59 Main Street

The Parsonage stands on the west side of Main Street, just north of the Town Green and the Durham Public Library. A slate- shingled, double-door garage has been built west of the house.

• Record ID: 104
• Address: 59 Main Street
• Current Owner: Methodist Episcopal Church of Durham, (United Churches Crop, Trustees)
• Name of Building: Parsonage
• Historic Name: Methodist Episcopal Parsonage
• Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

The shed-roofed, full- length facade porch is supported by six turned columns, four free-standing and two recessed in the facade wall at the north and sourth ends of the porch. A Queen Anne Stick style wooden balustrade connects the columns. Porch steps at the northeast corner correspond to the side doorway. The door itself, with its Victorian pane and panel, is framed by this architrave trim. A Queen Anne style, multi-paned stairwell is on the north side of the house. Gable-roofed additions have been made to the north-west rorner and to the west side. A screen porch has been added to the south side.

Historical or Architectural Importance

Built in the 1890’s, the Parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Durham is a simple late nineteenth century side hall plan building of 2 1/2 stories with a three bay facade. Its wooden frame has a slate-covered gable-to-street roof, painted wooden exterior shingling, and a sandstone foundation.
Originally a part of the Rev. David Smith’s home late in the early nineteenth century, this lot was granted to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Durham by Charles and Hattie Rockwood in 1892. The Parsonage for the church, a building now used by the Durham Grange, was built soon afterwards. In 1941, the Parsonage became the property of the United Churches, when its corporation was formed in that year.
The Parsonage has been an eccliastical residence continuously since the last years of the nineteenth century.