Walltown Homes for Rent

Filling the blocks north of Duke University’s East Campus is Walltown, a historically Black neighborhood with strong community ties. Walltown’s name honors George Wall, an African American man who purchased the land the neighborhood was built on in the late 19th century. The neighborhood would grow as Black workers moved into the city for jobs at Durham’s rapidly expanding tobacco factories. Today, Walltown is a diverse community with a namesake park and a recreation center. “There’s a mix of people who have been there for many years and people just moving in. There are also quite a few rental properties,” says Marie Brockenbrough, a Durham native and Realtor with Inhabit Real Estate. According to Brockenbrough, Walltown attracts first-time homebuyers, students and university staff for its home prices, walkability and proximity to Duke University. Single-family homes in Walltown rest close together on wide, gridded streets. The neighborhood features rows of shotgun homes, cottages and bungalows built in the first half of the 20th century; the homes were originally built for tobacco factory workers. Many of these homes have been renovated, and some have been torn down and replaced