This early twentieth-century photo shows a typical tenant farm house with one or two rooms and a shed-roofed extension. Most African-American farmers in Wilson County were tenant farmers or sharecroppers and would have lived in a house similar to this one.
Photo courtesy of Stantonsburg Historical Society’s A History of Stantonsburg Circa 1780 to 1980 (1981).
The one hundred-fifty-first 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, 1009 Atlantic is: “ca. 1930; 1 story; shotgun with strong bungalow traits, including gable-end porch and shingle-shake gable; built as tenant housing by William Hines.”
1011 Atlantic is: “ca. 1930; 1 story; shotgun with strong bungalow traits; similar originally to #1011; also built Hines for tenants.”
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In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C.: Bell James T (c; Pennie) barber Cherry Hotel Shop h 1009 Washington
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C.: Wright Mary (c) lndrs h 1009 Washington; also Wright Preston (c) h 1009 Washington
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1009 Washington, paying $6/month rent, Beatrice Ruffin, 25, tobacco factory stemmer; and, paying $12/month, Thomas Evans, 26, water department employee, Town of Wilson; wife Maggie, 27, tobacco factory stemmer; son Richard, 6; Coy Evans, 22, tobacco factory laborer, and James Evans, 20, farm laborer.
In 1940, Thomas Evans registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 24 April 1914 in Wilson; his contact was wife Maggie Evans; and he worked for the Town of Wilson.
In 1940, James Arthur Evans registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 24 July 1919 in Wilson County; lived at 1009 Washington Street; his contact was brother Thomas Evans Jr., 1009 Washington; and he worked for Josh Bryant, Route 2, Elm City, N.C.
In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Evans Thos (c; Maggie) lab h 1009 Washington
In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C.: Floyd Ambrose (c; Mattie) drayman h 1011 Washington
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C.: Floyd Ambrose (c; Mattie) truck driver h 1011 Washington
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1009 Washington, rented for $17/month, taxi chauffeur Ambrose Floyd, 28; wife Mattie, 28; and children William A., 9, James, 8, Mateel, 6, Earnesteen, 5, and Hattie M., 1; and sister-in-law Hattie McLoran, 29, cook.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1011 Washington, Nathan Townsend, 43, born in Maxton, truck driver for retail coal company, and wife Narcissus, 44, born in Kenly, private cook.
In 1942, Nathan Townsend registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 15 July 1897 in Robeson County, N.C.; lived at 1011 East Washington; his contact was mother Sarah Townsend, Wagram, N.C.; and he worked for Bardin Coal Company, 701 Mercer Street, Wilson.
In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Townsend Nathan (c) driver Bardin Coal h 1011 Washington
Wilson Daily Times, 31 December 1921.
A house owned by Samuel H. Vick and occupied by Agnes Barnes caught fire and sustained minor roof damage in late December 1921. The address of the house is not mentioned, but the fire was reported from the callbox at Nash and Pender Streets.
The sixty-first 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 each is described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1925; 2 stories; William Hines tenant house; two-bay, side-hall dwelling with hip roof; built by Hines for tenants.”
Robert C. Bainbridge and Kate Ohno’s Wilson, North Carolina: Historic Buildings Survey, originally published by the City of Wilson in 1980 and updated and republished in 2010 under the auspices of the Wilson County Genealogical Society, provides additional details about these houses, including photos: “806-814 East Green Street. This rhythmic row of identical houses was built as speculative housing c. 1925. The plan is an expansion of the classic shotgun and details reflect a bungalow influence. Constructed as workman’s housing in the late 1920’s, these houses were occupied by a driver, a porter and a cook, among others. It is uncommon to find an entire row of houses such as these still intact.” Unfortunately, numbers 808 and 812 East Green Street were demolished between 1980, when the Inventory was published, and 1988, when the nomination form was completed.
806
The even-numbered side of the 800 block of East Green Street appears to have been skipped in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County.
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Wingate Leon (c; Pearl) driver C Woodard Co Inc h 806 E Green
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 806 East Green, rented for $14/month, tobacco factory laborer George Marion, 32, born in South Carolina; wife Emma, 31, tobacco factory laborer; son Robert L. King, 16; boarders Thomas Jones, 22, tobacco factory laborer, and Bert Jones, 36, cook.
In 1940, George Marion registered for the World War II draft in Wilson. Per his registration card, he was born 18 May 1908 in Sumpter, South Carolina; resided at 806 East Green; was married to Emma Davis Marion; and worked for R.P. Watson Tobacco Company.
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Marion Geo (c; Emma) plumber helper h 806 E Green
808
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: White Israel (c) elev opr Federal Bldg h 808 E Green
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 808 East Green, rented for $14/month, cafe cook James Morrison, 30, of Maxton, North Carolina; wife Minnie, 30, family cook, of Greene County; daughter Reba, 14; and family cook Lessie McRay, 23.
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Morrison Minnie (c) cook Golden Weed Grill h 808 E Green
810
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Jones Martha (c) lndrs 810 E Green
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 810 East Green, rented for $14/month, widow Martha Jones, 67; widow Maggie Crooms, 36; Helen Jones, 16; widower Cornelius Jones, 38, builders supply truck driver; and Oscar Magette, 17, and Hubert Jones, 16, who were Martha’s grandsons.
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Jones Martha (c) lndrs h 810 E Green
812
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Freeman Geo (c; Effie) lab h 812 E Green; Freeman Jas (c) del man h 812 E Green
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 812 East Green, rented for $14/month,
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Farmer Jefferson D (c; Irene) del mn h 812 E Green
814
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Woodard Lula lndrs h 814 E Green
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 814 East Green, rented for $14/month, Lula Woodard, 40, widow, boarding house operator.
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Woodard Lula (c) slswn [saleswoman] h 814 E Green
Lula Woodard died 24 July 1947 at her home at 814 East Green. Per her death certificate, she was born 3 June 1902 in Sampson County, North Carolina, to Harry Boykins and Mary Wronge and was married to Willie Woodard. Willie Boykins, 131 West 143rd Street, New York City, was informant.
Photograph taken by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2018.