Scarborough House
Why it's listed
Built in 1916 on Fayetteville Street in Durham, this sizable Neoclassical Revival house has a foursquare form and a compound front porch with Doric columns beneath a two-story portico. It was built by J.C. Scarborough, who arrived in Durham in 1906 and opened the city's first funeral service for black residents, and his wife Daisy. Scarborough salvaged much of the building material from the demolished Queen Anne style Frank Fuller House, so the formal exterior and center hall plan enclose ornate Victorian mantelpieces, brass chandeliers and colorful stained glass. The street was the main thoroughfare of Durham's black neighborhoods, and the house is described as its most imposing and one of the least altered. Scarborough served as a bank director, hospital board secretary and church trustee. After Daisy's death, he founded a nursery school in her memory, later led by his second wife, Clydie, who worked to improve day care and early education across the state. The house reflects the growth of Durham's black middle class.
Significance in brief: The house reflects the rise of Durham's black urban middle class in the early twentieth century and the accomplishments of J.C. Scarborough, who founded Durham's first black funeral service, and of Clydie F. Scarborough, a nursery school and day care leader. Its neoclassical exterior contrasts with an interior of Victorian mantelpieces, light fixtures and stained glass salvaged from the Queen Anne style Frank Fuller House, forming what the form calls the city's finest such collection.
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 85001779, listed August 9, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1406 Fayetteville St., Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Durham County |
| Listed | August 9, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001779 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916 |
| Architect / builder | unknown (built by J.C. Scarborough) |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Black, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in excellent condition, slightly altered, with a modern rear addition; a nursery school operates on the property. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.97818, -78.90015 (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 85001779.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21016165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.