Pine Street Presbyterian

35.991454, -78.899808

301
South Roxboro Street
Durham
NC
Cross Street
Poplar Street
Year built
1893
Year demolished
1978
Architectural style
Gothic Revival
Construction type
Masonry
Neighborhood
Hayti
Use
Church
Building Type
Church
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Looking northeast from Pine St. and Poplar St., 1922.
(Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection / Digital Durham)

In 1887, Charles C. Hayswood formed the initial congregation of what would become Pine Street Presbyterian Church in a hall at the corner of Fayetteville Street and Ray Place. Around 1890, the group began meeting in a "hall near the corner of Parrish and Mangum Streets." as a Sunday School group. Under the leadership of Rev. Lewis D. Twine this Sunday School was organized into the Twine Memorial Presbyterian Church in 1893. It appears that the church on the northeast corner of Poplar Street and Pine Street was built about that time; at some point thereafter, the name changed from Twine Memorial to Pine Street Presbyterian.

Pine St. Presbyterian was the primary Presbyterian church serving the African-American community / Hayti. The church was located directly south of the Venable Warehouse, on the northeast corner of Poplar Street and Pine Street.

Joel Kostyu notes in his book that, in 1948, "the congregation moved its home to the corner of Lincoln and Massey Streets and changed its name to the Covenant United Presbyterian Church" but he does not note the use of this building from that point forward. The church steeple was significantly remodeled by the 1950s, which can be better seen in the second of the two pictures below.

Venable_NE_1950s.jpeg

Looking northeast, ~1950 - the church is near the bottom right corner of the photo.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun)


Looking northeast, 1966.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)

The frame building immediately to the north of the church was built as the "Pride of Durham Lodge (No. 2095)" but had become church property by mid-century.


Looking southeast at 303 S. Roxboro St., 1966.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)


Looking northeast from South Roxboro Street, ~1970.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)

The church and adjacent building were demolished on January 27, 1978.


(From "Durham: A Pictorial History" by J. Kostyu)


(From "Durham: A Pictorial History" by J. Kostyu)


(From "Durham: A Pictorial History" by J. Kostyu)

- at which point the space became a parking lot at the rear of the Venable complex.
That parking lot has been improved with pervious pavers and landscaping as part of the Venable center redevelopment, but a parking lot is a parking lot. Although I do like the bear.


Looking northeast, 08.20.08. The driveway in the right foreground is the former Poplar Street.

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35.991454,-78.899808

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 8/27/2008 - 12:07pm

I remember this structure vividly from my childhood. For some reason it escaped several rounds of "urban renewal" and sat forlornly on that corner for many years. I seemto remember an AME congregation using it? But mainly remember it sitting empty and open for what seemed like a very long time before it was demolished.

dtd

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 8/27/2008 - 3:22pm

for some reason, i find this incredibly SAD. i just cant imagine why this lovely little church sat empty for so long, and it seemed to have some good bones even when it was demolished. It would have been a nice visual point on roxboro IMO

TSQ75

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 8/28/2008 - 10:45am

The congregation of the church itself lives on, although in a different location further down s roxboro, I believe. My next door neighbor is the current pastor

Submitted by Batman (not verified) on Sun, 9/13/2009 - 12:43am

In 1937, Tempie Herndon of 1312 Pine Street in Durham, was interviewed by the Depression-Era Works Progress Administration. She was a 103 year old former slave from Chatham County. Her name can be Googled for a fascinating reading of her life in her own words.

Submitted by Aaron Thompson (not verified) on Mon, 8/19/2013 - 8:27pm

I am a member of the congregation that directly grew from the Pine Street Presbyterian Church. After the congregation abandoned this property, they moved to 1306 Lincoln Street in Durham, where they laid the cornerstone for a new church in 1953 and renamed Covenant United Presbyterian Church.In the mid 80s, the name was changed to Covenant Presbyterian Church, USA. In the late 1990s, the congregation decided to build a new church and in 2003, they moved to a brand new building and sanctuary at 2620 E. Weaver Street. Today, in 2013, Covenant Presbyterian Church, USA sits on about 12 acres of land in south central Durham. With over 200 members, there are a couple of members well into their 90s who remember the old days at Pine Street near downtown Durham.

Submitted by gary on Mon, 8/19/2013 - 8:31pm

What a great comment - thanks for connecting this church building to the present-day congregation, Aaron.

GK

Submitted by Connie White (not verified) on Tue, 7/15/2014 - 5:36pm

My grandfather had been the minister at this church, Rev John Lee White. Thank you for this information about the church.

Submitted by Aaron Thompson (not verified) on Wed, 7/30/2014 - 8:20pm

I will add that Covenant Presbyterian Church, USA is the only predominately African-American Presbyterian church in Durham and for many years, it was the only United Presbyterian Church in Durham until the two factions of the Presbyterian denomination merged in the mid 1980s.

Submitted by Aaron Thompson (not verified) on Wed, 7/30/2014 - 8:20pm

I will add that Covenant Presbyterian Church, USA is the only predominately African-American Presbyterian church in Durham and for many years, it was the only United Presbyterian Church in Durham until the two factions of the Presbyterian denomination merged in the mid 1980s.

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