Ashe Street

138 Ashe Street.

The one hundred-forty-fifth 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 building is: “ca. 1930; 1 story; shotgun with shed-roofed porch.”

The house shown at 138 Ashe Street in the 1922 Sanborn map of Wilson is clearly not the house above. That house, which belonged to the Levi and Hannah H. Peacock family and was later numbered 218, was a multi-roomed bungalow with an auto shed in the rear. It was located much closer to Darden Allen (now Darden Lane) than the present 138.

It appears that, circa 1929, several in-fill endway houses were constructed mid-block on Ashe Street, necessitating the renumbering of houses lying northeast toward Darden Alley. At that point, the Peacocks’ 138 became 218. However, in the 1941 and 1950 city directory, house numbers on Ashe Street skip from 126 to 200. The crucial clue for the house featured above is found in the 1957 city directory, in houses 200- 224 are renumbered as 126-150. Thus, we see that 138 Ashe had been 210 Ashe.

Excerpt from Hill’s Wilson, N.C., City Directory (1957). 

136 and 138 Ashe were constructed as mirror-image twins. (The side steps of 136 are just visible in the photo.) 138 was later modified with a rear addition.

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In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Simpson Robert (c; Hattie) lab 210 Ashe [As a measure of the tenant turnover in Ashe Street endway houses, note that, when Hattie Simpson died in 1929, the family lived at 127, and when Robert Simpson died in 1934, they lived at 116.]

Rosa Mae Allen died 25 June 1937 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 14 years old; was a student; lived at 210 Ashe; and was born in Wilson County to Wade Allen and Fannie Barnes.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: tobacco factory laborer Wade Allen, 37; wife Fannie, 35, tobacco factory stemmer; son John H., 16; Oddesa [illegible], 18, washer; and Mary E. Smith, 16, nurse.

In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Allen Wade (c; Fannie) farmer h 210 Ashe

In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Allen Wade (c; Fannie) lab City Street Dept h 210 Ashe

Photo courtesy of Briggs Sherwood.

Her chicken came home to roost.

Culpeper (Va.) Exponent, 30 March 1922.

Lila Thompson and Annie Graham were close neighbors on Ashe Street. Within 30 months of their dispute, both were dead of tuberculosis.

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  • Liler Thompson — In the 1922 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Thompson Lila (c) tobwkr h 124 Ashe. Lila Thompson died 14 October 1924 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 24 years old; was born in Sampson County to Henrietta Clark; was married to Walter Thompson; lived at 1005 Washington Street; and was buried in Rountree cemetery.
  • Annie Graham — In the 1920 census of Old Fields township, Wilson County: farmer Burley Graham, 16; mother Annie, 30, widow; sister Margrette, 14; and cousin Walter Bryant, 19; all born in South Carolina. Annie Graham died 27 July 1924 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was about 40 years old; was born in Lake City, South Carolina, to Daniel and Martha Martin; was the widow of James Graham; lived at 130 Ash Street; and worked as a maid for the Briggs Hotel. Burley Graham was informant. (Annie Graham’s daughter, also named Annie Graham, aged three months, died five days earlier. Per her death certificate, her parents were James Hall and Annie Graham. Mary Graham was informant.)

106, 108 and 110 Ash Street.

The sixty-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.

110, 108 and 106 Ash Street.

As each is described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District:  #106: “ca. 1908; 1 story; shotgun with hip-roofed porch and gable returns; uniquely high-pitched roof, with diamond-shaped vent in gable”; #108: “ca. 1908; 1 story; shotgun remodeled with Masonite veneer, but example of early form”; and #110: “ca. 1908; 1 story; shotgun with turned-post porch; partly alum. sided.”

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at #106 Ashe, building carpenter Burd Bess, 37, and wife Siveral, 38, private family nurse; at #108, laundress Willie Cobb, 48, and daughter Lilliam, 4; and at #110, laundress Mary Smith, 49, and her lodger George West, 55, tobacco factory laborer, both natives of South Carolina. All three houses rented for $12/month.

In 1940, Isaac Hodge registered for the World War II draft in Wilson. Per his registration card, he was born 26 January 1905 in Wilson; he resided at 110 Ashe Street; his contact was Anzina Best Hodge, wife; and he worked for Liggett & Myers, Wilson.

In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., City Directory: Best John (c; Nellie; 1) carp h 106 Ashe; Smith Mae (c) lndr h 108 Ashe; and Hodge Isaac (c; Annie) lab h 110 Ashe.

In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., City Directory: Best John (c) carp h 106 Ashe; Huntley George (c; Magdelene) brklyr h 108 Ashe; and Best Willie Mrs (c) lab Plush Mill h 110 Ashe.

100 block of Ash Street, Sanborn fire insurance map, 1930.

Photograph by Lisa Y. Henderson, April 2018.

[Update: 108 Ash Street was badly burned in a fire 22 December 2022.]

104 Ash Street.

The fifty-sixth 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. 1908; 1 story; triple-A cottage heavily modernized; aluminum sided.”

Prior to the early 1920s, 104 Ash Street was numbered 111. The 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map shows the house in its original L-shape.

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In 1918, Charlie Parker registered for the World War I draft in Wilson. Per his registration card, he was born 17 January 1898; resided at 111 Ash Street; was a laborer at the Naval Yard in Norfolk, Virginia; and his nearest relative was Charlie Parker, 111 Ash Street.

In the 1922 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Hedgepeth Jennie, cook h 104 Ashe; Parker Charles, carp h 104 Ashe; Parker Maggie, cook h 104 Ash.

Charlie Parker died 22 July 1923 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 53 years old; was married to Maggie Parker; was a carpenter; and was born in Easenburg(?), North Carolina, to Ruffin Parker and an unknown mother. Maggie Parker, 104 Ashe Street, was informant.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 104 Ashe Street, rented at $12/month, widow Maggie Parker, 40, cook, and daughters Maggie, 23, laundry ironer, and Jennie, 20, plus mother Jennie Hedgpeth, 60, widow. All were born in Virginia except Jennie Parker.

In the 1941 Wilson, N.C, city directory: Parker Magdelena (c) prsr Service Laundry & Dry Clnrs h 104 Ashe;    Stokes Turner (c; Maggie) carpenter h 104 Ashe.

Jennie Hedgepeth died 27 April 1942 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 65 years old; a widow; born in Virginia; resided at 104 Ashe Street; and was buried in Rountree cemetery. Jennie Parker was informant.

In 1942, Charlie Parker registered for the World War II draft in South Norfolk, Virginia. Per his registration card, he resided at 1220 Transylvania Avenue, South Norfolk, Virginia; his phone number was Berkley 696M; he was born 17 January 1898 in Wilson, North Carolina; his contact was Maggie Parker, 104 Ashe Street, Wilson; he wore glasses; and he owned a real estate business.

On 29 May 1950, Turner Stokes died at his home at 104 Ash Street, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1868 in Nash County to Simon Stokes and Mariah (last name unknown); worked as a carpenter laborer; was married; and was buried in Rountree cemetery. Informant was Jennie Kerbo, 104 Ash Street.

Maggie Parker Stokes died 4 March 1963 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 7 March 1884 in Roanoke, Virginia, to Calvin Hedgpeth and Jennie Adams; and her residence was 104 Ashe Street. Jennie Kerbo was informant.

Jennie Parker Kerbo resided at 104 Ash Street until her death in 2006.

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The modern footprint of 104 Ash. The narrow porch shown on the 1913 Sanborn map was likely converted to an interior hallway when a room was added on the southeast side of the house. Courtesy Google Maps.

Photograph taken by Lisa Y. Henderson, December 2017.