Built as a parsonage for Lakewood Methodist Church.
1810 Lakewood was built as a parsonage for Lakewood Methodist Church. Vivian Edwin Wilson, original owner, was an active member of the congregation and sold the property to the church in 1925, shortly after the house was constructed. Wilson was an active member of his church, which once stood on Palmer Street. He was superintendent of the Sunday School, and started the youth fellowship, as well as serving as a church trustee for many years.
Described by one former pastor as "a five room bungalow which was both modern and efficient, "the home at 1810 Lakewood changed residents every 3-4 years, as Methodist pastors are re-assigned on a regular basis. The building remained in use until 1966, when the church constructed a new house at 2211 Elmwood Avenue. By then, a new church building had also been constructed on Chapel Hill Road in a more modern style, and the newly built parsonage was closer to the church building.
The church sold it to the Durham Masonic Lodge #352, once located at 1811 Palmer Street, who used it as a rental property until sold to the current owners, Robert and Gloria Trowers. Unbeknownst to them, they reconnected two properties with a shared history, as they restored W.E. Wilson's home, at 1711 Lakewood Avenue, as their residence.