Chicken Hut Officially Designated As Local Landmark!

Julia Lasure • October 1, 2025

Update (10/7/2025):


At the October 6th Durham City Council Meeting, the Chicken Hut was officially designated as a Durham local landmark!


Congratulations to the Tapp family and thank you for the incredible legacy of Claiborne and Peggy that now lives on in Tre and all of your team!

The Chicken Hut encapsulates the soul of Durham. The history of the Chicken Hut captures almost 70 years of activism, support, and communal gathering in Durham. The Chicken Hut has given so much to the community, and this designation speaks to that. If you haven’t already, we urge you to watch the hearing to hear the amazing discussion from last night’s meeting. 


We look forward to continuing to celebrate the Chicken Hut during our annual awards ceremony and preservation party on November 18th at ReCity Network, for their dedication to preserving their family's legacy through the local landmark nomination process.


To learn more about the hearing and nomination process, check out these articles:


-News and Observer

-CBS 17



*Chicken Hut Local Landmark hearing starts at 2 hours and 8 minutes

How to Support the Chicken Hut Local Landmark Hearing

We are nearing the finish line of the local landmark nomination process for the Chicken Hut! All that is left is for approval from the city council, which will be on the agenda at the upcoming city council meeting on October 6th. The meeting starts at 7 pm at 101 City Hall Plaza in the Council Chambers.


Support Materials for the Local Landmark Nomination:

-Official Local Landmark Nomination

-Historic Preservation Commission Letter of Recommendation

-City Council Agenda for October 6th, Item Number 17 under the General Business Section


How to share your own comments in support of officially designating the Chicken Hut as a local landmark: 


  1. Community members can submit a public comment in support based on the agenda number (17, General Business) here.
  2. Community members can also sign up to speak in support on Zoom. To speak virtually in support, you have to sign up ahead of time, when the agenda is released here. You have until 2 pm the day of the meeting, October 6th,  to sign up to speak virtually.
  3. You can attend the meeting in person and sign up to speak when you arrive. We recommend showing up to the meeting early if you plan to sign up to speak. 
  4. Lastly, you can send an email in support of the local landmark to the city council members and the mayor. Here is a draft email that you can send in support. Feel free to create your own or personalize the following email:




City Council Email:


Chelsea Cook: Chelsea.Cook@durhamnc.gov


Carl Rist: carl.rist@durhamnc.gov


DeDreana Freeman: DeDreana.Freeman@durhamnc.gov


Nate Baker: Nate.Baker@durhamnc.gov


Javiera Caballero: Javiera.Caballero@durhamnc.gov


Mayor Pro Tem, Mark-Anthony Middleton: mark-anthony.middleton@durhamnc.gov


Mayor, Leonardo Williams Email: Leonardo.Williams@durhamnc.gov




Dear City Council Members, Mayor Pro Tempore, and Mayor,


I am writing you in support of the Chicken Hut local landmark nomination. The Chicken Hut has been a Durham staple since 1957, making it the oldest Black-owned restaurant in Durham. 


In its almost 70 years of existence, the Chicken Hut has been a community gathering space, acting as a crucial meeting spot for many African-American activist groups, like the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Black Youth for Progressive Education, and the Triangle Association for Black Social Workers. 


The Chicken Hut also played an integral role in supporting the individuals who participated in the 1960 Durham protests by providing meals to those who protested segregation, including the round-robin protests to desegregate the Carolina Theatre.


The Chicken Hut has also persevered in the face of urban renewal, which disrupted and demolished many of the businesses and residents in the Hayti community in the 1960s with the creation of NC-147. While the business was forced to relocate, they planted their roots on Fayetteville Street, where they have been located since the late 1960s. 


Owners Claiborne and Peggy Tapp were also beloved community members who supported the Durham community by donating meals, helping bring in famous musicians to Durham, and supporting other local institutions, such as North Carolina Central University. 


In conclusion, based on these reasons and many others outlined in the local landmark nomination, I believe the Chicken Hut should receive local landmark status in Durham.


Thank you,

(Your Name)




We are so excited for this final stage and are hopeful that this time next week, the Chicken Hut will officially be a Durham local landmark.

Federal Threats to National Historic Preservation Act Section 106

By Caitlin Avinger • July 31, 2026
Earlier this month the federal government put forward a draft proposal to rewrite Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This would be disastrous for the nation’s historical, cultural, and tribal treasures both across the country and at the local level. The National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law in 1966 and, for 60 years, Section 106 of this act has provided a framework for any development projects with federal funding to work with preservationists, cultural heritage experts, and tribal nation leaders to preserve and protect culturally significant structures and spaces. The goal of Section 106 has always been to reach consensus between the developers and the affected communities. On America’s 250th anniversary, the federal government is now proposing that that consensus -- which has been the foundation of the preservation of countless historical landmarks, the protection of wilderness lands, and more -- is not necessary. According to the draft proposal, agencies would no longer be required by federal law to protect areas of historical, cultural, or tribal significance. It would be at their discretion to consider what is and is not historic, and thus worthy of saving. Developers using federal funds will no longer be required to speak with the communities that their projects will be affecting. If developers choose to set up venues for discussion, the developer will oversee the facilitation. What this means in practice is that the bulldozers can show up and begin tearing down a community cemetery, landmark, or wilderness space without any previous discussion or warning. Once an unspoiled landscape, burial site, or local landmark is destroyed, there is no replacement. This proposed rewriting of Section 106 deprives communities of their recourse to argue for the importance of their historical and geographical assets. As a result, the only recourse will be protest and litigation. Six decades after the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law, providing an ethical and balanced pathway to both preservation and development, the federal government is proposing to do away with this precedent. They are instead proposing to replace this key framework of partnership and consensus between communities and the federal government with a new standard that would eliminate the voice of the communities and provide developers with sole discretion over the outcomes of their projects. Preservation Durham stands in strong opposition to the proposed rewriting of Section 106. At this time, the proposal is only in draft form, but once it has moved through the process and is approved, it will only take another 30 days to go into effect. The time is now for the Durham community to use their voices. If preservation of Durham’s historic landmarks, community cemeteries, cultural heritage parks, and historic neighborhoods is important to you, then we encourage you to use your voice! While the prospect of the elimination of Section 106 is gut-wrenching, it is important to know that we are not alone in the fight. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Cultural Heritage Partners LLC, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers are all in collaboration to prevent the elimination of Section 106. Here are ways that you can also get involved:

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