224-228 Rigsbee Ave

35.997954, -78.89982

224-228

Rigsbee Avenue

Durham

Cross Street

Morgan Street

Year demolished

1968

Construction type

Neighborhood

Building Type

Can you help?

You don't need to know everything, but do you know the year it was built?

The structures near the intersection of Rigsbee and Morgan were likely constructed in the 1920s, on land that had previously been residential. The buildings, like most of Morgan St. contained light industry and services. Many of the commercial buildings in this area had a market relationship with the nearby tobacco warehouses, providing services, meals, or products to farmers or people working in or around the warehouses.

A view of the east side of the 200 block of Rigsbee, 1960.

224-228 Rigsbee, looking southeast from Morgan and Rigsbee, 1966

Both sides of Morgan St., and much of Rigsbee were cleared in the late 1960s by the city using urban renewal funds - expressly to create more parking. 220 Rigsbee survived, although it was significantly modified.

Looking southeast from Morgan and Rigsbee, 2007

Looking northeast from Rigsbee, 2007.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 6/21/2007 - 3:58pm

Gary, thanks for profiling 220 Rigsbee. My grandfather, Jesse Jackson Rigsbee, managed Motor Bearings and owned the building with his brother, Norman (Bob and I live in my grandfather's house off University Drive). My aunt Jackie told me the city didn't want to pay them much for the building so they had to take the city to court to get a decent price. Regards, Keith Bowden

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Sat, 6/23/2007 - 2:59am

Keith

Thanks so much for your comment - if you have any other info about the building/business, please let me know - I'd be thrilled to put it up.

Gary

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 5/9/2009 - 4:33am

Keith-
My mother's mother was a Rigsbee. Her name was Catherine, she married a McNeil from out of state and they settled in Durham before she died around 1957. My last direct relative-a great uncle- named Rigsbee passed in 1991-George Rigsbee. I know that they had 1 sister, Pearl Rigsbee Umphlett. She died around '71. There were others that I didn't know. My Great and Great Grandfather both carred the name of TJ Rigsbee if my memory is correct. My mother still lives in Durham-East in the county.

Seth Roberts
seth@realtor.com

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 5/11/2009 - 2:54am

Follow up, I meant great and great great grandfather.
At least one of them is buried at Duke, in the stonewall cemetary in the parking area on the east side of Wallace Wade Stadium.

Seth Roberts
seth@realtor.com

Submitted by Andrew Edmonds (not verified) on Tue, 8/17/2010 - 5:20am

Seth:

If you look at the online city directories (link below), you'll find that your ancestors lived right around the block. Many of your family are listed at 415 N Mangum Street, in the house that formerly occupied the Pure Oil filling station lot that Gary has previously featured (http://endangereddurham.blogspot.com/2007/07/nw-corner-n-mangum-morgan…).

Here's a partial list of that house's occupants:
- Thomas J. Rigsbee (farmer)
- Thomas J. Rigsbee, Jr. (clerk)
- Virginia Rigsbee
- Iris Rigsbee
- Alma Rigsbee
- Bernice Rigsbee (student, farmer)
- boarders (?) John J. Lansdell and Pullip Louis Hazel (real estate dealer/broker)

--ASE.

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=subject:%22Durham%20(N.C.)%20--…

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