African-American Heritage
Durham Documentation of African-American Historic Sites (DDAAHS), led by April Johnson, was a three-year Preservation Durham program that identified and documented Durham County’s African-American historic resources. The program was made possible through the generous contributions of a number of local donors, along wtih a partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which provided a three-year Partners In The Field matching grant (a gift from the Wilson Charitable Trust).
- Program Overview (PDF)
- Program Brochure (PDF)
- Individual Properties Inventory (PDF)
- DDAAHS Steering Committee (PDF)
- Interactive map of neighborhoods and sites
- African-American Inventory and Preservation Plan
What is DDAAHS and why it matters
Historic African-American communities in Durham faced threats of neglect, aggressive development, demolition, and highway construction. Though frequently overlooked, historic black communities help to define the African-American experience. The goal of DDAAHS was to identify, document, and designate historic African-American sites locally.
DDAAHS focused on sites and neighborhoods in the City and County of Durham that are important to the community’s African-American heritage, as well as properties that have been traditionally undervalued or overlooked.
The identification of historic sites in African-American communities yields community pride and a sense of identity. It connects the community to the past in order to relate to the present through the preservation of stories embedded in the built environment.
