The two hundred-eleventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located at 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; Clarence Best house; L-plan cottage with intact turned-post porch and balustrade; Best was a marble worker and operated monument works.”

The house apparently was unnumbered until the 1930s, when it was assigned 1302, then, around 1942, 1306.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on East Nash Street, marble works polisher Clearance Best, 37, wife Geneva, 37, and son Clearance, 11.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: marble dresser Clarence Best, 46, wife Geneva, 46, and son Clarence H. Best, 21, tobacco stemmer, plus nephew Frank Brake, 14.

In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Best Clarence B (c; Geneva) hlpr Wilson Marble & Granite Co h 1302 E Nash

In 1943, Clarence Herman Best registered for the World War II draft. He reported his home address as 1306 East Nash Street, Wilson; his date of birth as 3 October 1918; and his closest relative as Clarence Benjamin Best, his father. His employer was Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Wilson Daily Times, 30 November 1946.

Wilson Daily Times, 22 August 1947.

In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Best Clarence B (c; Eva; East Nash Street Monument Co) h 1302 E Nash

Wilson Daily Times, 5 April 1948.

Wilson Daily Times, 10 September 1949.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1306 East Nash, monument plant proprietor Clarence Best, 56; wife Geneva, 56; and lodger George Williams, 38, hotel bellhop.

Wilson Daily Times, 20 November 1980.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson.