Darden, Dr. J.W., House - Opelika, AL - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The house is located on Auburn Street between Kilgore Avenue and Auburn Place. The historical marker out front, erected in 2003, provides a nice summary of the significance of this place:

"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."

The 2009 application to have the house listed on the register runs several pages, far too much to quote here. The first paragraph in the Significance section provides a good summary of why it should be listed:

"The Dr. John W. Darden House is significant under criterion A and B in the areas of ethnic heritage and health/medicine for its association with prominent local African-American physician Dr. John W. Darden and the role he played in the early-twentieth century history of Opelika, Alabama. As the town's first African-American doctor and its most prominent black citizen, Dr. Darden was a pivotal civic and business leader in the community. The house is also architecturally significant under criterion C as an excellent example of an early twentieth century dwelling designed and constructed by African-American builders. The house is largely unchanged from its original 1906 appearance with the exceptions that a balcony was added atop the front porch in 1925 and one bay of the porch was enclosed for use as a waiting room in 1944. The period of significance for the house is 1906 to 1949, the years of its construction through the death of Dr. Darden while still residing and practicing medicine there." (source: see Secondary Website 1)

Street address: 1323 Auburn Street Opelika, AL USA 36801 County / Borough / Parish: Lee Year listed: 2009 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Person, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1900-1924 Historic function: Domestic, Health Care Current function: Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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