In the late 1940s and early 1950s, African American families could move into previously all-white neighborhoods like Lemoyne (North Fayetteville) and Massey Hill. The area where Bonnie Doone stands today was formerly a white-only neighborhood called Bonny Brook, which had been developed around the turn of the century by former Governor Charles B. Aycock, who later became a North Carolina state senator.
Bonnie Doone was built on land that was formerly used as farmland.
By the mid-1950s, several African American families had settled into Bonny Brook. However, their land was not zoned for residential properties, and Federal Housing Administration officials demolished their homes to clear the housing area for returning soldiers from World War II.
Founded in 1990, the Bonnie Doone Community Organization is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing this historic community. In 1993, Bonnie Doone was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Throughout the 1990s, Bonnie Doone became one of Fayetteville’s most crime-ridden neighborhoods. In 1996, a police officer was shot and killed by a resident.
The city council approved infrastructure improvements to clean up the area and make it safer, including street paving and utility upgrades.
In 2002, real estate broker Steve Faulconer donated funds to create the Steve Faulconer Community Center at 532 C Street. The center is a collaboration between the City of Fayetteville and the Bonnie Doone Community Organization.
In 2004, Freddie Brooks’ house on 178 E. Elmwood Avenue was featured in an episode of HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk” television series.
In 2007, the neighborhood raised money by selling hot dogs and hamburgers to help fund the construction of a new playground at Bonnie Doone Park. This park has two play structures – one for younger and older kids.
Today, Bonnie Doone is home to approximately 250 people. About half of those people live in single-family homes, and the other half live in apartment complexes. Several of the neighborhood’s residents are elderly, but many families with young children also live there.
Bonnie Doone is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Fayetteville and has seen massive growth since the 1950s through redevelopment efforts by Federal and city government officials. The community was developed by former state senator Charles B.
Aycock, and the families who settled in this neighborhood were African American.
The name “Bonnie Doone” is derived from the “Bonnie Brook” neighborhood that existed on this land before the early 1900s.
But if you want to explore another African American neighborhood in Fayetteville, check out Central Fayetteville.
225 Green St, Ste. 303, Fayetteville,
NC, United States