National Register of Historic Places

606 East Green Street.

The two hundred-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: “ca. 1922. 2 stories. Catherine Clark house; gable front house with side hall and intact classical porch posts; Clark was a school teacher.”

The house was numbered 607 prior to 1922 and may have been built as early as about 1900 by Catherine Clark’s mother, Sarah Hill Clark.

On 3 January 1898, for $180, the Vicks sold Sarah Clark a lot on Green Street bordering Jonah Williams and Millie Bryant. The deed was registered 9 January 1899 in Deed Book 50, page 474. Sarah Clark and her husband Rhoden Clark, natives of Scotland Neck, Halifax County, North Carolina, were married at the time, but she bought this lot in her name only. Rhoden Clark died a few years later.

In the 1908 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Clark Sarah, h 607 e Green; also, Clark Catherine, dressmkr h 607 e Green

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Sarah Clark, 45, school teacher; daughters Catherine, 22, Letha, 19, and Bettie, 17; granddaughter Ruth Jenkins, 8; and servant Mary Jenkins, 26.

Wilson, N.C., city directory, 1912.

Wilson, N.C., city directory, 1916.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 607 Green, widow Sarah Clark, 28 [sic], and daughters Lena, 20, Bettie, 17, and Kathryn, 24, a teacher.

Sarah Hill Clark died 27 January 1927 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 64 years old; was born in Scotland Neck, N.C., to James Hill and Evelyn Barnes; lived at 606 East Green; and was buried in Rountrees Cemetery (probably, Vick Cemetery.) Catherine Clark was informant.

Wilson, N.C., city directory, 1930.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 607 Green, owned and valued at $8000, Katherine Clark, 30, teacher, and sister Aleatha Clark, 24, a seamstress. Both women died in the mid-1930s, and the house was converted to upstairs and downstairs apartments.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: undertaker Talmer Hunter, 29, and wife Naomie, 27 a nurse, renting for $24/month; laborer Sidney Tomlinson, 27, wife Luney, 26, and son Alton, 18 months, renting for $8/month; Randolph Hunter, 7; Ethel Baptist, 40; Shorty Baker, 27; and Thomas Pender, 14.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: (downstairs) widow Jane White, 48, laundry checker; son-in-lsw Bruce Sutton, 28; daughter Lucille, 20, and their sons William E., 2, and Bruce Jr., 1; (upstairs) Charlie K. Clark, 60, day work mowing lawns, and son Donald, 7.

N.88.2.466-467, Catherine Clark House, 606 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.

605 East Green Street.

The two hundred-third 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; William Hargrove house; triple-A house with bracketed, chamfered porch posts and cut-out balustrade; asphalt shingled; Hargrove was a blacksmith.”

Originally numbered 606, the Hargrove house is second only to the Samuel H. and Annie M. Vick house in longevity on the block.

In the 1908 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Hargrove Wm blksmith 206 S Goldsboro h 606 E Green

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 606 Green, blacksmith William Hargrove, 43; wife Louvenia, 40; daughters Bessie, 17, and Willie L., 13; and boarder John Howard, 18.

In the 1912 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Hargrove Wm blksmith h 606 E Green

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 606 East Green, Luvenia Hargrove, 40, widow, and daughter Willie, 20, public school teacher.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 605 East Green, Luvenia Hargrove, 60, widow, and daughter Willie, 29, public school teacher.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 605 East Green, owned and valued at $1000, Louvenia Hargrove, 74, widow; son-in-law McDuffie Smith, 42, shoeshine parlor operator; and daughter Willie, 48, teacher.

In 1942, McDuffie Smith registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 12 July 1899 in Durham, N.C.; lived at 605 East Green; his contact was Luvenia Hargrove, 605 East Green; and he was self-employed.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 605 East Green, shoeshine parlor manager McDuffie Smith, 51; wife Willie H., 53, city grammar school teacher; and mother-in-law Luvenia Hargrove, 80, widow.

Luevenia Hargrove died 22 February 1958 in Wilson at her home at 605 East Green. Per her death certificate, she was born 27 February 1869 in Edgecombe County to Joshua Bulluck and Harriet Hines and was buried in Bulluck cemetery, Edgecombe County. Informant was Mrs. Willie Smith, 605 East Green.

McDuffie Smith of 605 East Green died 17 July 1971. Willie Hargrove Smith died 12 years later. Her nephew, William Hines Macklin, remained at 605 East Green.

Wilson Daily Times, 4 May 1983.

William H. Macklin died 13 March 1991 in Wilson.

On 7 November 1994, the Wilson Daily Times published a list of boarded-up houses that included 605 East Green, described as needing “minor repairs.”

The house was renovated and remains occupied today.

N.87-12-354-359, William Hargrove House, 605 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.

600 East Green Street, re-re-revisited.

The J.D. and Eleanor Reid house has been in distress for decades, as shown in these photos taken for the East Wilson Historic District nomination process.

N.87-12-269-271, Judge D. Reid House, 600 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.

604 East Green Street.

The two hundred-second 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; 2 stories; Dr. William Michner [sic] house; L-plan Queen Anne structure with cutaway front-facing bay; Michner was a physician.”

Prior to Dr. William A. Mitchner’s purchase of this house, it was numbered 605. Primitive Baptist elder Jonah Williams likely built the house around 1910. His daughter, teacher Clarissa Williams, inherited it and lived there with her niece’s family.

Earnestine Ford died 10 November 1916 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was five months old; was born in Wilson to Curtis Ford of Dillon County, S.C., and Mamie Battle of Wayne County, N.C. Curtis Ford, 605 East Green Street, was informant.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Clarcy Williams, 50; roomer Curtis Ford, 37, house carpenter; [niece] Mamie Ford, 24, and her children Lear L., 4, and Quincey B., 2.

Williams died in October 1921. Her estate consisted of a house and lot (at 605 East Green Street) worth about $3000 and an estimated $100 in personal property. Her heirs at law were her nieces and nephews Mamie Ford, Fanny Battle, Clinton Battle, and Glynn Battle.

In the 1925 Wilson, N.C., city directory:

In the 1928 Wilson, N.C., city directory:

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 604 East Green, physician William Mincher [sic], 55, divorced; mother Lucy, 65, widow; and nephew Hubert, 30, tobacco factory laborer.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 604 East Green Street, Dr. W.A. Mitchner, 53, born Johnston County; wife Marie, 40, born Wake County; and mother Lucy Mitchner, 80, born in Johnston County.

Dr. Mitchner died in 1941, and his mother in 1946.

Wilson Daily Times, 5 November 1941.

Wilson Daily Times, 25 April 1946.

Marie Mitchner began to take lodgers into the large home, including members of her family.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 604 East Green, widow Marie R. Mitchner, 49, and lodgers Doris Raynor, 36, city social worker, and Mary A. Huggins, 24, elementary teacher in city schools.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 January 1956.

Wilson Daily Times, 21 April 1962.

Marie Mitchner died 30 April 1971 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 24 December 1899 in Henry Person and Dora Radley; was a widow; lived at 604 East Green Street; and was a retired teacher.

604 East Green Street was converted into apartments after Mitchner’s death, and tenants cycled in and out well into the 1990s. In January 2003, Wilson City Council accepted donation of the property by its owner, Jean Tedder. It was later demolished.

N.87-12-274-278 [N.80.11.904], Dr. William Michner House, 604 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.

603 East Green Street, updated.

We saw 603 East Green Street here and here.

Below are photos of the Washington Wilkins house taken circa the mid-1980s for the East Wilson Historic District nomination report.

603 East Green today.

N.87-12-360-362, Washington Wilkins House, 603 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office; photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, July 2026.

601 East Green Street, part 2.

601 East Green is described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1950; 1 1/2 stories; stone-veneered cottage with Neo-Colonial motifs.”

This house, built for physician William C. Hines and his family in the late 1940s, was a latecomer to the 600 block of East Green. It was demolished more than 20 years ago.

601 East Green, today.

Wilson Daily Times, 12 June 1951.

Contact sheet frames from N.87-12-363-375, Dr. William Hines House, 601 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office; photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, May 2026.

Cockrell’s Grocery/Mary Chapel Church.

I visited the State Archives in Raleigh for the first time in a couple of years yesterday. The front desk person asked if I’d been before, and I thought back over the past 41 years and smiled — “yeah, about a million times.” 

I’ve been wanting to examine the photographs taken for the Historic Register nomination report for East Wilson, so I headed over to the State Historic Preservation Office while Archives staff pulled my records requests. A handful of photos were appended to the nomination document, and I knew there were more images available, but not hundreds more! A big shout-out to Renee Gledkill-Earley and Chandrea Burch for going out of their way to accommodate my drop-in visit. Next time, I’ll know to request files in advance. 

Most of the copies I made yesterday will be posted as follow-up to the house or business histories I’ve featured since the blog began, but some will warrant brand-new entries. I grew up seeing these buildings, but not paying any particular attention to them, and so many disappeared in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

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I’ve posted about Cockrell’s Grocery at the corner of East Green and Pettigrew several times. The building has housed churches for the past 40+ years, and its exterior is now heavily modified. These photos, however, show it when its original windows and recessed double doors were still exposed.

402 East Green Street.

N.87-12-250-252, 402 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.

927 Carolina Street, revisited.

I first posted about 927 Carolina Street here.

927 Carolina in April 2022.

927 and 929 next door were demolished circa 2023.

Is a $225,000 shotgun house what East Wilson needs? This two bedroom/two bath/no storage house costs more than $200 a square foot. In comparison, new three-bedroom construction off Airport Road and Raleigh Road Parkway runs about $170/square foot. Not only is this being built in an area of the city that desperately needs affordable housing, it’s even more expensive than housing in higher-income neighborhoods. And who is this artificially generated image (with a white fence and mature landscaping that I can guarantee you are not in place) and shots of Whirligig Park and Warbirds stadium being pitched to? Obviously, the market will settle any debate about the price of 927 Carolina Street, but if this price point for this product is the victor, East Wilson is really in trouble.]

927 Carolina Street is on the eastern end of the former property of Sallie Lipscombe, which was surveyed and platted in 1920.

927 and 929 Carolina were the last standing of this row of shotgun houses. Detail of the 1930 Sanborn fire insurance map of Wilson, N.C., page 27.

Lane Street Project: Basket Creek Cemetery.

Though I will always be of Wilson, I have lived in Atlanta for most of my adult life. It is very much “home” for me, too, and is a bottomless well of African-American culture and history that often informs the way I process research and works related to Black Wide-Awake and Lane Street Project.

I’ve begun visiting metro Atlanta’s historic African-American burial grounds. How have they weathered exploding population growth, shifting demographics, outmigration, land loss, and other pressures? The fifth in a series — Basket Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Douglas County.

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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2009, Basket Creek Cemetery is singular in all of Georgia as the only documented burial ground with grave mounding, a practice with roots in West Africa. Per Wikipedia, the cemetery is classified as Southern Folk-style, with mounded graves, scraped ground, a hilltop location, east-to-west grave orientation, grave markers and decorations made with local materials (not commercially sold), certain types of vegetation, grave shelters, family plots, wife-to-the-left burials, and evidence of a devotion to God and/or family in the form of memorials.

Basket Creek Cemetery is astonishing in the very best sense of the word. Here are excerpts from the National Register nomination form:

Thomas J. Beadles Died Mar. 3, 1903 Aged 63 Yrs.

Thomas S. Endsley D. This Life March 17 1903

John T. Colclough Oct. 3, 1837 Oct. 7, 1914

“Simpson” Mr. William H. Endsley 5.10 1851 7.17 1923 (an Eldren Bailey headstone made for Simpson Funeral Home well after Endsley’s death) 

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, April 2026.

1208 Washington Street.

The two hundred-second 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 (which erroneously assigns the house number 1206): “ca. 1930; 1 story; Clifton Hardy house; bungalow with gable-end form; decorative vent; hip-roofed porch; Hardy was a barber.”

In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Hardy Clifton (c; Della) barber h 1208 Washington. Also: Hardy Caroline (c) h 1208 Washington

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: 1208 Washington, barber Clifton Hardy, 36; wife Bella [sic], 33, cook; and mother Caroline, 65.

Caroline Hardy died 6 October 1938 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 56 years old; was born in Greene County, N.C., to Jacob Best and Lucy Sheppard; and was buried in Wilson. Clifton Hardy was informant.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: 1208 Washington, barber Clifton Hardy, 54; wife Della, 54, house cleaner; and lodger Lucille Joyner, 24, teacher-grammar department.

Clifton Hardy died 1 January 1968 in Durham, North Carolina. Per his death certificate, he was born 22 February 1893 in Greene County, N.C., to Bill Hardy and Carolina Hardy; was married to Della Hardy; worked as a barber; lived at 1208 Washington Street; and was buried in Masonic Cemetery.