it appears to have gone interchangeably by East Durham Junior High, Holton Junior High, and Holton Middle School for a number of years. It remained a middle school until 1992, when it closed after the city-county school merger. The Communities in Schools Academy operated out the the building until 2002.
The future of the school building was uncertain at that point, but kudos to local government and Duke for having the vision to adaptively reuse the existing structure to create a community center that now anchors this end of Driver Street - as the baseball field once did.
It was renovated beginning in July 2008 with completion in August 2009 through a partnership between the city, the county, Durham Public Schools, and Duke University Health System.
01.01.09
The $16.7 million renovation rebranded the school as the "Holton Career and Resource Center," which includes a neighborhood clinic and 'wellness center'. The city's Parks and Recreation Department is housed on the second floor, and the Durham Public Schools houses vocational training programs in the building. Durham Parks and Rec also hosts after-school, summer camp, and other community programs in the building. The center opened in August 2009.
Former East Durham Junior High / Holton Career and Resource Center, 10.02.10
All-in-all, this is a stupendous example of adaptive reuse - a model that the county could have followed for the Lowes Grove School as well.
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