105 Main Street

The Tucker House/Congregational Parsonage stands on the west side of Main Street. Its shaded lot is several buildings north of the First Church of Christ.

• Record ID: 74
• Address: 105 Main Street
• Current Owner: Larsen, Arved M. and Nell F.
• Name of Building:
• Historic Name: Henry Tucker House / Congregational Parsonage
• Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

In the full pediment of the facade gable is a flattened elliptical fanlight with leaden tracery. A plain frieze runs around the eaves of the house. The corner pilasters, marked
by a slight entasis, rise to capitals. The recessed central doorway is flanked by pilasters and is surmounted by a full entablature with a dentil course. The six-panelled original door has a five-pane leaded sidelight on each side. The full 6/6 sash windows have louvred shutters. A long shed-roofed addition is attached to the northwest corner. A small hip-roofed porch has been added to the southeast corner.

Historical or Architectural Importance

The Tucker House, built in 1838, is a 2 1/2 story, four bay, gable-to-street Greek Revival style building. It has a central-hall plan, a central chimney, clapboarding, and a
coursed sandstone foundation. In 1837, Leverett W. Leach sold a three acre Main Street tract, the “Butler place”, to Henry Tucker, a farmer and lumberman. In 1839, Tucker conveyed the Butler House to Phineas Squires; the deed which describes this transaction mentions, in the south boundary reference, “the new house lately built by the Grantor.” (DLR 18:366).
In 1857, the house was received by the First Ecclesiastical Society of Durham, and became the parsonage for that Society. In 1939, the house was deeded to the First Church of
Christ. It passed into private hands in 1959. This house is a fine example of a Durham Greek Revival style building. It is particularly significant for its role as a parsonage for over 80 years.