Dr. Brown was born of mixed African and European ancestry in Salisbury, NC in 1859. He attended the Freedman’s Aid Society School, and then went on to attend Shaw University, graduating in 1886 as valedictorian. At the direction of the president of Shaw University, he moved to Winton to become Pastor of Pleasant Plains Baptist church. Upon his arrival, Brown established Chowan Academy, a private African American school, which later became the Water’s Academy and subsequently the C.S. Brown School in 1943. The school joined the Hertford County school system in 1923 as the only African American High School in the county. While many private African American schools closed, Brown’s fundraising abilities and his wife’s inheritance allowed the school to remain open. In addition to being principal, Brown and his wife Amaza both served as teachers.

Located on South Main Street in the downtown Winton National Register Historic District and just 500 yards from the C.S. Brown School (formerly known as Chowan Academy), this handsome two-story Queen Anne-style house was built in 1886 for Dr. Calvin Scott and Amaza Drummond Brown. The prominent property is a touchstone to Winton’s important African American history.

The house is set well back from the street and gracefully centered among mature trees and landscaping. Romantic Era details include a wide wrap-around porch with Tuscan columns, large double hung windows, and decorative sawn bargeboards in the front facing gable. The paneled front door is surrounded by four-light-over-one-panel sidelights.

The cottage-style floor plan includes a parlor, eat in kitchen, three bedrooms and two baths. According to recollections from the Brown’s grandson, C.S Joyner, the first-floor bedroom was used as a visitor’s bedroom, hosting many African American leaders from the late 19th and early 20th centuries who came to visit the school. Renovations were made to the house in the 1960s by the Brown’s daughter, Eunice Robbins, which are still intact today, including the existing first floor bathroom which connects to the downstairs bedroom to create a first-floor master suite.

Historically the grounds contained a detached kitchen, vegetable garden, cow shed, garage, two outbuildings, and tennis court. However, sections of the property, including the tennis court, were donated to the adjacent school over the years and other parts were parceled off for additional houses. The foundation of the former detached kitchen in the back yard provides a charming setting for an outdoor patio or cutting garden.

In addition to carpentry and cosmetic updates, the property likely requires updating of all systems–HVAC, plumbing and electrical, and updates to the kitchen and baths. The asphalt shingle roof needs to be replaced, and the house will need to be fully painted. The screened in area of the front porch will need to be removed.

Winton’s Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. The Dr. Calvin Scott and Amaza Drummond Brown House, known locally as the C.S. Brown House, is one of the oldest contributing structures in the district and is eligible for historic preservation tax credits.

The town of Winton is located just 45 minutes from Suffolk VA and an hour from Norfolk, and is steeped in history. The area is often referred to as the Winton Triangle because it was historically home to free, land owning people of color and a tri-racial community of Blacks, whites, and Native American residents who had a cooperative and interdependent society. Today, the town of Winton provides an ideal location for a more relaxed place to live while still being close to all the amenities of a large city. Visit www.hertfordcountync.gov for more information.