In 1913, the Durham Traction Co. (later Duke Power) offered to pay to erect a large electric sign lauding Durham, as a gesture of thanks to downtown merchants who had purchased electric lights. The Commercial Club (later the Chamber of Commerce) sponsored a contest to decide the slogan. The winning entry, from WW Weaver and JE Banning was "Durham...

West Chapel Hill Street was initially a grade crossing at the railroad tracks, with the business district surrounding Five Points on the east side, and the large houses of the West End on the west side. West Chapel Hill St., looking east from Willard towards Five Points, 1920s (Courtesy Durham County Library) West Chapel Hill St., looking west from...

The State Legislature formed the Bennett Place Memorial Commission in 1923 with the intent of building a monument to national unity at the site. Sources differ as to who designed the monument - one, more credible source states that W.H. Dacy designed the memorial; another states that architects Milburn and Heister, who designed a multitude of other...

The Anne Roney Fountain originally was situated in a prominent position directly in front of the Old Main / Washington Duke Building. Roney was the sister of Artelia Roney, Washington Duke's second wife. Anne helped Duke raise his children after Artelia died, and was housekeeper at Fairview, his house on the southeast corner of South Duke St. and West Main St..

The Rotary Club bandstand was built in the original Rotary Park in 1916 as the first public gift of the Rotarians. In 1924, upon construction of the Washington Duke Hotel, the bandstand was moved to the Bennett Place. 02.12.09

The Sower is one of several statues James B. Duke bought for his New Jersey estate. The Sower was located at Duke Farm until 1914, when Trinity president John Kilgo mentioned to Duke that he admired the statue; Duke sent the statue to Durham, and Trinity placed the Sower in front of Craven Memorial Hall.