HAYTI/FAYETTEVILLE ST.

(Note that this is an early post to give a general sense of the Hayti District on Fayetteville St. There is much more extensive documentation of individual buildings/businesses if you click on the Hayti tag

Hayti was established early in Durham's history, as African-Americans, migrating to Durham primarily to work in the tobacco factories, settled in the vicinity of Fayetteville Rd. on land owned by White merchants. While the land was initially rented, it was, over time, purchased as economic capital built in the community. The community coalesced around the two major churches: St. Joseph's AME, established in 1869 on Fayetteville Road and White Rock Baptist, organized in 1873. Both churches built signficant structures during the 1890s - St. Joesph's AME in 1891 (still standing) and White Rock Baptist in 1896 (at the corner of Mobile Ave. and Fayetteville, now under the Durham Freeway.)

White Rock Baptist Church (Courtesy Durham County Library)

These churches and other businesses established along the high ground of Fayetteville Rd. The success of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and other African-American owned business created significant investment in the community, and the commerical buildings were upgraded to more sizable 1-3 story brick structures. Leading members of the community built large, architecturally impressive dwellings along Fayetteville St. The wealthier members of the community worked to establish civic assets such as a library and Lincoln Hospital. NC Mutual created a land development company which developed much of the smaller rental housing on the side streets.

The portion of the community north of White Rock Baptist, including the commerical structures along Pettigrew St., developed later and was evidently referred to as 'Mexico'.

By the 1920s, Fayetteville St. was built out.

Looking south on Fayetteville St., 1920. The spire of St. Joseph's in on the right.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)

During the 1960s, Fayetteville Rd. was rerouted to the west of its historic location, which is why one sees the back of St. Joseph's when driving on the current Fayetteville Rd. It took significant effort from the entire Durham community (and a leadership role from the Historic Preservation Society) to save St. Joseph's from the wrecking ball, which was the fate of all other structures in the above picture.

The current 'Old Fayetteville Street' is a strange collection of suburban-style slab-on-grade development of apartment buildings/parking lots and the beautiful church structure. The church is fascinating (and beautiful) inside as well, with a sideways-oriented chancel and balcony, and somewhat oddly, a large stained-glass window featuring Washington Duke. (He, along with Julian Carr, provided significant contributions towards the construction of the church.)

The street dead-ends one block north of St. Joseph's at the Durham Freeway. It appears that there is an EMS station being built at this dead-end, but other than this construction activity, there is little or no street activity.

Old Fayetteville St., looking south, 2006.