Every once in a while, we come across a distressed property that’s such a train wreck we can’t look away. The Evans House at 118 South Driver in East Durham was one of those houses. But we were intrigued by its history, the community effort that went into saving it (as described here on Open Durham), and it’s importance to the neighborhood’s revitalization. Always up for a challenge, we bought it from Preservation Durham.
It was one of our most extensive renovations to date. These photos of the house in it’s demolished state, taken by Preservation Durham staff, show what we were up against. We were extremely proud to restore to life the oldest house in East Durham, which was completed in February, 2015.
The Evans House