2106 Duncan St. – Sarah J. Pratt House

A common form in the district, this one-story, side-gabled Minimal Traditional-style house retains high material integrity with original German-profile weatherboards and six-over-six wood-sash windows. The house is three bays wide and triple-pile with a projecting, front-gabled bay on the right (north) end of the façade and a side-gabled enclosed porch on the left (south) elevation. The entrance, centered on the façade, is a six-light-over-two-panel door and is accessed by an uncovered brick and concrete stoop. The house has a triangular louvered vent in the front gable and rectangular vents in the side gables. There is an interior brick chimney and an exterior brick chimney between the left elevation and the enclosed porch, which has with beaded particleboard siding on the front and side elevations, but German-profile weatherboards in the gable. County tax records date the house to 1942 and the earliest known occupant is Sarah J. Pratt, a teacher at James A. Whitted School, in 1945.  Ms. Pratt sold the house in 1961 when her health declined.

According to deed records, in 1962, the next owner of this house was Janie M. Wheeler, a supervisor in the Durham City Schools.  She was active in various social and garden clubs.  In the same year, she was crowned Miss Azalea in the state Azalea Garden Club.  She lived in the house for two years before renting it to various tenants until 1965.  The house was purchased in 1965 by J. Elwood Carter, a College Heights resident living at 2110 Concord Street.  Several tenants have lived in this house.  Mr. Carter died in March 1982 and his daughter, Lana Henderson inherited this property.  Ms. Henderson maintained the property as a rental until she sold it in 1999 to Michael G. Jones, according to deed records.  The house continued as rental property.  Mr. Jones sold the house to John K. Greene on January 27, 2011.  Mr. Greene, a College Heights resident, lives at 401 Pekoe Avenue.  The property has remained a rental investment.