1706 Fayetteville Street- Wendell G. and Edna F. White House

This two-story house is two bays wide and double-pile, with a hipped roof, small hipped dormer on the front facade, and a large two-story rear wing. The two-story front porch is full width of the first floor and then steps in on the second floor, with replacement posts and balusters. The front facade shows a replacement front door beside an original sidelight and a pair of two-over-two wood sash windows. The second floor has a 15-light french door and a pair of nine-over-nine wood windows. Other fenestration on the sides include some replacement units and some original. This house may have been built as a one-story structure about 1917, and a second story added in the 1930s, given the shift in window style and the two front doors visible before its recent renovation. It does appear to be a duplex. 

Daniel J. White was the original owner of 1706 Fayetteville St, living there with his mother, Mary Moore White, and wife, Hallie Browe White. Mary worked as a stenographer for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Daniel worked as a carpenter, and Hallie worked as a maid for Duke University. Daniel and Hallie both lived in the home until their respective deaths, Daniel in 1926 and Hallie in 1947. They left the home to two of their children, one of whom, Wendell G. White, lived in the property. Wendell’s wife eventually moved in after their marriage in 1931.

George “Wendell” White was a Durham native born in 1900. He was named after his grand-uncle, Congressman George H. White, who was the last Black congressperson of the 19th century and the last Black congressperson from North Carolina until Congresswoman Eva Clayton in 1992. While growing up, Wendell attended Durham City Schools and later graduated from the North Carolina College at Durham (now NCCU). In 1921, NC Mutual hired Wendell as a clerk, and he worked at the firm for over four decades. Before his employment at NC Mutual, Wendell would walk up town “each day from the local college campus,” yearning to work at the Mutual building that was under construction. Shortly after joining NC Mutual, Mr. White met and later married his wife Edna, who worked closely with him at the firm. Wendell’s reverence for NC Mutual was so strong that he joined the company’s Retirement Club and consistently participated in its affairs until his passing. 

Wendell was also an inventor; the U.S. Navy retained part of his “Remote Controlled Torpedo Depth Charge” for use during the Second World War. Similar to his wife, Wendell enjoyed football, basketball, and traveling. Beyond work and hobbies, Wendell was an active member of White Rock Baptist Church, serving on their board of trustees and participating in the Moore Bible Sunday School Class. Wendell passed away at the age of 79 in 1980.

Edna Flemming White was born in the small town of Natchez, Mississippi, in 1902. She was one of seven children, and her family lived in Mississippi until they moved to Illinois in 1908. Edna attended public schools throughout her upbringing in Chicago, graduating from Wendell Phillips High School. She then earned a degree in Business Administration from Chicago College. Ms. Flemming later attended the Chicago School of Law, studied advanced accounting at Cleveland College, and completed a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) training program at LaSalle University. While living in the Midwest, Edna participated in the Phyllis Wheatley Association and Business & Professional Club. 

Professionally, Ms. Flemming served as Chief Accountant and Auditor for the Afro-American Insurance Company of Cleveland and later as the Officer Manager of the Cleveland-based insurance company Anchor Life. The latter firm introduced her to NC Mutual in April of 1929, and, just a few months later, Ms. Flemming accepted a position as J.W. Goodloe’s assistant in NC Mutual’s Conservation and Advertising department on September 13, 1929. Edna made an immediate impact at NC Mutual and was regarded by her employees as the “spark plug” for the firm that had become the world’s largest Black-owned business. Over her 27-year career at NC Mutual, which was cut short by health complications in 1957, she was the Supervisor of the Loan Division, Assistant Chief Clerk of the Ordinary Department, Conservation Clerk, and Credit Clerk. Moreover, she played a leading role in the woman-led 1943 NC Mutual Forum, speaking on the future of women in insurance.

Two years after her Durham arrival, Edna married G. Wendell White on October 3, 1931, and lived with him at 1706 Fayetteville Street. Outside of family and her work life, Mrs. White was a member of White Rock Baptist Church and volunteered with Troop #55 (the church-sponsored Girl Scouts chapter), while helping charter Zafa Court #41 of the Daughters of Isis. She also participated in the Westeria Bridge Club, loved traveling, and was a sports enthusiast, with a special interest in basketball and football. She passed away after a lengthy illness in 1965, leaving behind an indelible impact on NC Mutual.

The property was renovated in 2020 and is in good, stable condition.

Sources:

Carolina Times