Dr. J.W. Darden House

Dr. J.W. Darden House

African-American History; Medicine; Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Segregation; National Register of Historic Places; Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage; Civil Rights; Historic Home

Located at 1323 Auburn Street in Opelika, the home was built in 1906 by the city's first African-American doctor, J.W. Darden. Darden was the only physician for African-Americans within a 30-mile radius of Opelika. Partnering with his pharmacist brother J.D., he also opened a pharmacy in Opelika. During the 1940s, he ran his practice from the home, which also served as a social hub for the local African-American community, primarily through the efforts of Darden's wife Maude Jean. The city's first African-American high school, built in 1951, was named after Darden. It later merged with Opelika High School. A currently operational medical clinic and street have also been named after Darden. Notable visitors included Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, and A.G. Gaston. The Dr. J.W. Darden House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 2009.

Evan Isaac, Keith S. Hebert

Image: Wikimedia. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dr_JW_Darden_House_Opelika_Alabama.JPG

Text: Jessie E. Summers, The Heritage of Lee County (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants: 2000), 142

Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

2014-12-7

Evan Isaac

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English

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