F.K. Watkins House

FK Watkins house, late 1970s.
 

From the Fayetteville Street Corridor Project Plaque Narrative:

"1218 Fayetteville Street was the home of Frederick K. Watkins. Watkins, known as ‘The Movie King,’ became the most prolific theater owner in North Carolina. Before arriving in Durham, F.K. Watkins grew up in the small town of Russum, Mississippi, and later attended Alcorn A&M College (now Alcorn State University), the first Black land grant college in the U.S.

He first owned the Electric Theater in 1913, the second Black American movie theater in North Carolina, and the Wonderland Theater. These theaters gave Hayti residents, and Black Durham more broadly, viable access to cinema and entertainment when white theaters often refused or gave substandard service to Black patrons. Watkins later expanded across North Carolina and other states on the East Coast, owning theaters in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Apex, High Point, Goldsboro, Wilson, and Reidville, as well as South Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey. He worked in other professions as well, notably as a real estate agent, presiding over the King Real Estate Company.  Watkins was also known for hosting pageants and parades where he wore a fez and tassel and rode a horse.

Outside of his business ventures, F.K. Watkins served as the first President of the United Negro Democrats of North Carolina, which, at the time, mobilized the largest turnout of Black voters for the Democratic ticket in state history. He also served as a Durham magistrate. Watkins was a member of White Rock Baptist Church, Doric Lodge No. 28, Bull City Lodge No. 317, the James E. Shepard Memorial Foundation Inc. Board of Directors, the John Avery Boys Club Board of Directors, and the Durham Business & Professional Chain. 

Parepa Watkins grew up in Greensboro, NC, and attended Bennett College, where she earned a Latin Normal Diploma. Mrs. Watkins also received her B.A. from North Carolina College (now NCCU) and her M.A. from Columbia University in New York. She began her career in public education in Greensboro, then moved to Durham to teach at East Durham School (now Burton Elementary) in 1930, where she would also become principal. Parepa also taught at and became principal of Whitted Elementary before serving as the first supervisor for Black elementary schools in Durham. The community named the street where Burton Elementary was located in reverence for Mrs. Watkins’ service.

In addition to her work in Durham’s Black education system, Parepa was a long-time member of St. Joseph A.M.E. Church, serving in the Ladies Aid Club and the Stewardess and Nursery School boards. Moreover, Mrs. Watkins was a member of the Wisteria Bridge Club, the Harriet Tubman Branch of the YWCA, Prevention of Violence & its Causes, Inc., the Year Round Garden Club, the Volkamenia Literary Club, and the So Different Club (of Greensboro)."

Sources:

 “Last Rites Held For F.K. Watkins Here Wednesday,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), March 19, 1955. 

"The King’s Real Estate Co.,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), October 24, 1942.

“Watkins Named State President of Democrats,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), July 6, 1940.

“Watkins,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), June 30, 1979.

Two Durham Teachers Retire,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), June 4, 1960.

"School is Named Whitted Head; Burnett at Lyon Park,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina),   August 20, 1949.

“Fiftieth Anniversary Of So Different Club Greensboro,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), October 21, 1972.

“Volkamenia Club Opens,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), November 24, 1956.

“Mrs. Maude Logan,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), November 18, 1939.

“Durham Society News,” Carolina Times (Durham, North Carolina), June 14, 1952.

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Frederick K. Watkins constructed the house at 1208 Fayetteville St. around 1913. Watkins either dubbed himself, or found himself dubbed (P.I.) 'The Movie King' for his ownership of, first, the Electric Theater, which became the Rex Theater and moved to 522 East Pettigrew St., and then the Wonderland Theater - it appears that he may have also developed the Booker T Theater on East Pettigrew St.

Watkins was evidently an exuberant figure, staging pageants and parades in which he would ride a horse, wearing a fez and tassel and other regalia.

Watkins evidently came to Durham from Mississippi, where he had run a nickelodeon. He opened the Electric in 1913, making it the second African-American movie theater in North Carolina.

Watkins had already started to spread his business again prior to the 1920s. Prior to the construction of the Wonderland Theatre, Watkins opened The Dunbar in Winston-Salem. By 1917, Watkins had established himself as the most prolific theater owner in the state of North Carolina, having opened theatres in Chapel Hill, Goldsboro, Raleigh, Reidsville and Wilson, as well as the Palace Theatre in Apex and the Dixie Theatre in High Point.

Watkins continued to expand his theatre operations by opening theaters in other states on the east coast, including South Carolina and Virginia. Watkins opened the Majestic Theatre in Martinsville, Virginia and theatres in Columbia and Spartanburg, South Carolina along with a theatre in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (I speculate that this was the Alan Theater)

Watkins first wife died in 1924, her funeral attended by a large crowd at St. Joseph's AME. He later married Parepa Bland who served as the Supervisor of Elementary School Teachers in the Durham City Schools, and evidently taught at the East End School.

In 1926 with a capital of US$100,000, Watkins organized the First National Theater Corporation to finance theater and vaudeville operation as well as film production.

Watkins lived here until death in 1955. The house is now owned by an LLC and noted as a commercial structure on the tax roll.

Looking west, 11.15.08

But it still bears the strong imprint of Watkins.

11.15.08

The Stokesdale NR district nomination reads:

This two-story, hip-roofed Foursquare house is two bays wide and double-pile with a one-story, full- width, flat-roofed rear ell. The house has a painted brick-pier foundation, vinyl siding, one-over-one, double- hung wood sash windows on the main block and metal casement windows at the north rear. The hip-roofed front porch is supported by rubble stone posts on granite topped brick piers. Watkins was the proprietor of the Rex Theatre and one of the granite tops is inscribed, “ F. W. Watkins Movie King.” A semi-circular bay on the left side of the porch is supported by decorative metal posts. The porch is accessed by a granite stair with granite topped brick knee walls. A pedimented porte-cochere extends south from the porch; it is supported by square metal posts on stone piers. The roof has a wide overhang, an interior brick chimney in the ridgeline, and an exterior chimney on the rear ell. The hip-roofed front dormer has two single-light windows and a one- story, hip-roofed bay on north elevation has one-over-one, double-hung wood sash windows on the sides and a diamond-shaped window in the central panel. The house has a replacement front door with original oval- light sidelight to its left. The house appears on the 1913 Sanborn map.