BRAME HOUSE - 505 YANCEY STREET

One of two houses built on land originally part of the JW Blackwell house, 505 Yancey and its near-twin at 507 Yancey remain while that house is gone. After suffering a fire in 2010, the house is under renovation

Address

505

Yancey Street

Durham

Building information

1901

1977

2010

Inhabitants

People:

Kueber, Gary

(Photo by Gary Kueber)

602 South Duke Street, which is not the subject of this post (i.e. *not* 505 Yancey. 505 Yancey sits on land that was once a part of this house's parcel.)

James W. Blackwell, brother of WT Blackwell (of Blackwell's Durham Tobacco fame) built his house at the southwest corner of Lee (later Duke) Street and Yancey Street sometime between 1881 and 1887. The house first appears in the City Diretory of 1887, which included a map of prominent Durham locations.

An early photograph, taken sometime in the 1880s from Blackwell's Durham Tobacco Co. (later the American Tobacco complex, looking west, shows the 602 South Duke house sitting at the edge of the developed area southwest of the center of town.

Looking southwest, 1880s. I've noted the 602 South Duke house with an arrow.
(Courtesy Herald-Sun)

The 602 South Duke house, with unusual trapezoidal gables and cruciform layout, is visible on the 1891 Bird's Eye of Durham, above.
(Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection)

The 602 South Duke house was the site of the genesis of the Second Baptist Church (later Temple Baptist Church) which began as a bible study here before William Vickers gave the land to establish the sanctuary on West Chapel Hill St.

Blackwell had a number of careers, including work with the tobacco company, head of the Builder's Manufacturer's Supply Co., and a cashier for the Durham Water Company. He also bought and sold real estate, and later lived at 701 Jackson St. after selling the 602 South Duke house in the 1890s.

In 1901, the 602 South Duke house was owned for a time by HN Snow, who subdivided the large lot that the house was on, building 505 Yancey (the subject of this post,) 507 Yancey, and 604 S. Duke on the original lot.

505 and 507 Yancey built as similar, triple-A roofline cottages, hall-and-parlor style, with a two room wing extending back from one of the rooms. The center hall exited onto a rear porch that extended the length of the wing, and provided access to those rooms to maximize bedroom space.

Laborers, primarily connected with the tobacco companies and the railroad, lived in the house during its 17 years.

On March 6, 1918, 505 and 507 Yancey were sold to Durham Realty and Insurance Company. On June 18, 1918 DR&I resold the property to Liggett and Myers (with 505, as a single parcel.) Liggett evidently rented the houses - I assumed to their employees.

However, 3 years later, Liggett decided to dispose of the various properties they had purchased in 1918. They sold the properties to First National Trust in February 1921. First National Trust divided 505 and 507 into individual houses/lots.

On October 29, 1921, FNB subdivided the parcel in two (between the two houses) and sold 505 Yancey to JH Rutlege and his wife - whose name appears to be a poker hand - Nine High Rutlege.

On April 29, 1926 the Rutleges sold the house to JN and Clara Brame. The Brames would live in the house for the next ~40 years.

On May 2, 1966, the widowed Clara Brame conveyed the house to her son, Sam(uel) Thomas Brame. The house then became rental property again.

The character of the surrounding neighborhood changed dramatically in 1967-1968. Construction of the Durham Freeway severed the 500 and 600 block of Yancey from Morehead Hill and the West end to the west. Urban Renewal demolished the entirety of the neighborhood to the east of the 500 block of Yancey (east of South Duke Street.) The intent, if not the action, was to convert the small remaining residential area to commercial/institutional use (the zoning implemented after the demolition and Freeway construction.)

The southern (lower) of the two areas outlined in red is the small residential pocket containing 505 Yancey Street. The former connection with the neighborhood to the west is still apparent .

At some point in the 1960s-1970s, it was converted to a duplex.

10/09/75 - Sam Brame sold the house to George E. Fletcher and his wife Linda Fletcher

March 1977 - Fletchers sold the house to James A. Cole, Jr and C. Thomas Biggs, later called the Carden Investment Corporation

(State Historic Preservation Office) - 1980

10/06/89 - the house was acquired by Michael and Nelan Chapell

06/27/05 - the house was acquired by James and Deborah Sykes

2001 - (Photo by Gary Kueber)

02.10.08 (Photo by Gary Kueber)

On January 2, 2010, the house burned badly, resulting in total destruction of the rear room (kitchen) and roof.

Durham Fire Department - ~2 am on 01.02.10

The next morning:

01.02.10 (Photo by Gary Kueber)

On March, 2010, the house was acquired by the owner of 507 Yancey Street, Gary Kueber. Gary has been progressively renovating the house, removing various plastic 'enhancements' and returning the facade and floorplan to the original layout.