1515 James St. - The Lark-Horton House
Lakewood Park National Register Historic District
Recent photo
Lot Size: ~0.26 acres
Square Feet:  ~1100 first floor living space plus 470 upstairs
Zoning: R-5

    This one and a half story side gable bungalow was constructed around 1925 with a Mr. J. H. Clark as its first occupant.  Although covered in artificial siding this property maintains many of its original features including craftsman brackets and porch posts.  The house also features a shed dormer with casement windows.  The house has a total of ten rooms and one bathroom, eight on the first floor and two on the second.  The house is livable but the new owner will want to remove drop ceilings and imitation wood paneling to restore the house to its original charm.

    Lakewood holds a very unique history in Durham.  The residential community developed around Lakewood Amusement Park, known as the "Coney Island of the South."  The Durham Traction Company built the amusement park at the end of the streetcar line in 1902.  The park offered swimming, theater, gambling, roller-skating, bowing, dancing and food.  It is said that the park drew crowds from the whole area.  Even after the park closed in 1934, the area continued to develop as a neighborhood.

    Today the Lakewood Park Neighborhood is a very preservation minded area of Durham.  So far owners have sold three properties through HPSD, placing protective covenants on their properties to ensure the architectural character of the area is preserved.

This building is a contributing property in a National Register Historic District, making it eligible for historic tax credits.  North Carolina both state and federal income tax credits are available for the certified rehabilitation of historic structures. For the rehabilitation of owner occupied homes certified historic structures (non-income producing properties) a 30% state tax credit is available. For more information on Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits contact HPSD (contact info above) or the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office at 919-733-6547 or at www.hpo.dcr.state.nc.us.
 

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