The fifty-seventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1913; 1 story; Lewis Pitt house; hip-roofed, double-pile cottage with bracketed porch posts; Pitt was a laborer.” [In fact, Lewis Pitt lived at 633/704 East Green, across the street.]
Robert C. Bainbridge and Kate Ohno’s Wilson, North Carolina: Historic Buildings Survey, originally published by the City of Wilson in 1980 and updated and republished in 2010 under the auspices of the Wilson County Genealogical Society, provides additional details about the house: “Typical of turn of the century architecture in Wilson, this cottage boasts handsome banded chimneys and a porch with interestingly scrolled sawnwork brackets and turned columns.”
703 East Green Street was formerly numbered 632.

The corner of Green and Elba Streets as shown in the 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map of Wilson. 701 East Green, not then built, has since been demolished. 303 Elba, 700 East Green, 702 East Green and 703 East Green remain, though only one is currently inhabited.
In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Vick Caroline, h 623 Green; Vick Elva, h 623 Green. [Was this Samuel and Annie Vick’s daughter Elba, who was about 15 in 1912? If so, why was living with Carolina Vick across the street from her parents? Was Carolina’s deceased husband Robert Vick a relative of Sam Vick?]
In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: widowed laundress Caroline Vick, 60, and grandson Madison Perry, 17.
In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Vick Caroline, midwife h 623 Green; Vick Elba, music tchr h 623 Green; Cooper Becky h 623 Green.
In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 623 Green, widowed midwife Caroline Vick, 90; Nancy Dawson, 45, widowed cook; Becky Cooper, 85, widow; daughter Alice Heath, 35, widowed factory laborer; and son-in-law Isom Perry, 45, farm laborer.
Allace Heath died 16 April 1921 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 43 years old; was born in Franklin [County], North Carolina, to Norflick Dunson and Carolina Williamson; was a widow; was a laborer; and resided at 703 East Green. Carolina Vick was informant.
Isham Perry died 10 July 1921 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 55 years old; was born in Halifax County to Isham Perry and Mollie Alston; was a tenant farmer; was a widower; and resided at 703 East Green. Nancy Dawson was informant.
Carolina Vick died 16 July 1925 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 78 years old; widowed; a midwife; and born in Newton County, Georgia, to Marner and Cheney Williamston. Nancy Dawson, 703 East Green was informant.
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 703 East Green, rented for $21/month, Nancy Dawson, 60, widowed laundress, with two roomers, Oscar Ratliff, 36, and wife Nellie, 27; also renting for $21/month, Charlie Davis, 61, butler, wife Mattie, 50, laundress, and son Willie, 24, farm laborer.
Nancy Dawson died 17 January 1938 at Mercy Hospital. Per her death certificate, she was born 12 October 1869 in Edgecombe County to Millie Adkisson; resided at 703 Greene; and was widowed. John Bynum was informant.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 703 Green Street, renting for $8/month, service station attendant Paul Dunison, 27, and wife Dossie M., 27; also, renting for $8/month, Mary Farmer, 57, laundress, and daughter Vivian, 32, a household servant.
In the 1941 Wilson city directory: Williams Malcolm D (c; Rosa, 1) librarian Sam Vick Sch h 703 E Green; Williams Rosa (c) tchr Chas H Darden High Smh h 703 E Green
In 1942, Malcolm Demothenese Williams registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 26 September 1909 in Warsaw, N.C.; he resided at 703 East Green; his phone number was 2330; his contact was wife Rosa Lee Williams; and he was employed by superintendent S.J. Chappel, Wilson City Board of Education, at Vick School, North Reid Street, Wilson.
Photograph by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2017.