A Legacy Lives On Story By Ann Cipperly Photos By Robert Noles And Contributed To LIVE Lee
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fter a successful career in the early 1900s, Dr. John Wesley Darden decided rather than making house calls throughout Opelika that he would begin treating patients in his home. Changes were made to his house on Auburn Street in 1944 to accommodate patients. The legacy of Opelika’s first Black physician continues as his home is currently open as the J.W. Darden Wellness Center, offering expert health care, free of charge. Born in 1876 in Wilson, North Carolina, John was the
eldest of 13 children. At 13 years old, John decided to become a medical doctor when he was unable to find a physician for his unconscious sister. Although she survived, John never forgot that day, which made him more determined to become a physician. John’s father was the first Black undertaker in the state of North Carolina and owned a general store that sold fresh produce and his homemade wine. The community held him in such high esteem that the first Black high school was named in his honor, Charles H. Darden High.
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LIVING TO SERVE
