The Schnibben-Delta Sigma House
By Brian Fiore
UNCW - HST 580 - Professor Jones
Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta House
c. 1902
“Neoclassical Revival style house built for Martin Schnibben (1869-1947), grocer and saloon keeper; and wife, Matilda Wrede (1828-1979). Natives of Germany, they enlarged the house in 1911. Purchased in 1928 by Henry Taylor (1873-1941), native of Fayetteville, wood dealer; and wife Josie Bolden (1871-1934), native of Ironton, Ohio. Inherited by daughter, Effie Taylor Harlee (1896-1946), Williston Industrial School teacher, wife of John Harlee (1884-1961), salesman and embalmer. House remained in Taylor family until 1961 when sold to Wilmington Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. When they purchased the house they were the first African-American women to secure a bank loan in Wilmington. The building has served as their sorority house since 1968.”[1]
The plaque's dates for Martin Schnibben's wife, Matilda Wrede, are incorrect. Matilda Wrede was born in 1879 and died in 1928.
[1] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque,” New Hanover County Digital Collections, accessed March 5, 2024, https://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15169coll2/id/622/rec/.
The Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta House was built in 1902. The design of the house was built in the Neoclassical Revival style. Neoclassical architecture was popular in the United States from the late nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century. The style emerged as a popular form of architecture due to the renewed interest in classical architecture. The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 brought forth this classical inspiration.[1] The distinguished characteristic of the Neoclassical Revival style is the use of columns. Columns come from the classical architecture of Ancient Greece. These columns use three different architectural designs: Doric, Corinthian, and Ionic capitals. These were popular Greek architectural designs and were reused in the Neoclassical Revival. In the Neoclassical era, the most common types of buildings that used the Neoclassical Revival were banks, schools, government structures, churches, and lived-in houses.[2]
In addition to using columns, there are other identifiable features of the Neoclassical Revival style. Similar to the Greek Revival style, the Neoclassical style emphasizes symmetry. The building has a center door, with all other facets being symmetrical from the left of the building to the right. Another detail is the use of a columned porch on the front façade. There is also usually a front-facing gable to the house, either from the roof or the porch. Furthermore, a broken pediment is constructed over the house's main entryway. The main door is also decorative in its design. These are some of the most identifiable features of the Neoclassical Revival style.[3]
The address for the Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta House is 401 N. 7th Street. This is a two-story house. It has an elevated front porch with stairs located in the middle of the porch. The porch itself has a railing. At distinct points within the porch lining, there are the Neoclassical columns with doric architecture at the head and base. The front door has a screen door in front of it. Surrounding the front door are different window sizes to construct a window pattern around the door frame. To the left of the front door is a window with a bench in front of it. To the right of the door are two windows with a staircase in front of them. There is also a second-floor balcony. It has the same style of railing as the porch below. However, the columns on the second floor are smaller as the house was expanded at a later date. There is a door, but it is not centered. It is a little to the right instead. To the left and right of the door, there are two sets of windows. The roof has a gabled point to the left of the structure.[4] While the Neoclassical Revival style emphasizes symmetry, this house looks symmetrical enough. However, the details on the front face of the house show that the design of the windows is different from others, and the door placements make the house also seem asymmetrical.[5]
On the left exterior of the house, there is a bay window on the first floor and second floor protruding from the middle of the outer wall. The bay windows on the house have three windows each. Above the second-floor bay window is another gable roof with a half-circular window. To the right of the bay windows are two windows with, one above and one below each other. To the right of the bay windows are two windows above and one smaller window below. The smaller window is not proportionately the same size as all the other windows. On the right exterior of the house, there are four windows. Two are on the second floor, and two are placed below, on the first floor. There is also another gable roof positioned above the top-right window.[6]
At the back of the house, there is another gable roof. To the right of the exterior are two windows again, one above and the other below. The window on the first floor is smaller, similar to the one on the left exterior of the house. To the left of the exterior is a second-story balcony with a railing. On the first floor, there is a shutter porch to allow the outdoor air to enter the porch.[7]
[1] “PHMC Classical Revival Style 1895 - 1950,” PHMC: Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide, accessed March 5, 2024, https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/styles/classical-revival.html.
[2] “PHMC Classical Revival Style 1895 - 1950,” PHMC: Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide.
[3] “PHMC Classical Revival Style 1895 - 1950,” PHMC: Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide.
[4] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Front,” New Hanover County Digital Collections, accessed March 5, 2024, https://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15169coll2/id/621/rec/1.
[5] “401 N. 7th Street Address,” Google Maps, accessed March 5, 2024, https://www.google.com/maps/@34.2408195,-77.9412636,3a,77.1y,233.21h,112.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEK8V_Oi1QJpIBe7Q3J3nyA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu.
[6] “401 N. 7th Street Address,” Google Maps.
[7] “401 N. 7th Street Address,” Google Maps.
The original owner of the house, Martin Schnibben, purchased the plot of land at 401 N. 7th Street and had the house built in 1902. Martin Schnibben was born in Frissenbuttel, Germany, on January 5, 1869. Martin immigrated to the United States in 1885. Before he purchased the plot of land, he lived in Wilmington as a grocer. He owned a local grocery store. He also owned and operated a saloon. Martin eventually purchased a house in 1894 on the northwest corner of 7th and Walnut streets. He used this home as a rental house, leasing it for people to live in. By the 1890s, Martin tore down the house. It was not until 1899 that Martin married Mathilda D. Wrede. They married on January 12. Martin and Mathilda were German-born natives, and both lived near Bremen, Germany, when they were growing up.[1]
In 1902, Martin purchased and built a house at 401 N. 7th Street. However, Martin, Mathilda, and their family did not immediately move in. Martin rented the house to John H. Hintze. John was also a German native who immigrated to Wilmington. He was the local butcher in Wilmington. While John rented the house at 401 N. 7th Street, Martin and his family were visiting Germany. After returning to Wilmington, Martin purchased another plot of land at 403 N. 7th Street. Martin and his family lived in this house while still renting the house at 401 N. 7th Street. In 1911, Martin decided to enlarge the 401 N. 7th Street house, and they moved into the home, now big enough for his family. Martin enlarged the house following the popular Neoclassical Revival style trend.[2] The Schnibben family lived in the house from 1911 to 1920. After that, they rented both houses at 401 N. 7th Street and 403 N. 7th Street until 1928.
[1] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” New Hanover County Digital Collections, accessed March 5, 2024, https://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15169coll2/id/623/rec/1, 2.
[2] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” 4.
The house's next owners were Henry and Josie Bolden Taylor, an African American couple. They purchased both houses owned by the Schnibbens, the 401 and 403 N. 7th Street properties.[1] Henry Taylor was born in 1873 and a native of Fayetteville, NC. Josie Bolden was born in 1870 in Ironton, Ohio.[2] He married Josie Bolden on August 31, 1889.[3] Henry was a local wood dealer who bought and sold timber. In 1896, Henry and Josie Bolden had a child named Effie Taylor. They also had two other children named Juanita Peyton and Fontaine Bradley. At the time of the purchase, Effie Taylor was married to John Harlee. They married on December 22, 1920.[4]
Effie and John were living at another location in Wilmington, NC, until Effie’s mother, Josie, passed away in 1934. Effie Taylor Harlee and John Harlee decided to move into the 401 N. 7th Street house with her father, Henry Taylor. Another sister lived in the house at 403 N. 7th Street, and another lived elsewhere. Effie Taylor Harlee was a schoolteacher working at the Williston Industrial School. John Taylor held different positions, such as an embalmer and a salesman. On December 14, 1941, Henry Taylor passed away. Shortly after 1948, Effie Taylor Harlee passed away on October 26, 1948. They were all buried at the Pine Forest Cemetery. John Harlee moved out of the house and lived in his former house on MacRae Street. Effie and John did not have any children of their own. In her will, Effie gave the 401 N. 7th Street house to her surviving sisters and their children. Unfortunately, the remaining family left Wilmington, NC, and began renting the home out once again.[5] It was not until 1961 that the ownership of the house changed hands.
After the death of Effie Taylor in 1948, the surviving family members let numerous occupants rent out the house. However, it was not until 1961 that the family decided to part ways with the house at 401 N. 7th Street. Effie's sister, Juanita Peyten, decided to part ways with the house. She is an important person for the house and not on the plaque. Other important people are Effie's nieces, Berthena Ross and Fontaine Bradley. They relinquished their ownership of the house in 1958, giving Juanita sole proprietorship. Before relinquishing ownership, the house stayed in the family as a rental home, where occupants could rent the house. However, by 1961, Juanita Peyten sold the house to the Wilmington Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.[6]
[1] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” 3.
[2] “Josie Bolden Death Certificate,” Ancestry®, accessed March 5, 2024, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1829853:1121.
[3] “Josie Bolden Marriage Record,” Ancestry®, accessed March 5, 2024, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12444885:60548.
[4] “Effie Taylor Marriage Record,” Ancestry®, accessed March 5, 2024, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12364417:60548.
[5] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” 3.
[6] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” 6.
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is an African American non-profit organization founded on January 13, 1913, by 22 women attending Howard University. As of today, the sorority has over 900 chapters across the United States and the world. The sorority’s mission is to help assist and support its local communities with programs designed to help the surrounding communities and aid struggling people.[1] The Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was formed in Wilmington, NC, on May 10, 1940.[2] The sorority would be able to gather in this house, as it would be their official organizational meeting location. The sorority would support Wilmington with programs designed to help the people of Wilmington.
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, who now owned the house, also became the first sorority and African American women in Wilmington to receive a bank loan. This bank loan allowed the chapter of women to renovate and make repairs to the home. While the plaque has only so many lines of text, the African American women who signed the deed and obtained the first bank loan in Wilmington are important to the house's story. The sorority members who wrote their names on the deed are Margaret C. Green, Augusta M. Cooper, Margaret D. Grady, Dorothy B. Thorpe, Georgia L. Wheeler, Ruthy R. Davis, Germaine T. Jones, Hazell L. Mallette, Celya G. Trent. The house was not officially used as the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority House until 1968. The sorority house still owns the house to this day.[3]
[1] “Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,” LinkedIn, accessed March 5, 2024, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dstinc1913.
[2] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” 5.
[3] “Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application,” 6.
In conclusion, the Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta House was purchased by Martin Schnibben and was built in 1902. Though much of its time was spent as a rental home, the Schnibben family found time to live in the home. After Schnibben left, the Taylors purchased the home. While it was still used as a rental for the most part, the Taylors did find the time to make it their home. The house on 401 N. 7th Street was eventually sold to Wilmington's Delta Sigma Theta sorority chapter in 1961. By 1968, it was no longer a rental home and was used as the headquarters for the sorority. The Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta House has a long history, some of which have gone unnoticed. Here was a chance to expand upon the more prevalent information about the house.
Bibliography
“Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/dstinc1913.
“Effie Taylor Marriage Record.” Ancestry®. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12364417:60548.
“Josie Bolden Death Certificate.” Ancestry®. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1829853:1121.
“Josie Bolden Marriage Record.” Ancestry®. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12444885:60548.
“PHMC Classical Revival Style 1895 - 1950.” PHMC: Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/styles/classical-revival.html.
“Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Front.” New Hanover County Digital Collections. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15169coll2/id/621/rec/1.
“Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque Application.” New Hanover County Digital Collections. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15169coll2/id/623/rec/1.
“Schnibben-Delta Sigma Theta: Plaque.” New Hanover County Digital Collections. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15169coll2/id/622/rec/.
“401 N. 7th Street Address.” Google Maps. Accessed March 5, 2024. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.2408195,-77.9412636,3a,77.1y,233.21h,112.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEK8V_Oi1QJpIBe7Q3J3nyA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu.
