William Branson House - Ramseur St.

(Courtesy Duke Archives)

William H. Branson was the secretary, treasurer, and manager of Julian Carr's Durham Cotton Manufacturing Co., located at E. Pettigrew and S. Driver St, as well as manager of the Pearl Cotton Mill at Trinity and N. Duke. His house was located adjacent to the Reed House.

1891 Bird's Eye View
(Courtesy Duke Archives)

He was also superintendent of the Sunday school at East End (later Carr) Methodist Church.

Branson was killed in a boiler explosion in 1899; Commonwealth Methodist Church was subsequently renamed Branson Methodist in his honor in 1904.

His house, along with the others on Ramseur, fell to industrial uses over the course of the mid-20th century.

Looking south, 2007. (G. Kueber)