1500 James St.

35.984827, -78.925895

1500
Durham
NC
Cross Street
Year built
1924
Architectural style
Construction type
National Register
Neighborhood
Use
Building Type
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1500James_2_090958.jpg

09.09.58

1500James_090958.jpg

09.09.58

Per the NR listing:

One-story hipped-roof Craftsman-style house with 2 interior chimneys, a large hipped dotmer window, a pair of glazed and paneled front doors, and 9/1 sash windows. The hipped porch has Craftsman brick posts with granite caps. The original rear porch has replacement posts and railing. Vinyl covers the walls and eaves. The building was constructed about 1915 as the Lakewood Baptist Church. In 1924 it was sold to a private owner and rebuilt as a duplex. No evidence of its original church appearance remains on the exterior. [1930 CD, interview]

I'm not sure whether the author had additional sources other than interview to state that this is the same building that housed the Lakewood Baptist Church - I'm dubious. James Street doesn't even have listings in the city directories prior to 1924, and the Sanborn maps don't cover the area in 1913. The building appears classically residential and Craftsman, i.e. ~1920s.

1500James_022312.jpg

As of August 2012, at least the exterior renovation seems to be nearly completed. 

1500James.JPG

Comments

I was in there before the current renovation started, and it definitely wasn't built as a residence.  there was a large single open room in the middle, accessed via the two front doors, with rows of smaller rooms on each side.  each door had a transom above it, and they felt very much like offices or wee school rooms.  at some point, a wall had been built down the middle of the large room, creating two miserable living rooms with a window only at one end for each side of the later duplex.  really fascinating space.

Yes, this was the original Lakewood Baptist Church.  I grew up 1408 James & my family was very active in LBC.  My grandmother was a charter member & I remember my mother & grandmother telling me about the church being located at 1500 James.

In reply to by C HOWARD

Hi C, I currently live in 1518 James Street and wonder if you have any recollection or knowledge as to who lived there?

So fun to see our house up here! We moved in March, 2013 and unfortuately I don't have a current picture to put up here, but I will do so soon. It is no longer the brown/mustard/orange color combo from the last picture. We love living in a home that has so much history.

Mary Vance, I haven't lived in Durham for many yrs., so I'm not sure which house is 1518. Going south from 1512 (Miss Julia Crabtree's house, featured earlier in OD), the occupants were Bobbitt, Willoughby & Hatch. Again, not sure of the house numbers. The Hatch house might be the beginning of the 1600 block, I'm not sure.

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