O'Brien, William Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at 820 Wilkerson Avenue, this two-story frame house is among the oldest and most distinctive in Durham's West End neighborhood. Its most notable feature is a one-story wraparound porch with turned posts, sawn spandrels and a spool frieze, set beneath a cross-gable roof still covered in original embossed tin shingles. Inside, a center hall holds a staircase with chamfered newel posts, fluted trim and original heart pine floors. The house is associated with William Thomas O'Brien, who came to Durham in 1884 to install Bonsack cigarette rolling machines for W. Duke Sons & Company and then helped perfect them, enabling far greater cigarette production. O'Brien was also a leading lay supporter of Catholicism in Durham, donating a lot for Immaculate Conception Church, completed in 1905. He died in 1906. Later divided into four apartments, the house received an exterior restoration award in 1976 and remains in apartment use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the oldest and most distinctive in the early West End, with a carefully detailed wraparound porch and original embossed tin shingle roof. It is also tied to William Thomas O'Brien, a master mechanic who perfected the Bonsack cigarette machine for W. Duke Sons & Company. O'Brien was also instrumental in establishing the Roman Catholic Church in Durham.
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 85001777, listed August 9, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 820 Wilkerson Ave., Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Durham County |
| Listed | August 9, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001777 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1890 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, altered, and in use as four apartments; exterior restored in 1976. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Burch Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.00188, -78.91506 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 85001777.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987349
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.