Walter M. Browning, Jr. House

35.98009, -78.909937

418
Durham
NC
Year built
1929
Architectural style
Construction type
National Register
Neighborhood
Use
Building Type
Local ID
115446
Can you help?
You don't need to know everything, but do you know the architect?
Log in or register and you can edit this.
418.jpg

From the National Register nomination form of 2005, completed by M. Ruth Little

1 ½-story brick Tudor Cottage with an L-plan, interior end chimney, and a steep gable terra-cotta tile roof. The entrance is a French door beneath a corner porch with a classical column and decorative cornice brackets. Windows are 6-over-1 sashes, with a round-headed sash in the front gable. This is said to be a spec house built by New Hope Realty Co. Walter M. Browning Jr., a solicitor at Continental Life Insurance Co., was the occupant in 1930. [Carr interview, 1930 CD]   Robby Poore, whose families lived in 426 and 421 Carolina Circle, has posted some fabulous mid-century photos of Carolina Circle, and Durham in general, on his personal Flickr page.  There are several albums (1948194919501950-1954195719681969, and 1970).  Individual images of 418 Carolina Circle include two 1969 pictures of the rear of the house from the alley (here and here) and a portion of the side of the house from 1951.

The following information comes from the City Directories and general web searching:

Year Occupant(s) Occupation(s) Other information
1930 Walter M. Browning   agent   Walter worked at Continental Life Insurance Co., located at 128 E Chapel Hill St.
1931 (vacant)        
1932 Agnes A. Hamblen Dr. Edwin C. Hamblen   associate professor Edwin worked in the Duke University Obstetrics & Gynecololgy Department from 1931-1963.
1933 (vacant)        
1934 Florence B. Fuller Warner Fuller   assistant professor Warner taught classes in business and corporation law in the Duke University Law School from 1932-1936.
1935 Anne S. Hasbrouck Francis M. Hasbrouck   assistant professor Francis worked in the Duke University French & Spanish Department and later became a special assistant to the US Embassador to Uruguay in 1942. 
1940 Joan P. Beverly George W. Beverly   manager George worked at the Occidental Life Insurance Co.
1941 Nell R. Sykes + Richard O. Sykes +   branch manager, agent Richard worked at A&P Food Stores and the Met Life Insurance Co.
1945 Fannie M. Couch Vance Couch     Vance worked at the Independent Oil Co.
1947 Evelyn Johnson J. Paul Johnson   branch manager Paul worked at a Rose's Department store.
1954 Dora C. Casteen Willie J. Casteen   manager Willie worked at Swift & Co. Wholesale Meats, located at 205 Blackwell St.
1958 Marjorie D. Bloomfield Jason B. Bloomfield   employee Jason worked at the Veteran's Administration.
1961 Fae W. Davis Clyde G. Davis   engineer  
1962 (vacant)        
1963 Evelyn B. Taylor Orville W. Taylor   employee Orville worked at Duke University.
1965 Helen Mau James Mau   student The city directory may be inaccurate, as he is elsewhere described as the first Administrator of the Duke Physician Assistant program.
1966 (vacant)        
1967 Janet B. Doyle Roger W. Doyle   assistant professor Roger worked in the Duke University Zoology Department.  Roger and Janet were close friends with Anne (Van Arsdall) and Ray Poore, who lived at 426 Carolina Cir.
1970 Evelyn S. Johnson James P. Johnson   salesman James worked for Style Craft Interiors.
1980 Evelyn S. Johnson        
1981 (vacant)        
1985 Catherine C. Black R. Perry Black   salesman Perry worked for the WPTF radio station.
1992 (vacant)        
1993 Anne S. Smith Jason M. Smith attorney    
1995 Jason Widener Brett Quigley      
1996 Ada Gregory        
1997 Katrina L. Kelly M.E. Neal      
1998 (unknown)        
1999 Tanya Kalich        
2000 Scott Fowler        
2002 Elizabeth A. Bartlett        
2003 Courtney T. Griffin Timothy M. Griffin      
2009 Kim Stern Phil J. Stern professor professor Kim taught at Longwood University (VA), while Phil teaches in the Duke University History Department. 

 

+ The 1940 US Census shows that Richard (age 27) and Nell (age 29) Sykes had a daughter Jane (age 3).  All of them were native North Carolinians, though the parents had lived in Charlotte in 1935.

Add new comment

Log in or register to post comments.