Mattie M. And Wallace W. Umphlette House

35.980003, -78.91008

416
Durham
NC
Year built
1929
Architectural style
Construction type
National Register
Neighborhood
Use
Building Type
Local ID
115447
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From the National Register nomination form of 2005, completed by M. Ruth Little

1 ½-story side-gabled Tudor Cottage with clipped gables, a terra-cotta tile roof, stuccoed walls, and 9-over-1 sash windows. The shallow gabled entrance bay has an arched batten door. Interior chimney. This is said to be a spec house built by New Hope Realty Co. Wallace W. Umplette, a traveling salesman, was the occupant in 1930. [Carr interview, 1930 CD]  

The following information comes from the City Directories and general web searching:

Year Occupant(s) Occupation(s) Other information
1930 Mattie M. Umphlette* Wallace W. Umphlette *   solicitor Wallace worked at Continental Life Insurance. as a salesman.
1931 Melvin M. Kuhn     manager Melvin managed the Durham Bowling Alleys, located at 316 E Chapel Hill St.
1932 Anna A. Zener + Karl E. Zener +   associate professor Karl worked at the Psychology Department at Duke University, later becoming its chairman in 1958.  He developed the Zener cards, which were used to conduct tests for clairvoyance and extrasensory perception.
1941 Gertrude Strong Frank R. Strong     Frank worked at Duke University.
1942 Edith M. Harton Roman A. Harton   physician and county coroner  
1943 Irene R. Byrd Clyde R. Byrd   real estate  
1945 Gretchen F. Everiss Walter H. Everiss   manager Walter worked at the Met Life Insurance Company.
1947 Ronald Brunson        
1950 Ruth H. Cousins James F. Cousins   auditor James worked at Duke University.
1952 Frances D. Bryant Victor S. Bryant, Jr.   associate lawyer Victor worked at his father's law firm, VS Bryant Lawyers, located at 111 North Corcoran Street. He lived in the house built for him at 1002 Vickers Avenue before living on Carolina Circle, and appears to have moved back to that address in 1960.
1960 Joyce A. Tischendorf Alfred P. Tischendorf   instructor Alfred worked in the Department of History at Duke University as an assistant professor of Latin American History, but died while on sabbatical in Argentina in 1962.
1965 Pat A. Wynn James O. Wynn   physician James worked at Duke University Medical Center. and had a private practice in Durham from 1978-2005.
1967 Elizabeth D. Nelson   saleswoman   Elizabeth worked at Southland Associates
1970 Gail A. Malin Joseph M. Malin, Jr.   physician Joseph worked at Duke University Hospital as a urologist.
1973 Meredith K. Thrall Jesse Thrall instructor   Meredith worked at Duke University Hospital.
1981 Allen P. Duffer, Jr.   employee   Allen worked at IBM.
1988 Ann M Christensen Allen P. Duffer, Jr. sales associate   Ann worked at Coldwell Banker
1993 Penny H. Bridgers        
2003 Matthew Cohen        
2006 Bridget K. Finn Megan M. Walsh      
2008 Matthew Cohen        
2009 Erin Valentine Jason C. Valentine      
2011 Jocelyn Arem Kate Kyle      
2014 Molly Draney Brandon Draney   illustrator  

 

* The 1930 US Census shows that W.W. Umplet (age 31) was the head of household with Mattie M. (age 28) as his wife; other occupants included William Jr., son (age 6); and brothers Clyde V. (age 26) and Hoyle M. (age 28), both of whom were agents for, presumabkly, rthe same insurance company at which William worked..  The 1931 City Directory lists these family members with the surname of Umphlett.

+ The 1940 US Census shows that Karl (age 37) and Anna (age 30s) lived with their three sons, Karl (age 7), Wilfred (age 5), and Julian (age 2).  The elder Karl was born in Indiana, his wife and first two sons were born in Pennsylvania, and the youngest son was born in North Carolina.  This does not quite align with the City Directories, which indicate that the Zener family had occupied the house for eight years at the time of the Census, but perhaps the first two sons were born outside Karl's academic calendar year - or intentionally delivered near Anna's family. 

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