A Legacy Lives On

Story By Ann Cipperly Photos By Robert Noles And Contributed To LIVE Lee

After 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.

The Dardens were determined to provide an education for their children. When John was 13, his parents sent him to high school in Salisbury, North Carolina, where he worked his way through Livingstone College (now Shaw University) and received a medical internship in Long Island, New York.

Since his hometown already had Black medical services, the young doctor began searching for a place where his services were needed. A college friend, who was a physician in Tuskegee, recommended the small town of Opelika.

John moved to Opelika in 1903 and became the first Black physician in a 30-mile radius and began working 18hour days. For a short time, he lived in a house on S. 3rd Street, which was also used as an office.

John met Maude Jean Logan when his church choir was invited to sing at her church in Montgomery. John, who had a beautiful baritone voice, was the soloist, and Maude, who taught school, was the pianist.

John and Maude married in 1905. Maude often rode with John in a horse and buggy along dusty, dirt roads throughout Opelika and throughout Lee County as he made house calls. She would wait in the buggy while he provided medical care to his patients.

The young doctor had purchased 9.68 acres of land on Auburn Street in 1904. He hired two Black contractors who attended their church to build their two-story home in 1906.

John purchased a building on Jefferson Street (later named Avenue A) in 1912 where he opened a clinic and drugstore. His brother, J.B., who had recently received a degree in pharmacy, became his partner at the drugstore.

The drugstore not only dispensed prescriptions but sold homemade ice cream. On Sunday afternoons, many strolled down to John’s drugstore for his homemade ice cream. Vanilla and chocolate were staples, with new flavors frequently offered, including a spicy ice cream fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg, along with fig and strawberry.

After John’s mother died, his youngest brother, Walter “Bud” came to Opelika to live with John and Maude. Bud grew up in Opelika and worked at the soda fountain.

After moving his practice, John converted the house on Third Street as an infirmary for Black people and performed surgeries there.

John also served as a conscription doctor and treated inmates at Lee County Jail. While his main practice was in Opelika, he also provided medical assistance to rural areas and Auburn.

At their home on Auburn Street, Maude was busy cultivating a flower garden, also giving piano lessons. She taught Sunday school at the Thompson Chapel AME Zion Church. Maude became the director of Christian Education, while John was on the Board of Trustees for many years.

Maude enjoyed entertaining and having guests in their home on Auburn Street. Guests would stop by for a cup of tea and cookies. She was civic-minded and taught young girls lessons on etiquette and manners.

The Dardens were active in both religious and social life. Prominent visitors to their home included Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and A.G. Gaston.

As John became older, he began treating patients in his home. In 1944, he moved a large part of his practice to the house. Changes were made to accommodate seeing patients, and a section of the porch was enclosed to serve as a waiting room, while a room inside was converted into an examining area. John practiced for two years at his house until his death on Jan. 10, 1949.

A new Black high school opened in Opelika in 1951 and was named in his honor. In 1971, J. W. Darden High School merged with Opelika High School.

Although the Darden’s did not have children, Maude said later in life that teaching Sunday school for 60 years had given her hundreds of children. She continued living in the house until her death in 1976.

Although the house was rented for a couple of years, it soon became vacant and was sold by the Darden heirs in 1980, which later resulted in foreclosure. The house stood vacant for many years.

As the house deteriorated, it was scheduled for demolition. In 1999, the J.W. Darden High School Alumni Association was organized and in 2001 formed the J. W. Darden Foundation. The Foundation purchased the property with donations from former Darden High School students.

After being restored, the house was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

The Darden home continues to be the site of healthcare today. The J.W. Darden Wellness Center, located in the former Darden homestead, offers health screening and education every Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon. A collaborative effort of the J.W. Darden Foundation, Inc., the EAMC Faith Community Nurse Program and the Auburn University School of Nursing, the Center offers expert health information free of charge.

Nourish Wellness is a multidisciplinary, communitybased pediatric wellness center that provides holistic care to patients who wish to prevent or treat lifestyle illnesses such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes or hypertension. This service is also a collaboration between The Nourish Foundation, Auburn University, VCOM, the Darden Foundation and East Alabama Health.

The collaborative care team includes a pediatrician and VCOM students, community nurses and faculty and students from Auburn University in the areas of pharmacy, dietetics, kinesiology and social work. The team aims to serve underserved children and families by providing them with an individualized nutrition, exercise and mindfulness plan. Patients will be seen on a monthly basis in order to closely monitor progress in the program. Through this program, the team hopes to improve access to care and improve the health of the community.

The J.W. Foundation holds an annual Black Tie Legacy

J.W. Darden

Gala with proceeds providing scholarships and funding for the upkeep of Darden’s historic home at 1323 Auburn St.

Many things have changed since John and Maude traveled the streets in a horse and buggy. Darden’s hospital and drugstore have been torn down and replaced with a parking lot. However, the Darden’s legacy and influence have continued at the home of the doctor and his beloved wife who dedicated their lives to improving the lives of others.

Sources: “Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine” by Norma Jean and Carole Darden, whose father, Bud Darden, moved from Opelika and became a physician in Newark, N.J.; The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama, the J.W. Darden Foundation and others.