Some More On Wilmington's World War II Housing-- Part 4: A Black and White Thing

Two housing developments were started by the Wilmington Housing Authority before the war. One was the Nesbitt Courts completed in 1940, now called the South Front Apartments after being redeveloped.

These units were reserved for whites in the segregated Wilmington and named for Charles T. Nesbitt, a prominent Wilmington doctor and pioneering public health official from the early 1900s.

Also built were the New Brooklyn homes, designated for blacks. There were quite a few blacks working at the N.C. Shipbuilding Company and other war industries in the city and surrounding area.

They were renamed the Robert R. Taylor Homes in 1942. Taylor was a Wilmington native and prominent black architect. This got me to thinking about Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. Is it possible that there is a connection?

I'll check it out.

Back In a Segregated Wilmington. --GreGen