GEORGE W. BIRMINGHAM JR. (1921-2008)

Birmingham was born in Durham. He served in the Navy during WWII, building the airstrip in Guam that launched the US nuclear attack on Japan. After the war, he went into the construction business with his father but they parted ways amicably after a while. From then on, Birmingham built dozens of houses in Durham, especially a group of houses on Ashley that would become known as Birmingham Woods. He built homes all over Durham.

During the 1980s, Birmingham exposed incompetence by the City Inspections Department which was subsequently verified and resulted in the resignation of the department head. He led classes for the public on homebuilding and appeared in a 1991 NC Public Television documentary on residential building.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, he was locally famous as a private building inspector. If you were the buyer, you wanted George on your team. He was known for finding hidden problems in houses that were (usually unintentionally) covered up by present or past owners. He served as expert witness in several lawsuits, one winning $930,000 in damages.

1951 - 2413 Perkins Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1951 - 2710 Stuart Drive, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1951 - 3010 Surrey Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1121 Anderson Street, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1955 - 2705 Dogwood Road, Durham NC.

1956 - 3317 Rugby Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1956 - 2801 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold in 1998 to Joseph R. Anderson. Sold in 2015 to Chad Bebout.

1956 - 2712 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. As of 2013 owned by Faith Birmingham. Sold in 2014 to Joseph B. Weaver.

1956 - 2714 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Ted Farlow. Sold in 2014 to Jolley Property Mgmnt LLC. Has been a rental for years.

1956 - 708 Wisteria Avenue, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. As of 2013 owned by George Brandon Farlow, his grandson. Sold in 2014 to Benjamin McKeithan.

1956 - 2716 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold in 2010 to Jerry Davis. Sold in 2021 to Shannon S. and Charles M. Tiffin.

1957 - 32 Beverly Drive, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photos by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1957 - 1101 Vickers Avenue, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1958 - 2721 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Patricia Birmingham Farlow, trustee. Sold in 2014 to Jolley Property Management. Rental.

1958 - 2717 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Juanita Birmingham, George's wife. Sold in 1989 to Cindy Purvis who still owned it as of 2013.

1959 - 1109 Vickers Avenue, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1960 - 2740 McDowell Road, Durham NC. Sold in 2018 to William S. Jakes. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1960 - 2711 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Patricia Birmingham Farlow, trustee. Sold to Karen Jolley. Sold in 2014 to Providence Property Management LLC.

1960 - 2715 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Deeded to Faith Birmingham. Sold in 2014 to Karen Jolley, Providence Property Management LLC. Sold in 2021 to Mark Young Min Chandler. Remodeled, bottom photo.

1961 - 1631 Marion Avenue, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1961 - 3605 Rugby Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1961 - The Ellen S. and Walter R. Guild House, 2625 McDowell Road, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold in 2009 to Donald Hopkins and Jennifer Campbell.

1962 - 2709 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Ted Farlow. Sold in 2013 to Adam W. Cherry.

1962 - The Cameron House, 2818 Chelsea Circle, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1962 - 3000 Devon Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1963 - 3515 Darwin Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1963 - 2705 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold in 2014 to Marshal Morgan.

1963 - 2710 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Deeded to Patricia Farlow and L. Faith Birmingham. Sold in 2012 to Karen Jolley. Sold to her LLC, Jolley Property Management. Restored and renovated in 2013 by Steve Jolley Builders. Sold in 2013 to Mary Selma Pittman and Jennifer Marie Thornberg. Sold in 2019 to Eli Morgan.

1963 - The Worde House, 2512 Sevier Street, Durham NC. According to the blueprints, the house design is a modified plan from Home Designers Incorporated of Detroit MI; Irving Palmquist, architect, and Richard Pullman, designer. The design was modified by Charles Balford Hackney and built by Birmingham. Project architect, Jon Condoret. Sold in 2001 to Teresa and Christopher Perrien. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1964 - The Harry and Jane McPherson House, 3915 Nottaway Road, Durham NC. Sold in 2003 to Robert Pope. Completely renovated and expanded in 2006. Sold in 2011 to Linda Harpole.

1965 - The George W. Birmingham Jr. House, 2701 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold in 2011 to Nelson R. Maldonado.

1965 - 3851 Somerset Drive, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1966 - 23 Clover Place, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1966 - 4011 Nottaway Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Evan and Steve Gardner.

1966 - 1528 Pinecrest Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1966 - 1532 Pinecrest Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1967 - 3612 Darwin Road, Durham NC. Traditional design. Photo by Steve Gardner.

1968 - 2702 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. As of 2012 owned by Patricia Birmingham Farlow. Sold in 2013 to Jolley Property Management.

1968 - 2706 Ashley Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Ted Farlow. Sold in 2017 to Susan Garden and Jamie Lynn Sneeringer.

1970 - 1306 Stadium Drive, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Deeded 2005 to Anne C. Burton. Sold in 2006 to Mark A. and Lisa K. Bowman. Sold in 2007 to Charles K. Titel. Sold in 2011 to Aaron Lubeck. Silver Wevill added to title in 2012. Transferred in 2012 to their Sandbox Society LLC. Rental.

1976 - 2602 Broad Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Faith Birmingham. Sold in 2016 to Jolley Property Management. Rental.

1976 - 2604 Broad Street, Durham NC. Designed and built by Birmingham. Sold to Ted Farlow. Sold in 2019 to Mary Elizabeth Martinez.

Sources include: Virginia Faust; Steve and Evan Gardner.