South End Avenue, east side

Set in a residential neighborhood south of Durham Center, the Henry Strong House is near the eastern terminus of South End Avenue.

  • Record ID: 170
  • Address: South End Avenue, east side
  • Current Owner: Gullitti, Jesse and Jesse (Trustee)
  • Name of Building:
  • Historic Name: Henry Strong House
  • Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

Like many other rural farmhouses of this period, this dwelling displays little in the way of embellished detailing. The three bay, side-hall plan facade exhibits slight cornice returns in the gable end. The six-panelled entrance door is framed by a relatively modest door surround. Six-over-six sash, flanked by louvered shutters, are displayed throughout the house. A large multi-paned window has been added to the rear portion of the south elevation. Additions to the eastern elevation include a 2 1/2 story,
gable-roofed ell and a single story, shed-roofed porch.

Historical or Architectural Importance

Oriented gable-to-street, this simple Greek Revival-style farmhouse was built by Henry Strong ca. 1840. The clapboarded, post-and-beam frame rests on a sandstone block foundation and is 2 1/2 stories in height.
Henry (Harry) Strong (1790-1876), the son of Seth and Rachel (Robinson) Strong, built this house in 1844 on a lot he purchased from Wedsworth Wadsworth. A farmer, Strong was married to Barbara Scranton (1797-1885) of Durham. Active in local political affairs, Henry served as a town representative in 1851, a Grand Juror in 1852 and a member of the Board of Relief from 1851 to 1853. Susan E. Strong inherited her father’s estate in 1876 and resided there until her death in 1898. The property was then divided among the seven remaining children of Henry Strong. Harriet Strong Hull (1843-1931), Henry’s youngest daughter, purchased the entire property from her siblings and took up residence there with her husband, Frederick J. Hull. The Hull family owned the house until 1958.
The Henry Strong House is architecturally notable as a well-preserved example of a simple mid-nineteenth-century Greek Revival style farmhouse.