Birthright, Charles and Bettie, House - Clarkton, Missouri - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Charles and Bettie Birthright House at 109 S. Main Street, Clarkton, Dunklin County, Missouri is [listed] in the National Register of Historic Places with local significance ... in the areas of Ethnic Heritage: Black and Social History. For more than 40 years the house was home to the Birthrights, former slaves who achieved economic independence and prosperity while building close ties with the families that had held them in slavery and the predominantly white citizenry of Clarkton and Dunklin County. From modest beginnings, this barber and seamstress amassed substantial wealth from highly successful commercial and farming operations. By 1901 Charles was among a group of men cited in the local press as contributing to “Dunklin County’s greatness.” The couple used their growing wealth to benefit the community, investing in its economic development and donating funds to construct the 1884 and 1911 Clarkton school buildings. After their deaths, their estate went to Stillman Institute (now College) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, constituting the single largest charitable contribution to the college until the 1980s. A building on campus, Birthright Auditorium, is named in their honor. Though not civil rights activists in the common definition of the phrase, the couple’s economic and civic contributions to Clarkton and Dunklin County contradicted the popular image of blacks as indolent, undisciplined and unworthy of the full rights of American citizens. The Birthrights represent an aspect of history rarely studied in Missouri or the United States—African Americans who were well respected and accepted members of the larger white community during a period when racism was the social norm. The period of significance is 1872 -1917, the time span during which the Birthrights owned and lived in the house and made their greatest contributions to the local community." - National Register Nomination

Unfortunately the Birthright house has begun to deteriorate and is in need on maintenance soon to prevent further deterioration.

Street address: 109 S. Main St. Clarkton, Missouri County / Borough / Parish: Dunklin Year listed: 2009 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Person Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924 Historic function: Domestic Current function: Vacant/Not In Use Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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