Dye Branch, a section of Neuse River's tributary Ellerbe Creek, flows through Walltown.

[5] Walltown is named after George Wall, a formerly enslaved man who worked as a custodian at Trinity College (later renamed Duke University).

[6] Wall, born a slave to the grandfather of a Trinity College physics professor, worked as a farm laborer before obtaining his freedom.

Wall and his family settled near the college after its relocation to Durham from Trinity and purchased a lot nearby, building a house in 1906.

[7] The area expanded and became known as Walltown, serving as a residential neighborhood for service staff at Duke University and workers at the local tobacco mills.

[16][17] Walltown developed into an epicenter of crime and poverty and began experiencing high vacancy rates in the 1970s.

[9][21] In 1994 the Center for Community Self-Help commenced a large scale housing renovation program in the neighborhood.

[9] In 1996 the Walltown Neighborhood Ministries formed, made up of local ministers, to provide community outreach.

[18] In the 21st century Walltown has faced periods of gentrification, due to its close proximity to Downtown Durham and Duke University.

[9] Self-Help Corporation's efforts in the 1990s led to the brokering of affordable rental housing for Duke employees and students and the creation of Trinity Heights Homesites.

[26][27] Durham Parks and Recreation offered grants to fund the tuition at the theatre for ten students from low-income households.