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Home of Andrew J. Chesnutt

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Andrew Jackson Chesnutt, the father of author Charles Chesnutt, was living here at the time of his death in 1920.

Images

  • This shows the 1914 Sanborn Map of Fayetteville on top of a 2018 Google Map. 541 Russell Street sits just in front of the current location of Overhead Door of Fayetteville.
  • Will of Andrew Jackson Chesnutt: Page 1, listing the way in which his property is to be divided after his death.
  • View from East Russell Street.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

541 Russell Street, Jackson's home in 1920, was roughly here according to a 1914 Sanborn Map. It is unknown how long Andrew had been living at this location.

At Andrew's death, the property passed to his wife, Mary. When Mary died in 1926, the property and home went to their daughter, Fayetteville educator Ann Chesnutt Waddell. 

Ann willed the property to Evans Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church on her death in 1965 and Evans sold the property to Tommy West, who still owns the land, in 1987.

Sources

Ruppe, A. Maxwell. "Deed." Book 3297, Cumberland County [NC] Register of Deeds, pp. 230, 1987.