Photograph of the 1608 Fayetteville Street home - c. late 1970s.
Dr. Charles Shepard, brother of Dr. James Shepard (who founded present-day North Carolina Central University) and son of Rev. Dr. Augustus Shepard (minister of White Rock Baptist Church) was a prominent local physician who practiced at Lincoln Hospital. He built this house at 1608 Fayetteville St. in 1927; he previously lived at 406 Cozart St., close to the original Lincoln Hospital. Undoubtedly, the decision to move Lincoln Hospital influenced his decision to move to this house on Fayetteville St.
Dr. Charles Haddon Shepard and Mary Adams Shepard were the first owners of 1608 Fayetteville Street. The couple lived in the home starting in 1930, moving from 406 Cozart St (close to the original Lincoln Hospital). Dr. Charles Shepard was a notable physician in Durham and worked at Lincoln Hospital. He was first married to Annie A. Shepard, a teacher, until her death in September 1920. He was the son of Rev. Dr. Augustus Shepard, local minister at White Rock Baptist Church. He was also the brother of Dr. James E. Shepard, founder of North Carolina College, now North Carolina Central University. Rev. Dr. Shepard expressed his pride in his sons’ work, expressing that “if Dr. Shepard had done no more than give these two eminent sons to the world, it would be worth his own existence.”
A portrait photo of Dr. Charles Shepard (from biography of Rev. Dr. Augustus Shepard, available online at archive.org) - c.1912.
Dr. Charles H. Shepard was prominent in his own right, having the largest Black-run medical practice in Durham during the early twentieth century. He was born in Raleigh and eventually attended Shaw University, graduating in 1901. After he passed the State Medical Boards exam, he moved to Durham, where he began to practice medicine at Lincoln Hospital. While at Lincoln, Dr. Shepard famously removed a tumor from a patient’s abdomen, which was celebrated as likely the first recorded surgery of this kind by a Black doctor in North Carolina.
Dr. Shepard was also an active member of the Durham community. Some of his contributions included serving as president of the Bull City Drug Company, vice-president of the Board of Trustees at Lincoln Hospital, and a member of his father’s congregation at White Rock Baptist Church. He was also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the Durham Academy of Medicine. Moreover, Dr. Shepard had a role in founding North Carolina College (NCC, now NCCU) with his brother, as one of the six original incorporators. In fact, Dr. Shepard was one of the original faculty members at NCC, teaching Nursing Training.
Mary Shepard originally came to Durham with her first husband, George Adams, who was a cashier at the Mechanics and Farmers Bank. Adams passed away in 1918, and she married Dr. Shepard in 1921. Mary grew up in Danville, Virginia, and went to school at Ingleside Seminary. She was a teacher while living in Durham. Interestingly, she attended St. Joseph’s A.M.E. Church, rather than White Rock Baptist. She was a dedicated congregant, presiding over the Senior Stewardess Board and Women’s Missionary Society of the Western North Carolina Conference of the A.M.E. Church. She was also involved in other community organizations, including the Wisteria Bridge Club and Algonquin Tennis Club.
A wedding photo of Dorothy Shepard Manley and Albert Manley (The Carolina Times) - March 13, 1943.
Charles and Annie’s daughter, and Mary’s step-daughter, Dorothy Shepard Manley, lived in the 1608 Fayetteville Street home as well. Dorothy attended Fisk University and earned her degree in Library Services at Hampton Institute. She later worked in the libraries at Knoxville College and North Carolina College. She was teaching library sciences at North Carolina College when she met her husband, Albert Edward Manley. Manley was the supervisor of all of the Black high schools in Durham at the time. He would go on to become the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Carolina College. The couple eventually moved to Atlanta, Georgia, after Manley became President of Spelman College. Dorothy spent the rest of her life there, and Mary Shepard eventually moved in with them, living in Atlanta until she passed away in 1959.
Durham Business College used the 1608 Fayetteville Street home as a dormitory from 1965 to 1967. St. Titus’ Episcopal Church then owned and occupied the house, using it as the parish house. The house became a gathering place for community members. Numerous events and talks were held at the home over the years, including those from St. Titus’ Church and the Black Youth for Progressive Education. 1608 Fayetteville Street is currently rental housing.
Sources:
Arthrell Dupree Sanders, “Introduction,” last accessed February 19, 2026, https://shepard.libanswers.nccu.edu/loader?fid=10766&type=1&key=2850c7de77a0333088c42dfb56334297.
Carolina Times
Durham Globe
Durham Sun
Herald-Sun
J.A. Whitted, Biographical sketch of the life and work of the late Rev. Augustus Shepard, D.D., Durham, North Carolina (Raleigh: Edwards & Broughton Print. Co., 1912), https://archive.org/details/biographicalsket00whit/page/24/mode/2up.
Morning Post
Photograph of the 1608 Fayetteville Street home - December 19, 2008.
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