Opelika in Lee County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Darden House

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 6, 2014

1. Darden House Marker

Inscription. Dr. John Wesley Darden, was the first African American physician to treat patients within a 30-mile radius of Opelika. He built the Darden House in 1904, and later married Maude Jean Logan of Montgomery. Dr. and Mrs. Darden shaped many lives through their commitment to the community by providing better health care and education. The Darden House became the social and political center of the African American community in Opelika. Dr. Darden sometimes saw patients in a clinic on the main floor and many gatherings and events were held here over the years. Prominent visitors to the Darden House included Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, and A.G. Gaston.

Erected 2003 by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Opelika Historic Preservation Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.

Location. 32° 38.283′ N, 85° 23.007′ W. Marker is in Opelika, Alabama, in Lee County. It is on Auburn Street 0.1 miles north of Kilgore Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1323 Auburn Street, Opelika AL 36801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama and in Greater Columbus.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old Rosemere Cemetery (approx. ¼ mile away); New Rosemere Cemetery

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(approx. 0.4 miles away); African-American Rosemere Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bobby James Freeman (approx. half a mile away); Killgore Scholarships / Some Terms of Scholarships (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Lee County Courthouse / Lee County Probate Judges (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Barbara H. Patton Southside Center for the Arts (approx. 0.6 miles away); Pepperell Manufacturing Company (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Opelika.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Lee County Courthouse / Lee County Probate Judges (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Darden House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 6, 2014

2. Darden House

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 6, 2014

3. Darden House

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,916 times since then and 75 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 6, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.