708 Kent St, Durham, NC 27701

Own a piece of Durham's rich history with one of the oldest buildings in the City, built in 1888. Given the historical provenance listed on the National Registo9r of Historic Places allows for both Federal and State Historic tax credits. Additionally, the property can be submitted for Local Landmark Status, resulting in a 50% reduction in assessed property taxes. RU-5(2) zoning allows for a variety of uses with a new proposed CX-3 Zoning classification in the upcoming Unified Development Ordinance change that continues the mix of uses.

Location Description:

Located in the West End of Downtown Durham, this iconic building is home to an eclectic mix of businesses and historical structures. The area is nestled just minutes away from Duke University and the Nasher Museum, anchored by the Durham Co-op Market, Emily K Community Center, and Burch Avenue Park. Boasting a rich cultural scene, Downtown Durham is known for its lively arts and culinary experiences, with attractions such as the renowned Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), the historic Carolina Theatre, and the beloved Durham Bulls Baseball team. Live, Work, and Play at numerous developments in the Central Park, Warehouse & Brightleaf districts or at the American Tobacco & Golden Belt campuses.

Begun in 1888, the (former) Emmanuel A.M.E Church is a two-story, rectangular, gable-front building with a three-story, pyramidal-roofed square tower at the east end of the south elevation. Slightly recessed from the main façade and tucked behind the tower, there is a small shed addition built to accommodate bathrooms. Located on a quarter-acre lot, the church is separated from a busy thoroughfare by a shallow front lawn. The lot slopes sharply downward from the front of the building so that there is a full ground story beneath the principal story at the street level. A cement walk inlaid with a brick cross links the sidewalk with the main entrance, located in the tower. Another cement walk leads from the sidewalk to the northeast corner of the building, where cinder block steps descend an embankment to a side entrance at the ground level. The church was constructed in solid brick with walls thirty inches thick; they were covered with stucco in 1962.

A notable example of the popular use of the Gothic Revival style, the (former) Emmanuel A.M.E. Church, is the oldest surviving religious edifice built by a Durham congregation. Its significance surpasses the purely architectural and ecclesiastical, representing the development of the black community in the West End neighborhood in general and the achievements of Richard Burton Fitzgerald and his family in particular. The donor of the land and building for the church and a guiding force in the congregation for many years, Fitzgerald became Durham's leading brick manufacturer and was reportedly the town's first black millionaire. His diverse business interests included Durham's first black-owned and operated pharmacy and the Coleman Cotton Mills of Concord, N.C., North Carolina's first textile mill managed and operated by blacks.