October 12, 2025
The beloved soul food restaurant, central to Durham’s Civil Rights legacy and Black entrepreneurship, is officially recognized as a local historic landmark.
After decades of serving as a cornerstone of community, history, and resilience, Durham’s famed Chicken Hut has been officially recognized as a local historic landmark. The City Council voted unanimously to grant the designation, honoring the restaurant’s cultural and political legacy within the city’s Black community. The announcement brought owner Tre Tapp to tears as he reflected on his parents’ dream finally becoming reality.
“I’m overwhelmed with emotion,” he said. “It’s my parents’ dream. They worked so hard in the city of Durham, and to do so much for the community — this is definitely an honor.”
Founded in 1958 by Claiborne and Peggy Tapp, the Chicken Hut—originally known as The Chicken Box—became more than just a soul food restaurant. During the Civil Rights Movement, the Tapp family provided meals to activists and served as hosts for NAACP meetings and community organizing efforts. “The Chicken Hut is not just a restaurant to me, it’s a living institution,” said Melvin ‘Skip’ Alston, co-founder of the International Civil Rights Museum. “It’s been a gathering place for generations of Durham families… and a proud example of Black entrepreneurship and excellence.”
The path to historic recognition was years in the making. The Chicken Hut first applied for landmark status five years ago but faced delays due to volunteer turnover at Preservation Durham, the nonprofit that led the research and nomination process. That effort reignited when Preservation Durham’s Julianne Patterson and Julia Lasure unearthed archival materials documenting the Tapp family’s decades-long community service and activism.
Mayor Leonardo Williams, who owns his own Durham restaurant, reflected on the Tapp family’s influence. “When my wife and I said, ‘We’re going to open a restaurant,’ the first thing we did was look at how Black-owned restaurants are doing it in Durham,” Williams said. “I remember her saying, ‘We got to do it like The Chicken Hut.’”
Today, The Chicken Hut remains a hub for community and comfort food, serving hundreds of customers daily from its location on Fayetteville Street. As Tapp carries on his parents’ legacy, the landmark status ensures their story—and the restaurant’s deep roots in Durham’s Civil Rights history—will continue to inspire future generations.
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