Maple Avenue, west side

Set on the west side of Maple Avenue on a small lot the Henry P. Ryan House is surrounded by other nineteenth-fmd twentieth-century homes in this residential
neighborhood.

• Record ID: 133
• Address: Maple Avenue, west side
• Current Owner: Ferguson, James and Roselani
• Name of Building:
• Historic Name: Henry P. Ryan House
• Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

The fenestration of the facade is irregular with a large, central picture window flanked by two, one-over-one windows on the first floor and paired six-over-one windows centrally located on the second floor. ‘The plain trimmed entranceway is located on the south corner of the facade. It is speculated the original entranceway was located where the present plate-glass window is placed. The central brick chimney is a modern addition.

Historical or Architectural Importance

Henry P. Ryan erected this building ca. 1910 on a small lot he purchased from Nellie and J.F. Bailey. Ryan was instrumental in the organization of the Durham District Nurse Association and was a charter member of Durham’s Fire Department, serving as its first Chief from 1931-1936. In 1918 Ryan sold the property to the Durham Agricultural Fair Association. The Fair Association was first organized in 1893 at the annual Town Meeting when a committee was established to plan an agricultural fair for the following fall. Nothing ever became of the idea for twenty-three years and the first fair was not held until 1916. This building was most likely used as an exhibition hall by the Fair Association until 1927 when the property was sold to Robert L. White. The Henry P. Ryan House derives its significance from its association with the early development of the Durham
Agricultural Fair Association and Henry P. Ryan, a leader in the early twentieth century.