I first blogged here about the 1908 Fowler bird’s eye map of Wilson. While visiting the Freeman Round House and African-American Museum recently, I had the opportunity to closely examine an enlargement of the map. Here are more details:
This house, later numbered 108, was the residence of the family of Mike and Rachel Barnes Taylor.
The original location of Wilson’s African-American Episcopal church was at the corner of Lodge and South Streets.
The 1908 Sanborn map of Wilson shows the church facing the bulky R.P. Watson & Company Redrying Plant. Below, the corner today. The green storage building occupies the church’s former footprint.
- 303 Elba Street and the Wilson Normal and Industrial School
Jesse and Sarah Henderson Jacobs bought the house at 303 Elba Street, top, in 1908. The lower building, on Vance Street, housed the Wilson Normal and Industrial School, the private school started after the Colored Graded School boycott in 1918.
- Oaklawn cemetery
Fowler’s map depicts white Maplewood cemetery, but Oaklawn is just a blank expanse of turf. The unnamed street running through this area is Cemetery Street. The large building across the road was the Colored Graded School.
This is an awesome map!
There is nice framed map of Wilson from either late 1800’s or early 1900’s in the bathroom at the Downtown Public House, 113-B Goldsboro St S. I Will try to grab a picture next time i stop in. I am fascinated by the history of our little town, both good and bad. Thank you for what you have cataloged and curated thus far.
Thanks so much!!