The eighty-fourth 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, this house is: “circa 1930; 1 1/2 stories; Walter Thorpe house; bungalow with gable roof and dormer and shingle shake veneer; Thorpe was a carpenter; wife Rebecca was a dressmaker.”

In the 1928 and 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directories, Walter and Rebecca Thorpe are listed at 1111 Washington Street.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1111 Washington, owned and valued at $2000, carpenter contractor Walter Thorpe, 63; wife Rebecca, 46, sewing; and roomer James [sic; Jane] Boyd, 36, county home demonstration agent.

Walter T. Thorpe died 21 January 1941 at Mercy Hospital in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 30 November 1876 in Granville County to Anderson and Lucy Thorpe; was married to Rebecca Thorpe; lived at 1111 Washington Street; and was a minister.

This notice re Episcopal priest Robert J. Johnson appeared in the 1943 edition of The Living Church Annual: The Year Book of the Episcopal Church:

Vol. CVII, Number 10, 5 September 1943.

In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Johnson Robt Rev (c; Anna) pastor St Marks Episcopal Ch h 1111 Washington