Coy M. & Julia D. Franklin House

(Below in italics is from the 2004 East Durham National Register listing; not verified for accuracy by this author.)

1-story bungalow with combination side-gable and front-gable roofs, 9-over-1 sash windows, and a 2-bay gabled Craftsman porch with replacement metal railing. aluminum siding covers the walls and eaves. 1930 CD, 1937 SM.

NC Garage. ca. 1960. Front-gabled concrete block garage.

(The information below in italics is from the Preservation Durham Plaque Application for the Coy M. & Julia D. Franklin House)

409 N. Hyde Park is first listed in the City Directories in 1927. Between 1927 and 1932  the home appears to be a rental. Coy M. Franklin purchased the home in 1932 and resided  there with his mother, Maggie, a widower. It appears that the house became their family  home, and the 1940 census lists Maggie, Coy (as the head of household), and his siblings,  Marvin H and Effie, as living at 409. 

 
Coy was born in 1905 in Granville County. The 1920 census lists him as a resident at the  Christian Orphanage in Alamance County. Coy entered into active Military Service April  7, 1942. His military specialty was as a Dog Trainer for the famed K-9 Corps. He was  honorably discharged June 20, 1945 and received a Good Conduct Metal. His civilian  occupation is listed as a foreman. He’s described as 5’ 8 1/2” and 137 lbs with brown  eyes and black hair. Coy's discharge papers list him as married and as having 8 years of  grammar school, four years of high school, and no college education. 

Coy continued to be active with the military after his discharge. A July 1945 article in  The News and Observer titled, “You Can Help Soldiers By Lending Dog to Army,”  details how North Carolinians can be of service to their country by lending their family  dogs to the K-9 Corps to serve in the Pacific for the duration of the war. The article lists  the most suitable breeds as German Shepherd, Belgian Sheep Dog, Doberman Pinscher,  Collie and Schanuzer, but not “white, black-and white, or white-spotted dogs.” Coy is  listed is as the liaison representative of the Quartermaster Corps and described as a  master dog trainer.  

When Coy came back from WWII, he continued to work as a carpenter. He married Julia  Dean, and 409 continued to be their family home. In 1951 Julia and Coy entered into the  State Fair and won in the “Cut Flower” division for their dahlias. They won again for  their dahlias in 1956, with Coy coming in first and second place, and Julia in third place.  Julia was a homemaker and also worked for the Herald-Sun in their Ad Department for  twenty two years. Both Julia and Coy were active with their church, Bragtown Baptist  Church. In the 1950s, Coy served on the Board of the Christian Orphanage, where he was  formerly a resident.

  
Coy and Julia had a daughter, Margaret Judy Franklin born in 1944, and a son, Mickey  Franklin. Coy died in 1991, at the age of 86 from Lung Cancer caused by smoking. When  Coy died, his estate was valued at $59,951.27, with Julia listed as his beneficiary. Julia  died in 2002. Both Julia and Coy are buried at Briar Creek Memorial Gardens. Margaret  and Mickey inherited the home when Julia died in 2002. In 2004 Margaret and Mickey  sold the home to Joesph and Valinda Hicks, who used it as a rental property. In 2020, Jeff  Goldman purchased the house and he is in the process of renovating the home.