It’s always wonderful when readers share photographs of the men and women of Black Wide-Awake. Special thanks to Belinda Pitt-Bulluck for these images of her great-aunt Ximena Pitt Martinez and great-uncle Ramon Martinez!
Ximena Pitt Martinez (1896-1973).
Ramon Jose Martinez (1900-1973) on the front porch of 903 East Vance Street. He may have been the only Afro-Argentinian ever to live in Wilson.
Charles Bowden, Ximena P. Martinez, R. Jose Martinez.
The seventy-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. 1913; 1 1/2 stories; Ximena Pitt house; Queen Anne cottage with double-pile, hip-roofed form and wraparound porch with classical posts and balustrade; similar to #905; Pitt was a store clerk.”
Per Robert C. Bainbridge and Kate Ohno in Wilson, North Carolina: Historic Buildings Survey (1980): “This turn of the century cottage is stylistically related to entry 286 [705 East Green Street]; the same modified L-plan is followed, and the house is enhanced by the use of metal ridge pole ornaments and a wrap around porch with doric columns and a pedimented porch entry.”
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In the 1922 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Pitt Hattie laundress h 903 E Vance; Pitt Violet laundress laundress h 903 E Vance
In the 1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Pitt Elsie cook h 903 E Vance; Pitt Violet dom h 903 E Vance; Pitt Ximena clk h 903 E Vance
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Pitt Mena (c) sch tchr h 903 E Vance.
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 903 East Vance, owned and valued at $2000, Elsie Pitt, 54, cook; sister Hattie Pitt, 52; sister Louisa McNeil, 49, cook; niece Evelyn Pitt, 9, born in Ohio; sister Mina Pitt, 36, public school teacher; and sister Elizabeth Pitt, 26, public school teacher.
Elsie Pitt died 19 June 1938 at Mercy Hospital. Per her death certificate, she was born in 1875 in Wilson County to William Pitt of Nash County and Violet Emerson of Wilson County and was single. Informant was Ximena Martinez.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Ramon Martinez, 38, is listed as a roomer in the household of Mena Pitts, 39, at 903 Vance Street. He reported that he was born in Argentina, had been living in Pennsylvania five years previously, and worked as a sign painter.
On 16 February 1942, Ramon Jose Martinez registered for the draft in Wilson. He listed his birth date and place as 7 September 1898 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He worked as a commercial artist, resided at 903 Vance Street, and Ximena Pitts Martinez was his contact person. He was 5’6″, 184 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair, and dark brown skin. The registrar noted: “he limps (right leg).”
Ramon Jose Martinez died 15 September 1973 in Wilson. His death certificate reports that he was born 7 September 1900 in Argentina; lived at 903 East Vance; and worked as a self-employed commercial artist. His parents were unknown. Wife Ximena Pitt Martinez was informant.
Ximena Pitt Martinez died 21 December 1973 in Wilson. Per her death certificate she was born 12 August 1896 to Violet Pitt; was widow; was a retired teacher. Evelyn P. Stoney of Brooklyn, New York, was informant.
Robert C. Bainbridge and Kate Ohno’s Wilson, North Carolina: Historic Buildings Survey (1980) provides additional details about this house, including the photo below.
“This turn of the century cottage is stylistically related to entry 286 [705 East Green Street], the same modified L-plan is followed, and the house is enhanced by the use of metal ridge pole ornaments and a wrap around porch with doric columns and a pedimented porch entry.”
Though the metal roof and balustrade have been replaced, 903 East Vance Street retains much of its original exterior detail and is one of the best-preserved houses in the district.
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Wilson Daily Times, 5 December 1981.
Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2017.
Decades before the late 20th century influx of Central American immigrants permanently altered the binary of Wilson’s racial makeup, Peter Lupe of Cape Verde, Ramon Martinez of Argentina, John Sanchez of Mexico, and Emilio Guzman of Puerto Rico expanded the notion of blackness to include Latinos.
When Pearlean Barnes married Louis Perrington in Cumberland County in 1943, she listed Peter Lupe as her father. (Her mother, Lucy Barnes Watson, is listed as “Lucy Lupe,” but was never married to Peter.) Pearlean was born about 1916.
On 5 June 1917, Peter Lupes registered with the draft board in Wilson, Wilson County. He stated that he was born in 1896 in Portugal and was not a United States citizen. He lived on West Nash Street and was employed as a lot boy for J.T. Wiggins. He was single, and his mother and father partly depended on him. He was described as tall and of medium build with brown eyes and black hair.
On 30 April 1924, Peter Lupes, age 30, son of Manuel and Mary Lupes, married Hannah L. Peacock, 21, daughter of Levi and Hannah H. Peacock, in Wilson. Rev. John Mebane performed the ceremony at a Missionary Baptist church, and W.H. Phillips, W.H. Kittrell, and James Mack served as witnesses.
In the 1925 city directory of Wilson: Peter Lupes, carpenter, 140 Ashe. His wife Hannah Lupe is listed as a schoolteacher.
In the 1930 city directory of Wilson: Peter Lupe (c), shoe shiner, 511 E Nash.
On 29 November 1939, Peter Lupes married Rosa Rhyne in Emporia, Greenesville County, Virginia. He was a merchant, a resident of Wilson, North Carolina, divorced, and listed his age as 45. He was born in Portugal to Joe and Mary Lupes. Rosa was widow born in Johnston County who also lived in Wilson.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 717 Viola Street, Peter Lucas [sic], 50, and wife Rosa, 35. Peter’s birthplace was listed as Massachusetts. He worked as the operator of a beer parlor and Rosa as the operator of a cafe.
Peter Lupe died 21 May 1958 in Wilson. He death certificate notes that he was a resident of the city for 50 years and that he was a United States citizen. He was born 21 March 1891 in “Cape of Verdia Island, Portugal” to Teorga Montel Lupe and Mary Montel Lupe; lived at 717 East Viola Street; and worked as a merchant. His wife Rosa Lupe was his informant.
Peter Lupe’s house at 717 Viola, July 2016.
Wilson Daily Times, 22 May 1968.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Ramon Martinez, 38, is listed as a roomer in the household of Mena Pitts, 39, at 903 Vance Street. He reported that he was born in Argentina, had been living in Pennsylvania five years previously, and worked as a sign painter.
On 16 February 1942, Ramon Jose Martinez registered for the draft in Wilson. He listed his birth date and place as 7 September 1898 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He worked as a commercial artist, resided at 903 Vance Street, and Ximena Pitts Martinez was his contact person. He was 5’6″, 184 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair, and dark brown skin. The registrar noted: “he limps (right leg).”
Ramon Jose Martinez died 15 September 1973 in Wilson. His death certificate reports that he was born 7 September 1900 in Argentina and worked as a self-employed commercial artist. His parents were unknown.
In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Texas-born macadamized road laborer John Sancha, 38, was a lodger in the household of Henry Maynard. Sancha, who was described as mulatto, reported that both his parents were born in Mexico.
In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Texas-born laborer John Sanchas, 49, wife Mary, and children Hattie, 21, Timothy, 17, Herbert, 14, and John Jr., 11; all described as black.
In Hill’s 1925 edition of the Wilson city directory, Herbert, Jno., Jno H. and William Sanctious are listed at 210 Finch Street.
On 20 May 1931, John Sanchas, a resident of 210 Finch Street, Wilson, died of chronic myocarditis. He was colored, age 57, married to Mary Sanchas, and worked as a common laborer. He was born in Texas; his parents’ names were unknown to informant Bessie Bowden.
On 27 January 1974, Emilio Suarez Guzman died in Wilson of pancreatic cancer. He was born in Puerto Rico on 20 July 1892 and his “color or race” was Spanish. He resided at 1212 Queen Street and worked as a dry goods merchant. He was buried at William Chapel Missionary Baptist Church cemetery. Wife Mae G. Edwards Guzman was informant.
Photographs of house and gravemarkers (in Rest Haven cemetery), Wilson, by Lisa Y. Henderson.