Darden House - Opelika, AL
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 32° 38.282 W 085° 23.008
16S E 651631 N 3612314
This marker is outside the Darden House and tells the story of the first African American physician in the Opelika, Alabama, area.
Waymark Code: WMHGF7
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 07/08/2013
Views: 7
Located on Auburn Street between Kilgore Avenue and Auburn Place. The historical marker helps visitors gain an appreciation of the role Dr. Darden played in the community. The house had deteriorated in recent decades but was purchased in 1999 by concerned citizens who had formed a local foundation. The house has been restored to its 1944 appearance.
The text of the marker reads:
Darden House
Dr. John Wesley Darden, was the first African American physician to treat patients within a 30-mile radius of Opelika. He built the Darden House in 1904, and later married Maude Jean Logan of Montgomery. Dr. and Mrs. Darden shaped many lives through their commitment to the community by providing better health care and education. The Darden House became the social and political center of the African American community in Opelika. Dr. Darden sometimes saw patients in a clinic on the main floor and many gatherings and events were held here over the years. Prominent visitors to the Darden House included Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, and A. G. Gaston.
Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Opelika Historic Preservation Society, 2003.
Marker Name: Darden House
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Date Dedicated / Placed: 2003
Marker Number: None
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.