News Features:
Return to Erwin Mills Cemetery for Spruce Up
Duke and Shodor Volunteers Clean Up Neighborhood
OWD Focus of E.K. Powe/Duke Center for Documentary Studies Neighborhoods Project
Carolina Avenue neighbor and Duke breast cancer specialist Victoria Seewaldt, MD, was featured on Paula Zahn's show on CNN on February 23, 2005.
Dr. Seewaldt (Vicky to friends and neighbors) discussed her research and the recent announcement of a new breast pap smear that can be used to survey cells from the whole breast, examine them under the microscope and test for early changes that often precede breast cancer.
Segments of the interview were filmed in Vicky and Eric's mill house
in Old West Durham.
Friends, neighbors and relatives come to spruce up old Erwin Mills
gravesite for spring renewal.
A new sign welcomes visitors, contributed by the Yarborough family, whose story was featured in an article in the Herald-Sun in March 2000.
Descendants of people buried in the cemetery came to plant and restore beauty to gravesites and their markers.
OWDNA president John Schelp speaks with a local reporter on the history of the site.
The rusted iron fencing receives a fresh coat of paint.
An OWD resident pulls trash from the brush.
There were plenty of branches to clear away from prior storms (above) and brush to clip away from headstones (below).
OWDNA provided refreshments for the participants.
Old
West Durham a Local Legacy in
Library of Congress
Neighborhood is an American pie slice of life.
Reprinted with permission of the News & Observer
DURHAM -- The Library of Congress has a special place for the Old West Durham neighborhood: an acid-free box. The historic neighborhood near Duke University started as a pit stop for travelers even before Durham was established in the 1850s.
Narrative and photographs illustrating its history make up one of about 1,300 entries in the Library of Congress' Local Legacies Project, which celebrates the library's bicentennial by documenting and preserving slices of life from communities across the country.
The N.C. State Fair and the American Dance Festival are also among the 44 local legacies from North Carolina, and those who submitted entries are invited to a reception Tuesday at the Library of Congress.
John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, who also works at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said he plans to be there.
"I love history. I'm a history buff," he said of the work, which started about a year ago, to put the neighborhood's history up on the Internet. "It started small."
Neighborhood residents worked with librarians, consulted history books and talked to residents to reconstruct the tale of how the neighborhood started out as "Pin Hook," a settlement that included "a lodging house, camping grove, brothels, grog shops, and a well for drinking water for passing travelers," the document says. In the early 1890s, the Erwin Cotton Mills went up, transforming the area into a mill village.
E.K. Powe III, 78, whose grandfather was the first general manager of the mill, grew up in Old West Durham, back when that area was considered "the country," he said. He recalled the summer of 1936, when he helped carpenters re-roof and repair some of the 450 mill houses.
"They were nice houses," he said. "They were small. They all had front porches. Everybody had a front porch back then."
He lived on Swift Avenue and remembers the cherry, pear and apple trees on his family's three acres of land.
"We kids would climb up on the grape arbor and eat the grapes around August or September," he said.
Sometimes children would hang out at Erwin Auditorium, which had a soda shop, swimming pool, tennis court and a small zoo.
"Most people knew everybody," he said. "It has changed a lot."
Schelp said the story got the attention of U.S. Rep. David Price, who nominated the neighborhood project as a local legacy. Evie McCleaf, Local Legacies project liaison, said the project has been "successful beyond our control." It's billed as an unprecedented, nationwide volunteer effort to document the United States' grass-roots heritage. Entries had to be nominated by congressional offices, but other than that, there was no selection process.
"We were asking for representations of unique cultural events and the historical culture of small communities across the nation, trying to get a glimpse of local communities at the turn of the century," McCleaf said.
Other entries include information about an annual powwow in Denver, the life cycle of salmon in Washington and the National Polka Festival in Texas.
The entries will be stored in acid-free boxes in the Archive of American Folk Culture.
High
Tech Meets Home Town in
North Carolina Neighborhood
A national publication, the MuniNet Guide and Review evaluates web sites and internet services.
Reprinted from MuniNet Guide & Review, Winter 1999
"Building Community. That's what one North Carolina neighborhood is doing—both with front porch meetings and through its growing web site."
Although the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association [http://www.owdna.org] hand delivers a newsletter to residents twice a year, the prospect of delivering news and information much more quickly — and in a cost-efficient way—meant taking advantage of the Internet, according to Webmaster Pamela Spaulding.
The up-and-coming, diverse neighborhood is a designated National Registry Historic District that offers charm, history, and a variety of unique shops and acclaimed restaurants. Located near Duke University and home to the city's oldest firehouse and a collection of intact turn-of-the- century mill houses, Old West Durham prides itself as a neighborhood that offers "diversity, harmony, and community."
Web Site Helps Association Achieve Goals
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association was established in 1995, and in November of 1998, OWDNA brought its vision to the Web. By locating free online resources and contributions of time from board and association members, the site grew quickly and took on a life of its own.
The site now has extensive neighborhood history (displaying turn-of-the-century photos of the area from Duke University's Special Collections Library), links to city services, area cultural sites and news about issues that OWDNA is working on to improve the quality of life for its residents.
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association web site was designed to use the full capabilities of the Internet to educate residents visitors to the site about our neighborhood's rich history and positive future; be a communications tool to work with residents, local government, businesses and developers in a positive way to encourage growth that will complement and preserve the neighborhood's character as we move into the 21st century; and foster a sense of community among residents by showing them the effect that active participation in neighborhood concerns can have.
"Our goals are the same today," says Ms. Spaulding.
Rich content, a professional appearance, and links to a variety of community resources combine to make this laudable neighborhood web site, which has embraced the power of the Internet to communicate with residents and visitors alike. Particularly notable are the pictorial guide to the neighborhood's history — which allows online visitors to travel back in time — and the Citizen Resources guide, which includes contact information for community action groups, citizen questions or concerns, and links. The site is also an effective way for the Association to communicate its positions on issues such as traffic, green space, and regional rail — and to publicize its events, activities, and other news.
Receiving over 3,000 hits to date, the site has been covered in local media and commended by the Durham Mayor Nick Tennyson for its service to the community.
"Because OWDNA is only four years old, it had to build awareness among Durham realtors, city officials and even residents, some of whom did not even realize that the area had a defined neighborhood designation. Often when houses went up for sale, realtors would list them as 'Watts-Hillandale area' (a neighboring community, with a well-established organization). As a result of work by members and the visibility of Old West Durham via the web site, realtors have started to publish properties as being located in 'Old West Durham'."
Compared to surrounding established neighborhood association web sites, OWDNA's has quickly become the most comprehensive. This increased visibility has garnered attention by city officials and entities and has enabled the association to have a greater impact on traffic calming, zoning and development issues that directly affect the community. Residents have been able to participate more fully in the association by using email and the web site to generate ideas and voice concerns that can be acted upon without having to attend the monthly meetings, building a "virtual membership" that extends the capabilities of our neighbors.
More Enhancements on the Horizon
"One of the early ideas that we would love to incorporate into this project would be the addition of audio and video clips of interviews with long-time residents of Old West Durham to the web site. These seniors have colorful personal histories to tell about the neighborhood that are invaluable in bringing the past to life.
Another ambitious goal would be to have an online membership
database that could be accessible and editable (via password access)
by board members by web browser. It would be wonderful if people could
join the association via the web and purchase neighborhood association
merchandise (T-shirts, bumper stickers, virtual yard sales, etc.) and
help make OWDNA grow so that we could undertake more community projects."
Thank you to Pam Spaulding, Webmaster, and John Schelp, President, Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, for their contributions to this article. Courtesy of MuniNet Guide & Review (MuniNetUS@aol.com)
OWD Focus of E.K. Powe/Duke Center for Documentary Studies Neighborhoods Project
E.K. Powe Neighborhoods Project with the help of Duke's Center for Documentary Studies and the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, the Neighborhoods Project at E.K. Powe Elementary School included a one week program focused on Old West Durham. Second grade students were "neighborhood detectives" using the tools of documentary studies. On fieldtrips to Old West Durham, they took pictures, make maps and drawings, collect artifacts, and listen to community speakers who will recount the history and significance of each neighborhood (including E.K. Powe III and Miss Elizabeth Wilson who taught many years at E.K. Powe starting in 1949). Through this experience, the children learned about good citizenship, geography, history, political science, and important community landmarks and assets. The children wrote about what they learned and discussed issues such as fairness, honesty, hard work and responsibility. They also learned how to write wonderful thank you notes.
Letter from OWDNA to the Mayor and City Council Regarding Upcoming Development on Ninth Street
Mayor and City
Council
City Hall
Plaza
Durham, NC 27701
11 August 2000
Dear Mayor Tennyson and members of City Council:
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association strongly supports the development plans, and the requested variance, for the 800 block of Ninth Street.
We applaud the Dickson family for working closely with the neighborhood association on its plans. We offered a number of suggestions that are reflected in the submitted plans (including red brick exterior instead of stucco -- to reflect the history of surrounding Erwin Mills and EK Powe Elementary). We are very excited about the planned renovation of this block of Ninth Street which has stood vacant for too long. We are absolutely delighted that the new buildings will serve as a bridge between the Ninth Street shops and the residential areas of Old West Durham.
This is a plan for which we should all feel very proud. The City and the Dickson's are to be commended for working with the community on a dream that will be a shot in the arm for the neighborhood and for all of Durham.
Sincerely yours,
John Schelp,
president
Betty Greene,
vice-president
cc: Lamont Ewell, City Manager Norm Standerfer, Planning Department
South
Ellerbe Creek Natural Area
The Durham City Council voted
to commit $150,000 toward the neighborhood green space across from EK
Powe.
Broad
Street BP
Working
closely with Watts-Hillandale and Trinity Heights, OWDNA succeeded in
asking the Board of Adjustment to rule that the BP gas station at Broad
and Markham not to be a six-island space ship (like the Ninth Street
BP design but only bigger). Instead, the owner has agreed to renovate
the existing design, add more appropriate lights on shorter poles, and
build a pitched-roof over the pumps (rather than the larger, flat canopy).
Four-way
stop signs
Thanks to suggestions posted
on the neighborhood listserver, OWDNA worked with Duke, St. Joseph's,
Blacknall, Bull City Market, Ninth Street Merchants Association and
the City to have a four-way stop sign installed at busy Perry and Iredell.
OWDNA also supported a resident-initiated effort for a four-way stop
sign placed at Rosehill and Knox. Working with Watts-Hillandale and
the City, a four-way stop sign was placed at Georgia and Englewood.
This measure was deemed more desirable by OWDNA than blocking off Georgia
-- which would have resulted in higher traffic levels in Old West Durham.
Finally, responding to resident concerns about pedestrian safety near
the ABC store, OWDNA succeeded in getting the City to install a four-way
stop sign at the corner of West Knox and Alabama.
Traffic
circles
The City
has promised to include 3 traffic calming measures for OWD in its next
construction contract: traffic circle at Oakland/Knox, traffic circle
at Green/Hale and a small traffic island in the mouth of Lawndale Avenue
(to slow cars coming off Hillsborough Road).
Pyne
Award
The Historic
Preservation Society of Durham presented the 2000 Pyne
Award to OWDNA for the innovative use of its web site -- including
its neighborhood history pages and photographs.
Revolving
Fund for Old Houses
The Historic Preservation
Society of Durham's Revolving Fund will allow HPSD to purchase threatened
historic properties, add protective covenants to the deeds, then resell
the houses to buyers dedicated to historic preservation. The proceeds
from sales would subsequently be invested in other properties.
If you know of a threatened historic property, contact Jeff Burdette
of HPSD at (919) 956-9729. Likewise, if you are interested in buying
a threatened property, or if you own an historic property to which you
would like to attach protective covenants, contact HPSD at 682-3036
or hpsd@mindspring.com for assistance. HPSD can also provide you with
information on tax credits for the restoration of historic properties.
by John Schelp
It's hard to believe that it was wasn't too long ago that the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association received the Independent Weekly's 1998 Citizen Award for "tireless dedication to making our community a better place to live." And, it's been one heck of a year.
We're making excellent progress in creating an urban green space on Green Street near Ninth (including a good meeting with the mayor and mayor pro-tem at the site), adding a new sidewalk connecting Edith Street with Ninth -- alongside E.K. Powe Elementary School (budgeted by City), adding a new community bulletin board (budgeted by the City), and getting a traffic circle at one of our busiest residential intersections (budgeted by City).
In addition, the OWDNA received a $2,000 Partners Against Crime grant to help the association build community (with T-shirts and OWDNA bumper stickers) and provide items for residents to enhance home security (including flood lights and window screws). Your association also had 75 new street lights installed along neighborhood streets and our award-winning website has received national acclaim. We hosted Congressman David Price for a walking tour of Old West Durham and succeeded in getting most local real estate agencies to list neighborhood properties as being in "Old West Durham." The association also sponsored a board member to take a planning and zoning class at Duke, organized two clean-ups at the site of our proposed urban greenspace across from EK Powe, and kept a watchful eye on local plans for regional rail and the future development of Erwin Square.
We are also working on a broad traffic calming plan for neighborhood streets, sponsored an OWDNA booth at the first annual InterNeighborhood Council summit, and have updated our neighborhood membership directory. Getting great input from long-time residents, OWDNA is building a detailed neighborhood history of this National Historic District and we've started placing ads in our newsletter – eliminating our association's biggest expense.
On the very day Hurricane Floyd struck, OWDNA residents gathered to help clear downed trees on Carolina Avenue and on Green Street. In an effort to build community, we recently celebrated Old West Durham Day (and the anniversary of our new neighborhood sign across from Barnes Supply). With Hurricane Gert raining outside, more than twenty-five neighbors gathered to break bread and share stories at Cosmic Cantina.
The success stories shared here are the result of an outstanding effort by OWDNA board members and other dedicated residents working together to move this great neighborhood forward. Please join us as we continue the journey.
All OWD residents are encouraged to attend and participate
in our board meeting/potlucks that take place at 7:00 PM on the last
Thursday of each month (email john@owdna.org
for location).
Duke
University Moves More Offices to the Erwin Mills Building on Ninth Street
According to the Winter 1999 edition of Duke & You, the university is moving more offices into the old Erwin Mills building on Ninth Street. "Duke University has leased the entire building, and we're pleased to join with a number of other Duke departments in sharing this remarkable space." said Paula Gilbert, Assistant Dean and Director of Duke Continuing Education and Summer Session. The former textile mill building, similar in architectural style to Brightleaf Square, will also house a district police station jointly staffed by the Duke Police and Durham Public Safety to provide security for the entire neighborhood. Erwin Mill will also be the home to the Office of the Director of Community Affairs for the University and the Recruitment Office for Duke Human Resources, among others."
By the way, Duke has more than 80 operations in Old
West Durham including: Private Diagnostic Clinic (Patient Accounting);
Rice Diet/Heart Disease Reversal Clinic; American Dance Festival; Chief
Financial Officer of Hospital; Hospital Controller; Budgets & Financial
Analysis; Hospital Cost Accounting & Financial Management System; Patient
Accounting; Executive Vice-President for Asset Management; Geriatric
Evaluation & Treatment Clinic; Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Administration,
African-American Outreach Program, Brain Bank, Neurological Disorders
Clinic, Rapid Autopsy Program); American Parkinson Disease Association;
Biohazard Science Program; Business Services (Administration, Controller,
Endowment/Investment Office, Imprest Cash and Travel Reimbursement Financial
Services & System Support, Customer Support); Center for Clinical Health
Policy Research; Duke Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic (Admin);
Occupational & Environmental Medicine Division (Admin, Employee Occupational
Health & Wellness, Personal Assistance Services, Promoting Health At
Duke, Occupational & Environmental Medicine Education, Occupational
Health Nursing Service, Occupational Health Service, Occupational Mental
Health Programs); Cancer Information Service; Cultural Services - Medical
Center; Duke University Retiree Association; Duke Management Company
(President's office, Investment Director, Finance & Admin, Operations,
Portfolio Accounting); Duke University Affiliated Physicians; Ergonomics
Program office; Memory Disorders Clinic; Facility Planning, Design &
Construction - Medical Center; GI Outcomes Research Group; Medical Center
Architect; Medical Center -- General Construction & Renovations; Medical
Center HelpDesk; Nicotine Research Program; North Carolina Medical Journal;
Outpatient Department (Accounting Section); Department of Pharmacy (Financial
Management); Attention Deficit Disorders Program; Psychometrics Lab;
Medical Center Warehouse Complex; Department of Psychology-Social &
Health Sciences (Fast Track Project); Duke Temporary Services; Medical
Center -- Edmund Street facility (Mechanical Utilities, Plumbing, Steamfitting,
Insulation, Sheet Metal); and Office of Human Resources (Benefits Administration,
Communications, Departmental Recruiters, Staff Resource Recruiters,
Employee Verification, Staff and Family Programs).
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Duke University in 1928 (Old West Durham stretches to the left).