116 North Buchanan Blvd.

36.003249, -78.912224

116
Durham
NC
Cross Street
Construction type
National Register
Neighborhood
Building Type
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116NBuchanan_1920s.jpg

(Courtesy Durham County Library)

116nbuchanan_043011.jpg

04.30.11

Comments

Movie director David Lynch's father, Donald Walton Lynch, lived at this home in 1940. He and his wife met while both attending Duke University, where he received his doctorate in Forestry. The family moved away, returned to Durham for a few years in the late 50's or early 60's, and eventually setted out West. Surely his father's interest in Forestry had a profound affect on the director's films. 

In reply to by Karen

Karen, this is fascinating. (This is my house.) How do you know he lived here? Do you remember it?

Any chance they were related to the folks of West Lynch Street? Perhaps our street was named for their family--it was likely named prior to the 40's.

Ralf and Nancy- His father was not FROM Durham, but went to school at Duke and returned there for work with his family awhile later.  In reading an article about David Lynch it was mentioned that he moved around alot growing up, and listed Durham as one of the places he was raised. He said that his parents met at Duke. I then found some military service documents with his father's name on it listing his address as 116 North Buchanan.  Only his father lived here though, not David or the rest of the family. I was unsuccessful in finding out where the whole family lived (including David) when they returned to Durham.  I don't know exact years, but it seems like it was between 1955-1965, and only for a few years. I couldn't find anything in old city directories (phone books), although I only gave a few years a quick look. 

Thank you so much for sharing this information.

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