Clark and Sorrell Garage
Also known as: Clark & Sorrell Inc.
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Why it's listed
Clark and Sorrell Garage is a one-story brick building at 323 Foster Street, just north of downtown Durham's center. Built in 1932 by Durham contractor Jesse Cole, it has three bays across the front, a flat tar and gravel roof, a decorative parapet, and steel framing inside. A two-story office section holds the original offices and parts department, and a ca. 1941 addition extends to Roney Street. Leroy Clark, a master mechanic, and Donnie Sorrell, the business manager, founded the firm in 1922 and worked from rented quarters before building here. The garage first specialized in Ford repair and sold Amoco products. It is described as the oldest auto repair garage still operating in Durham, and it retains a high degree of integrity, including a historic sign pole. It was listed for its link to the rise of automobile servicing and as a well-preserved example of the standardized repair garage type of the 1920s and 1930s.
Significance in brief: The garage is described as the oldest auto repair garage still operating in Durham. It is significant under Criterion A as an expression of the automobile's impact on the Durham streetscape, and under Criterion C as a well-preserved example of the standardized auto repair garage building type. Its design may derive from plans supplied by a national company such as Ford.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000991, listed August 16, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 323 Foster St., Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Durham County |
| Listed | August 16, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000991 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1932-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Cole, Jesse (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in operation as an auto repair garage; the form says it has continued its original function for about seventy years with almost no changes apart from the rear parts department addition. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 36.00094, -78.91286 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000991.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19461008
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.