Greensboro Daily Photo

Pet Dairy Building on Summit Avenue

Here we see the old Pet Dairy Building on Summit Avenue near the overpass down to Morrow Blvd. In an interview with John Schlosser, John Kincaid, Sr. remembers the 1930's when there was not only a plant, but also a retail dairy bar here. Kincaid and his (male) friends walked there for 10-cent milk shakes. Another option to go for a dairy treat here would be to come to the plant by taking electric street cars from nearby textile mill villages (reference). The plant was still thriving in the 1960's and we found this archived legal document regarding their efforts to furnish dairy products to a NC veterans' hospital in 1963. More recently, Kavanagh Homes purchased the building and 8-acre site in 2006, with plans to develop it for residential units (more here). We're not sure about the current plan for the building and site; however, it would be nice if the façade of the historic building remained. The architecture and signage on the building are worthy preservation. Additionally, Pet Dairy is a link to our city's textile-mill-village life.

Post a comment if you know anything else or have memories of this building east of downtown in a little area that reminds us that Greensboro's terrain is not completely flat. (By the way, we hope we're linking and referencing in a way that shows integrity. We love the ease of accessing information through the internet).

UNCG's Mighty Steam Plant Building

From the back yard of Beef Burger on West Lee Street, one can get a great view of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro's  Mighty Steam Plant (constructed in 1924). From the steam plant, heat lines/pipes travel all across campus. Through manholes and steam tunnels, the steam shop maintains all steam and condensate lines once they leave the steam plant. The steam shop also maintain all steam equipment for hot water and building heat (reference). Steam travels to about 62 buildings on campus where it is used for heating, humidification, and to heat water (reference).  There is a whole world underground providing energy for UNCG. 

We wish more were written about this intriguing building. For example, we would love to know the height of the stack and how it has withstood high winds for 88 years. We'd love to know if the tiles on the main building are from Greensboro's own Pomona tile factory. What is the carbon footprint of the facility? What UNCG building uses the most steam? A retired faculty member remembers taking her laundry there to be cleaned in the 1960's and recalls that linens for the dorms and dining services were laundered there. Is that still done?

Do you have any stories about the building? It seems to us that it would be a great setting for a novel. And, oh, how different it would be to tell someone to meet you in the stacks of the library vs. meeting you in the stack of the steam plant building!

 

Jackson Library

This is a photo of the back part of Walter Clinton Jackson Library on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The original, brick portion of the library (barely visible in this photo) was constructed in 1950. The original portion of Jackson Library was built to replace the Carnegie Library that had burned. This white, 9-story tower was built in the 1970's. Given its height and architectural style, the bright white tower is a landmark on campus. Clearly, it resembles a giant, glistening open book.

According to Wikipedia, Jackson Library is a selective depository for US government documents and a full depository for State documents (reference here). In addition to over 2.5 million books, Jackson Library also has an impressive collection of electronic databases and electronic journal subscriptions. Perhaps the biggest strength of the library is the reference librarians who have a great reputation for helping students and faculty find and access information. The library is named for a former chancellor. Walter Clinton Jackson came to the school as a professor in 1909, rose through the ranks in administration and served as chancellor for 16 years. 

Today, we're sharing this post with Skywatch Friday. Additionally, with a nod to Martin Handford and his book Where's Waldo? (after all, this IS a post about a LIBRARY), we're going to ask you to play a round of Where's Jane? with us. Do you see our friend?

Greensboro Police Department

The Greensboro Police Department is getting a new home. They are moving from the Melvin Municipal Building, where they share space with many other administrative offices,  into the 100,000 square-foot building at 320 Federal Place. Formerly, the Internal Revenue Service worked out of the building. If you've ever driven around in that part of town, it is hard to believe that a street is back there.

Soon, the police will have everyone under one roof, THIS ROOF, meaning no more driving to Swing Road to deposit evidence-- saving time and money. In the meantime, the IRS has moved into a building on Koger Boulevard, off of Wendover. Hats off to the police department for retro-fitting an existing building, costing the citizens around $300,000. Also, the building comes with a parking lot and is located near the new, downtown jail. Seems like a win-win in efficiency. 

 

House on Alamance Church Road

Gargoyles, crosses, stained glass window, piles of rocks, columns of lions, bright red door, and a widow's walk are among the items featured prominently at this abode. This blue house, located beside the highway not too far from I-85 and Alamance Elementary, at 1822 Alamance Church Road, is quite an enigma. If online databases are correct, it was built in 1895, has four bedrooms, one bath, and is 6,299 square feet. That's one bedroom per appoximately 1,500 feet and only one bathroom for the whole house-- possibly a world record! In 1995, the house sold for $39,000. Surely, they have been working on it since then. If you look between lion-topped column 1 and 2, you can see a structure peeking out. Is this a private residence? Are they gearing up for an HGTV episode of "If there walls could talk?" 

We posted this house with this odd perspective and the fading lions on the right because today is theme day for the City Daily Photo community and September's theme is "perspective." Whether you define perspective as 'point of view' or 'the visual/spatial effect of something appearing to get smaller on a two-dimentional surface,' today's photo is definitely an odd perspective! Visually, it is a lot to parse! Do help us find out its story. Do head over to the City Daily Photo site to see more interesting photos from around the world.          Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

UNCG SOE

The new School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) looks as if it has always been in this spot. It flows well with the street and other buildings along Spring Garden/Lee Kinard Boulevard. The healthy greenery surrounding the building looks well established; to this end, a mature tree on-site was saved. Upon closer inspection the building is new and special for UNCG. The building is a 110,000 square ft. "state-of-the-art" structure with spacious classrooms, lecture halls, conference rooms, and collaboratory rooms. The building is the first on campus to be designated a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building at the silver level. The LEED rating is an effort to provide national standards for determining the extent to which buildings are designated "green" (read more about LEED ratings here). Systems for water use, climate control, and light sources, efforts were developed in a way that minimizes environmental impact. 

Here we see a GDP photograph from two years ago when they were just beginning construction on the new School of Education. The Bryan School of Business, peeking out to the right of today's photo is now dwarfed by the SOE building. We recently learned that the USA ranks 12th with the share of adults holding postsecondary degrees-- ages 25-34-- (reference), perhaps the SOE at UNCG can do something about that. In the meantime, the stalwart great-grandparent, the Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry Building-- in the business of education since 1902, is getting a facelift and will be keeping a watchful eye on its successor from down the street.

Finally, if you are so inspired, there are naming opportunities available at the new SOE building starting at $15,000- $20,000. The Luther and Sally Self Auditorium has already been named, as have several classrooms and collaboratory spaces.

The Big Lebowski at the Carolina Theatre

The Carolina Theatre, located at 310 South Greene Street, is a grand and dynamic place.  Throughout the summer, they show old movies. Nothing beats watching Alfred Hitchcock on the big screen. For Greensboro's The Big Lebowski fans, the classic movie and classic Carolina Theatre come together on Thursday, August 25th for an evening you won't want to miss. Costumes, bowling, white Russians, and audience participation are in order for the upcoming event. In the movie, Jeff Bridges is an unemployed "slacker" who loves to bowl. He gets involved in solving a kidnapping case. The movie has become a cult classic because it is so quotable and audiences love the characters (reference).

When they aren't showing movies, The Carolina Theatre might be having live shows, music events, hosting a production of the Wizard of Oz, or a Fourth of July 1776 music medley. Today, from 2:30- 7:00 p.m., the theatre is hosting The Deuterman Law Group's 3rd annual American Red Cross blood drive. Stop by today, donate blood, and purchase your tickets to next week's Lebowski event.*

While you are at it, you can marvel at the architecture of this 1927 beauty. The poster frames in the above photo are original. When The Carolina Theatre was first built, the poster holders hung outside, one on each side of the door. To preserve them, the poster holders have been moved inside to the foyer and painted green and gold. If you want to learn more about the history and architecture of this Greensboro treasure, here is a great article. Hope to see you there soon!

*Beware, The Big Lebowski is rated "R" and not just for "rowdy." The language and themes are strong in this 1998 comedy written by the famous Coen brothers. 

Weir-Jordan House

The Weir-Jordan House, located at 223 North Edgeworth Street, was built in 1846. According to their website, the house is believed to be one of the ten original homes built in downtown Greensboro. The house is built in the two-story, traditional, double-pile style. The home was first owned by Dr. David Weir, President of the Edgeworth Female Academy, and then by John F. Jordan who was in the tobacco business. Mr. Weir went on to found the first insurance company in Greensboro and Mr. Jordan was a local sheriff and eventually served as Director of the Chamber of Commerce.

Presently, the Greensboro Woman's Club meets at the Weir-Jordan House. They have owned it since 1921. Additionally, it is available for catering events and civic organizations can arrange to hold meetings there. While the home has undergone renovations and a few modifications, it still retains its yesteryear charm. It is believed to have been designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, the architect who planned the State Capitol in Raleigh as well as the Blandwood Mansion in Greensboro. Since 1984, the house has been on the national register of historic places. It is one of those places that is easy to drive by and not notice; however, this house is worth noticing. 

Lincoln Financial Group

Since Mr. Joseph Bryan was featured yesterday on GDP, we thought a photo of Lincoln Financial Group would be a nice follow up post. Lincoln Financial is housed in the complex that was built as the Jefferson Standard Building in 1923 by Mr. Bryan's father-in-law, Julian Price. The design of the building was modeled after early-20th-century NYC skyscrapers. Its U shape enhanced light and airflow back in the days before air conditioning. The architectural style is known as Beaux-Arts with Romanesque flourishes (reference). The building's façade contains white granite from the Mt. Airy, North Carolina quarry. In the above photo, we see people enjoying the Fourth of July parade on the southwest corner of the building.

As the USA enters this difficult time of deciding how best to manage national debt and spending, may the situation be resolved in a way that is in the best interest of our country. From individual citizens to businesses and financial groups to municipalities on up, we all could benefit from a refresher course in the meaning of fiscal responsibility. Now THAT would make Mr. Bryan proud!

Step Right Up!

Step right up and take advantage of all Greensboro has to offer! The Bellemeade Parking Deck, managed by the City of Greensboro, is located on the corners of Bellemeade, Elm and N. Greene Streets. The location is convenient to Center City Park, the ballpark, and just about anything in the northern end of downtown. Parking is free there if you are summoned to jury duty! Donald O. Tice was the architect of the the open-air, concrete and granite structure. The 8-floor deck was built on part of the property that was part of the original O.Henry Hotel. There are 1,276 spaces in the deck (reference). 

We call this photo "step right up" in honor of the endless stairs in the center of the photo and the carnival-like atmosphere of the Fun Fourth event. One day a year, we have our own little Coney Island with the parking deck as a backdrop. We are in funnel cake and hot dog heaven. Brides are frequently seen having bridal photo shoots here. Also, the structure's geometry and muted cement-color put all focus on the beaming brides.

Z is for Zion-- Mt. Zion Baptist Church

En route to Zorbrook Drive last Monday, we spotted Mt. Zion Baptist Church (MZBC) on Alamance Church Road; so, "Z" is for "Mt. Zion" too. Zion in Hebrew means landmark or fortress. This church campus is both. When you round the bend and see the above church, you have found a landmark. Made with the salt of our local earth-- clay-- the brick church takes on a fortress-like quality. Historically, the original Mt. Zion refers to an area around Jerusalem. Our Mt. Zion refers to an area southeast of Greensboro.

According to MZBC's website, its Greensboro ministry is over 100 years old. It has grown from a little, white, wooden church to the brick mega-church above with over 5,400 members. It has acquired over 43 acres (read the church history, archived online, here). If you cannot get out to church, you can watch MZBC streamed live through HolyConnection.TV on the internet (here). If you are able to get out, this dynamic and active worship center has many events for its friends and congregants. For example, this Friday, they'll have drive-in movie night. They are really gearing up for their No Greater Love Festival that will be held on August 19th and 20th and it is free and open to the public.

T is for Tate Street

Today is ABC Wednesday and "T" is for Tate Street. Tate Street is located on the eastern edge of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and just west of Greensboro College. It has never gained the notoriety of Chapel Hill's Franklin Street as UNCG and Greensboro College, combined, don't approach the student population at Chapel Hill (approx. 17,000; 1,200; and 29,000 respectively). However, owners of businesses like Tate Street Coffee and Sisters Jewelry have worked tirelessly to bring special music events, art exhibits, and street festivals-- good, clean family fun-- to Tate Street. Weatherspoon Gallery and Aycock Auditorium also attract people from all walks of life to the area.

Tate Street is located in College Hill, a revitalized neighborhood that became an historic district in 1980. According to the city's website, the city and the College Hill residents have collaborated to refurbish and revitalize its streets (reference here). If you are interested in learning more about the College Hill Plan, read here.

We selected 309 Tate for our "T" entry today because, Greensboro Daily Photo is a member of the city daily photo community and we like to participate in the first-of-the-month theme day. For June, the theme is "under construction." 309 Tate, like College Hill, is under (re)construction. As can be seen by the ladder, the new porch ceiling boards and the paint-in-process, 309 Tate is undergoing a facelift. Speaking of "under construction" one has only to drive by South Mendenhall and Spring Garden and you will see a giant student housing compound under construction in College Hill. We only hope there will always be room for single family dwellings in this neighborhood.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants of CDP's  "Under Construction" theme day!

R is for Randleman Road

It is time for ABC Wednesday already and "R" is for Randleman Road!

Randleman Road begins in South-Central Greensboro, branching off from Freeman Mill Road. It merges with Elm-Eugene, and continues south through Level Cross, eventually becoming  Main Street in the community of Randleman. You may recognize Randleman, NC as the location of the Richard Petty Museum and the home of Victory Junction Camp. NASCAR's roots run deep in North Carolina and Randleman is no exception!

From stem to stern, Randleman Road is approximately 18 miles long and is listed as having almost 300 homes. The home above, still near Greensboro just down from Libby Hill Seafood, represents the Randleman Road of yesteryear. From the photo, you see the classic, immaculate "set a spell" front porch, the carport, the truck with its hood up, well-groomed shrubs, a swing, and a few out-buildings. As rural as this scene looks, were you to have a panoramic view, you would see restaurants, franchises, strip malls, signs with professional lettering and others with hand painted lettering. You would see messages written in English as well as Spanish. Much of Randleman Road is being sold for not only businesses but also for sub-divisions. New single-family homes abound in this part of the county. However, also found, are homes like the one above, where families guard the traditions of the generations before them and remember their own childhood as if it were yesterday. 

If you like today's photo, you might enjoy Greensboro's A-Q street views in the series. Stay tuned! We're driving around looking for an "S" street!

M is for Morehead Avenue

ABC Wednesday has rolled around once again and "M" is for Morehead Avenue. Morehead splits near Fulton and Spring Garden Streets downtown. This well-maintained, pink, Victorian house is located in College Hill at the south side of Morehead near Fulton Street, just across from what formerly was Newman Machine Company.

The street is named for John Motley Morehead, the 29th Governor of North Carolina.  Some consider him the "father" of modern North Carolina. After his term in office, he returned to his home in Greensboro, the Blandwood Mansion, located very near Morehead Avenue. You may also recognize the name Morehead from the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program. According to The University of North Carolina's website, it is the oldest, most prestigious merit scholarship program in the United States. It was established in 1945, "inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University (and it) provides an undergraduate experience without peer." It is a four-year, four-summer, fully-funded scholarship. 

The letter "M" is popular for street names in Greensboro. Two hundred and ninety seven streets start with the letter "M" and they are spread throughout the city. Mcknight Mill Road has 239 homes; East Montcastle Drive has 274; and, if you consider East and West Market Street together, with 304, it wins for most houses. See some of our Market Street posts (near airport and West Market Street UMC). If you are new to GDP, see the A-L properties here.  Thank you for your visit to GDP today. If you are local, try to visit Morehead Avenue. If you have a child in high school, start investigating the Morehead-Cain!

L is for Lakeview Street

Today is ABC Wednesday and "L" is for Lakeview Street, a small street with only seven houses in the Westerwood neighborhood of Greensboro. Developed in the 1920's, Westerwood was one of Greensboro's first planned neighborhoods. The tree-lined streets have many charming details: sidewalks, granite curbs, and well-thought-out landscaping. Alleyways  were built to accommodate home deliveries of coal, milk, and ice. The bungalows and homes in Westerwood have unique character and architectural details like the roof in the photo above. The close proximity to Greensboro College and the downtown business district add to Westerwood's charm.

Yesterday, we were driving around Westerwood to assess the damage from the windstorm the night before. On nearby Lake Drive, a large tree was uprooted. As we continued up the hill, approaching Lakewood Street, the sun came out and the budding azaleas were glowing in the late afternoon light. It was as if this home were an untouched oasis surrounded by a sea of broken tree limbs. We just had to share its beauty with you and we hope your home was spared.

Greensboro has 224 streets starting with the letter "L."  Lawndale Drive tips the scales with 234 single family homes. However, we did not select Lawndale for this Wednesday's  "L" since we've featured it many times before (as examples: a unique home here, a business here, an artist here, the science center here, a church here, a holiday display here,). If you want to see GDP's A-K for ABC Wednesday, visit here!

K is for Kemp Road

Today is ABC Wednesday and "K" is for Kemp Road. Located in Hamilton Lakes and flanking Lake Euphemia, Kemp Road is really two roads: Kemp Road East and Kemp Road West, with 55 and 71 homes respectively. The property above, located at 302 Kemp Road West, backs up to Lake Euphemia. Today's featured property was built in the 1920's for Joseph Reece Morton, founder of Morton Chemical Company. Through several acquisitions, including one by Pfizer in 1957, Morton Chemical Company today is Greensboro's  Morflex, Inc.

The Morton house, one of the early homes in Hamilton Lakes, blends Tudor Revival and French Eclectic styles (Fripp, Greensboro Neighborhoods, Volume II, 1998, p. 109). In recent years, and under new ownership, the house has been made significantly larger. When first built, Mrs. Morton developed elaborate, formal gardens on site. Even with the expansion of the house, the landscaping remains lovely. Below, see another view and more details of the roofline. Use the bay-window-birdhouse feature on the façade as a point of orientation between photos. Finally, Greensboro has 108 streets that start with the letter "K."  Learn about Greensboro's A-J Streets here. See another house in Hamilton Lakes here.

Spring Place, Formerly Pomona Cotton Mill

Spring Place is located at the corner of Spring Garden Street and Meritt Drive.  Spring Place bills itself as "premier off-campus student housing" for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They cater to students through their many amenities, lease terms, Internet access and the ability to process leases remotely. For those who don't want to use the bike lane along Spring Garden Street, Spring Place has shuttle service to UNCG and NC A&T. We have photos of completed sections of the 32-acre site; however, today's photo emphasizes the fact that Greensboro still has a fair amount of new construction. The sea of exposed wood smelled of freshly cut lumber-- in spite of the rain. 

This construction represents a new era for this part of town. In order to build Spring Place, The Pomona Cotton Mill, a Greensboro landmark built in 1897, had to be demolished. The Pomona Cotton Mill was a visible reminder of Greensboro's industrial history. The life of the property as a mill spanned 110 years, ending in 1950. Once the mill closed and until 1996, the brick buildings of the former structure had been repurposed as an outlet mall. Now, Pomona Cotton Mill is a mere memory, not likely to be remembered by the new generation of tenants.

The obtuse angle/peak at the top of the photo, mimicking the rooftops, is the newspaper used to protect the camera from the rain. It points to the gray, early-spring sky and is being shared with our friends at Skywatch Friday. Happy sky, dear readers. Happy Skywatch Friday.

 

Architectural Salvage of Greensboro

Architectural Salvage, located at 300 Bellemeade Street in downtown Greensboro, is a place to purchase architectural details for your home or business. It is a non-profit project of Preservation Greensboro, Inc.  Architectural details of properties that are being demolished or renovated are brought here. Volunteer S.W.A.T. teams, more formally known as Saving Worn Architectural Treasures teams, organize the warehouse, prepare items for resale, and work in the showroom. Perhaps because of our Quaker heritage, Greensboro has promoted "reduce, reuse, recycle" long before it became a buzz-phrase. While the A.S. showroom is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, it is well worth a visit if you want to add a little history and provenance to your home.

Grandover Resort

More "G's" for the week, Grandover Parkway intersects with Guilford College Road near yesterday's farmhouse. The imposing, literally-grand, 1,500 acre Grandover Resort is visible from I-85 in the southwest end of Greensboro. Grandover Resort was built to feel castle-like and to evoke a European sense of history. It endeavors to be grand in every way: 45,000 square feet of meeting space, 36 holes of golf, full spa services, and more. Opening in the late 1990's, Grandover was a 30-year dream realized for Greensboro's most prolific developer Joseph Koury. Koury is also known for building the Four Seasons Mall and Convention Center, over 8,000 homes, 14 residential neighborhoods, and seven shopping venues (Koury Corp.).

While we have not had the opportunity to stay there, we would be negligent to omit Grandover from Greensboro Daily Photo. Grandover is North Carolina's effort to be a destination vacation in much the same manner as West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort. This post is long overdue!

444 North Elm

The commercial office building at 444 North Elm Street sits on about two acres of land that used to be residential. In the early years of Greensboro, pre-dating this building, 444 North Elm seemed far from downtown. Now, the 40,000 square ft. concrete, glass and stone office space is considered part of the central business district. The building is very curious as it is almost square, the windows are square, and there are drive through bays around back. Perhaps it was formerly a bank. With no prominent signage, one has to drive around the block a couple of times to figure out that the building houses VF (Vanity Fair) Services, Inc. VF is the parent company to Wrangler next door.

The only readily searchable article about the building was the page advertising the building for sale. Surely, this building has an elusive history which, surely, is worth telling. If we uncover something, we'll let you know.

 

"E" is for Elm Street

Today's letter on ABC Wednesday is "E" and, as we are featuring A-Z streets this round, we felt compelled to feature Elm Street. Elm Street is the heart and pulse of Greensboro. It separates east from west and runs almost the entire length of the city. In the southern extreme, Elm merges with Eugene St.; to the north, at Lake Jeanette, it becomes Bass Chapel Road. Along the way, Elm Street passes through downtown, Fisher Park, Irving Park, State Street, Cornwalis, Cone Boulevard, Buffalo Lake, New Irving Park, and Pisgah Church Road.  Of all 138 streets starting with the letter "E," Elm has the most homes listed: 374.

The house in the above photo is located at 1007 North Elm Street, at the northern end of Fisher Park, just south of the Wendover Avenue overpass. The house was completed in 1919 for the John M. Galloway family. It was designed by Greensboro architect Harry Barton and constructed under the supervision of Andrew Schlosser, Greensboro's premier stonemason (G.H.Fripp, p. 58). Noteworthy are 1) Schlosser's fine stonework; 2) the chocolate mortar and 3) the ballroom on the top floor of the home.

1007 North Elm provides a glimpes of how the street looked before it became commercialized. Today, these older homes are mostly offices of professionals, organizations, or locally-owned, small businesses. The sculpture in the foreground was done by Frank Holder whose dance training echoes in the sculpture's movement.

College Park Baptist Church

Here we see a photo of College Park Baptist Church, located at the corner of Aycock Street and Walker Avenue, just across from the baseball stadium at UNCG. While the church is located on a busy road on the western edge of the UNCG campus, the traffic is not noticeable once you are inside-- especially after rush hour. College Park Baptist bills itself as, "a progressive bunch of liberal zanies." Established in 1906, the church will celebrate its 105th birthday in a few weeks. The sanctuary, in use today, was built in 1952. Since the church is so close to the university, it diligently hosts some kind of social event for the students at UNCG who are Baptist. This is a socially involved church with approximately 300 members. If you are looking for a liberal church in the vicinity of campus this may be the right spiritual home for you. Hats off to College Park Baptist for growing and adapting to meet the needs and interests of the local college community. They make every effort to be an all inclusive faith community.

On Sundays, we post some type of religious or spiritual post. To learn more about CPBC, check out their website here.

Inside Westover Church

Recently, we featured the exterior of Westover Church (here). Today, we take you inside to get a scope of the modern architecture and symmetry as well as the large scale of this facility. This is a non-denominational church, located at Muirs Chapel Road. The church has ministry, fellowship, and and choir opportunities for people at all stages of life from children to seniors, from married to single. If you are interested, a new membership class starts January 30th.

The facility is so large that they offer tickets to many music venues through Ticketmaster. Upcoming concerts include two Greensboro symphony events. The photo was taken through the main window looking into the foyer. This is our religious, Sacred Sunday, photo for the week. 

A is for Arlington Street

Arlington Street is the western border for the Southside neighborhood of Greensboro. According to public records, Arlington Street has 37 properties on it, two of which is are historic homes: the William Fields House at 447 Arlington and nearby Kesler House at 437. Arlington Street begins at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive downtown and ends at Butner Street, just before the Elm/Eugene confluence.

This house, located at 631, while less glamorous than the historic homes, is typical of the houses in the section south of Lee Street. Although humble in size, the house is JUMBO in enthusiasm. This may well be the purplest house in Greensboro. Pampas grass grown on the border of the yard also defines the property.

For our ABC Wednesday group (Round 8), we're featuring a street-a-week in Greensboro that begins with the given letter of the week. So many streets that begin with the letter "A" are on our list to photograph. Some, we have done already (see, for example, Arcadia here).  Arlington was chosen, partially for convenience as we were at the MLK parade in the neighborhood on Monday. However, this street has been a part of the fabric of Greensboro since the 1800's. Can you guess how many streets in Greensboro begin with the letter "A"?  We will tell you that five streets that begin with "A" are listed as having only one property. They include: Addison Point Drive, Airport Road, Albert Pick Road, Allerton Circle and Aspen Drive. The "A" street with the most residences is the lengthy Alamance Church Road, with 296 listings. Now, for your office trivia, taa daaa, in Greensboro, we have 182 streets that begin with the letter A. That's a half a year of a photo a day of streets that begin with the letter "A"!

L. Richardson Memorial Hospital

L

Today, as we reflect on the great life of Rev. Martin Luther King,Jr.  we bring you the following:

L. Richardson Memorial Hospital, at 603 South Benbow Road at the corner of Washington Street, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1992. In May 1969, the history of the facility appeared in an article in the Journal of the National Medical Association (available here). According to the article, it was  a "Negro hospital to serve the needs of the city" (p. 205). Before it opened, Greensboro only had six hospital beds for African American patients. The history of the hospital and the benefactors is fascinating. If you are interested in the history of health care or African-Americans in Greensboro, please read the article.

The Mission Revival Style facility, shown above, was formally dedicated as a hospital May 27, 1927 with "a baby show, track meet, and May Pole dance at World War Memorial Athletic Stadium" (p. 207). During its time as a hospital, Richardson Memorial trained nurses and had several important clinics, including one for nutrition of newborns, one for artificial sun therapy to treat rickets, and one to treat tuberculosis. In June, 1966, this facility ceased being a hospital when patients were transferred to a new, nearby facility. Babies were transported in station wagons. The elderly were transported by ambulances supplied by local funeral homes. The transition, like the hospital was a grand community effort. The facility is named after its first major benefactor, Lunsford Richardson of Vicks Salve Fame. Back in the day, it was the only fire-proof hospital in Greensboro and was an impressively supplied and staffed facility.

Today, L. Richardson Hospital Apartments, the 32-apartment facility is intended for residents 55 or older. Rent prices start at $419 a month. Kudos for retaining the façade and the name, lest its history fade forever. (See more pictures with a dash of yellow on Mellow Yellow Monday).

M. Lieb and Son Gourmet Foods

The back view of a brick building, located at the corner of Washington St. and Pastor Anderson Way in East Greensboro, reads "Deli M.LIEB & SON Gourmet Foods." The business must have come and gone as an internet search produced no results. One reference to a local "Lieb" is Paul Lieb.  Paul Lieb partners with Jeff Gorelick in the Foster-Caviness Produce Business and formerly, he owned Greensboro's Best Wholesale Foods with his father. We're betting M. Lieb was the grandfather. The building looks like it supported a business around three generations ago and appears to have been built in the early 20th century. It is amazing what one uncovers walking around Greensboro on a snowy day. The van and trucks have owners who were at a nearby business, Thermal Controls Corp, which we will feature soon.

In Need of Spire & Year Three of Greensboro Daily Photo

The First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro is a downtown landmark. Over the last two years, we have shown grander views of this beautiful structure, including this inside view. The above photo, taken several months ago, shows the missing spire on the left. The missing section disturbs the symmetry of this beautiful house of worship. Perhaps the congregation has plans to replace this section of the roof. Perhaps, an interesting story is behind the absence of this section. Even better would be if it has already been replaced. However, the deeper message is that everything can't be perfect, we can't have everything the way we want it, exactly when we want it. Also, communities, from congregations to whole cities, can work together to make things better for everyone. 

Today, Greensboro Daily Photo begins Year 3 of bringing you a photo a day of Greensboro. We usually shy away from controversy and issues that tend to polarize communities. However, perhaps we can begin to do a little advocacy for things that will enhance Greensboro. Perhaps next time we drive by First Pres., the spire will have been replaced. Spires point to heaven. In the Gothic style, multiple spires evoke strongholds....military fortresses. Perhaps, with a little nudging, we can inSPIRE the Presbyterians to replace this spire. If you are involved in this effort, please provide details in the comment line below.

AMF All-Star Lanes

This week on Greensboro Daily Photo, we're trying to feature ways to spend time around town. If you want something to do over Thanksgiving with your family, consider good old-fashioned bowling. Bowling is a family-friendly activity and a great way to get a little exercise. AMF lanes is conveniently located at the corner of Holden Road and Spring Garden Street. The muffled sound of pins scattering upon impace with the bowling ball is a memory from early childhood. Strikes, spares, split, gutter balls..... make these expression part of your familysj' vocabulary.

In the background, you will notice Adam's Hair Studio. When it was built, it was a florist shop called "The Flower Pot." It is Greensboro's one example of novelty architecture and was the second ever post on Greensboro Daily Photo (featured here) almost two years ago! This is our contribution to Ruby Tuesday were everything has a little red.

Old Greensborough

The Old Greensborough Gateway Center is located at 620 South Elm Street, at the corner of Lee Street, in the heart of "Olde Greensborough." At one time, the building was owned by Greensboro's blue jean giant,  Blue Bell, Inc. Currently, it is a renovated, mixed-use space with offices, storage, shop areas, studios, light manufacturing available for rent (here). 

The façade was renovated, 2000-2004, by Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll. Professor Leimenstoll is Director of Graduate Studies for the Interior Architecture Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 1982, the Olde Greensborough district was placed on the National Register. We would like to learn moare about the history and lore of this building. Today, our "O" is for old, as in Old Greensborough.

"O" is for the Odell Memorial Building

"O" is for the Odell Memorial Building on the campus of Greensboro College in Downtown Greensboro. The building was constructed in 1922 with the "munificent" gift of local merchant J.A. Odell.  $100,000 is a generous donation by 2010 standards; imagine its impact in the early 20th century. The façade of the brick and concrete building remains as it was when it was built; the interior underwent renovations in the 1990's.  Odell Memorial is the nucleus of Greensboro College's fine performing arts program (reference here). For years, it was the meeting place for The Book Club of North Carolina's Town Meeting on Books.

If you are interested in the history of Greensboro College, you may know about the Odell Famliy. They were actively involved in the running of the college and female family members were schooled there. J.A. Odell was a local merchant who, in 1884 was elected president of the Durham Cotton Mill. Additionally, Mr. Odell mentored and raised a young man by the name of William H. Branson. Mr. Branson went on to be a prominent businessman. You can learn more about Mr. Odell and Mr. Branson by reading Mr. Branson's genealogy (here) and in another article (here). They both lived by the work ethic of their day: "Men rule best who have served most faithfully in every sphere to be ruled." 

If you want to support the performing arts at Greensboro College and see the Odell in all its glory, we suggest attending this weekend's performance of the musical, "Little Shop of Horrors." (336-217-7220 for tickets).  If a romantic musical about a man eating plant is not your cup of tea, we're sure the theater program would accept your donation to be used for theater scholarships.

A big thank you to ABC Wednesday for inspiring to find an "O" with historical significance in Greensboro. A heartfelt thanks to the faithful readers of Greensboro Daily Photo!

Metropolitan United Methodist Church

The Metropolitan United Methodist Church is located in East Greensboro on at 1701 East Market Street. It is very close to the campus at NCA&T University, just west of Lorillard, Inc.  We wish they had their own website so we could share more information with you about the congregation, its history, beliefs and leadership.  We do know that in May, they held a community event called, "Fry Dem Fish." Perhaps this is an annual event and we can stop by next time to learn more about the church. Being situated almost on the campus of NCA&T University, we're betting they have a large population of students attending services. 

In the absence of easy information, we have to focus on that which meets the eye. From the exterior, we were struck by the modern architectural roofline, the triangle, the trinity! The church doesn't have a marquee-- with changing messages-- outside. They do have a brick sign with a bell in it. This is our feature for Sacred Sunday. How will you spend your day?  If you are out for a Sunday drive, we encourage you to drive past MUMC. Come on, find it for fun! Have suggestion for something "spiritual" to photograph in Greensboro, let us know. In the meantime, does your place of worship have a website? Does it have an archives? A history posted? You know how much we love history!  If you are interested in church architecture over the centuries, *here* is a good link. 

Newman Machine Company-- RIP #2

This is the last shot of Newman Machine Company that we'll post; however, we had a few e-mails from people asking to see the actual building (not just the abandoned insides or the demolition). We thought we'd show the building once as it is about to be gone FOREVER. This industrial brick style, so common in Greensboro 100+ years ago, is slowly disappearing. This building is a long L-shape with additions from over the years-- the brick on the left being the newest. The property has the feel of an old warehouse that John Steinbeck would feature in a novel. Notice the font in the middle, above the open door-- so classy.

One good thing is that DH Griffin will find a way to recycle as much as possible from this building. However, NOTHING replaces a company that has been around since the 1830's. As we think back to products that remain even from 100 years ago, we can think of Ivory Soap, Shredded Wheat, Karo Syrup, Vicks Salve, Welch's Grape Jelly. What products do you know of that have been around since the early 1900's? Older is not necessarily better; however,  the the older we get, the more we appreciate OLDER!!! 

Have a good Thursday folks and, if you have a minute, post something about a place or product that is still around from 100 years ago. If it is in Greensboro, we'll try to get to it to feature.  Finally, we challenge our local artists to make something from this industrial rubble!

 

The Isley House

Sorry we're a little late in posting but our Internet service was out during last night's thunderstorm. Technical difficulties, for sure! Most thunderstorms are usually an hour or less. In our end of the county, we saw lightning and it rained for at least four hours! Now, back to the post...... If you are local, before reading, see if you can guess where this log cabin is located.

This log house is located downtown on the property of the historical museum next to the Central Library and across from the Greensboro Children's Museum on busy Church Street. From this view, all is tranquil. The Isleys, German immigrants, moved to Greensboro from Pennsylvania in 1788. They settled in the eastern part of Guilford County on Bethel Church Road. In 1972, the log house was moved from its original location when the historical museum took it apart and reassembled it here. If you are a real history buff, Christian Isley's estate records, dating back to 1845, the time of his death, can be found here. To us, the photo is the calm after the storm. 

 

Highland Park: Spanish Revival

 

This stucco house is located at the corner of United and Yale Streets in the Highland Park neighborhood of Greensboro. It was built around 1925 in the Spanish Mission Style and is featured in a 1976 booklet entitled: An Inventory of HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE Greensboro, Inc.. Not many stucco structures were built in Greensboro in the 1920's so this house is significant.  The palm trees are a great match!

At the center of Highland Park, just down the street from this house, is a small park with playground equipment. Another interesting fact about Highland Park is that many of the streets in the neighborhood are named after ivy league universities: Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. We'd love to know the story behind the "ivy" names as well as the original owner of this house. Highland Park is bordered by West Market Street and Wendover Avenue, just west of Holden Road. 

This is our contribution to Skywatch Friday where people from all over the world will drop by to see the sky above Greensboro today and will share the slice of blue in their town.

 

Inside J. Douglas Gaylon Depot

If you are in Greensboro and have never gone inside the J. Douglas Gaylon Depot, we suggest putting it on your "to visit" list. It was built in 1927 as the replacement facility for Greensboro's train terminal on Elm Street. The mural behind the clock depicts the Southern Railway network in the 1920's, in the era when the facility was built. Today it is known as a "multi-modal transportation facility" because not only trains but also busses-- local, regional, and national-- provide transportation here. With good reason, it is billed as one of Greensboro's treasured places. The extensive 32 million dollar restoration project took over four years to complete. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every child in Greensboro would have the opportunity to take a train ride to and from this depot?

In case you can't visit in person: To the left, just beyond the viewfinder, are what must be the original benches for passengers to wait. Down the hallway from the clock and mural are the platforms train platforms. To the right are the ticket counters. Just beyond the view on the right is the new Carolina Blues Coffee Shop. While on site for our photo shoot, we just had to go and treat ourselves to a bagel and coffee. The atmosphere is so inviting. The staff is friendly, the coffee is good, and the shop fills a much needed void in the depot. Previously, the only beverages available were the vending machines. Now, travelers and visitors alike can head on in for a cup of coffee and chat with locals. Also on site is an information center. 

We're sharing this with our Weekend Reflection friends. The marble floor is clean and shiny, we could see our reflection in it.

 

Hamilton Lakes: The Former Scales' House

Here we see the Scales' House in Hamilton Lakes. The 11,000 square foot mansion looks deceptively small from the front view (seen above). Nestled between Lakewood Drive and Lake Hamilton, this Georgian beauty was built in the 1920's. Lawyer and developer A.M. Scales relocated from Irving Park to Hamilton Lakes to develop a community of upscale homes like his own. Between the Great Depression and World War II, new construction was nice but not quite as grandiose as Mr. Scales had envisioned. Mr. Scales was the first mayor of Hamilton Lakes, which was annexed by Greensboro in 1957. 

The Scales family had quite an interesting history. Son Junius Scales grew up in this home with servants and other luxuries. He attended the University of North Carolina where he was actively involved in the communist party and became the "only American Communist Party member to serve prison time after violating a 1940 law making it illegal to belong to any organization that advanced the violent overthrow of the U. S. government" (The Seattle Times). At The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Wilson Library has 7.5 linear feet of shelf space (approximately 1,000 items) of archived material related to Hamilton Lake's Junius Irving Scales. The Scales' House comes not only with a hefty price tag, but also with a hefty amount of history!

 

Old Central Fire Station

The Old Central Fire Station opened in 1926 at 318 North Greene Street. When it was at peak use-- pre mid 1950's-- it housed not only the fire trucks but also an elaborate alarm system, a garage, and a training tower. It closed in 1980, being replaced by the Church Street Station. Fortunately, several of these early fire stations have been preserved in Greensboro. This one, dwarfed by the Marriott and only a block away from the JP building, is on the National Register of Historic Places. At one time, this building was home to four fire companies. Now, it is a grand relic of our past. Greensboro's fire fighters are committed to meeting the community's needs and can usually get to a fire in less than seven minutes. 

We 're sharing with the Ruby Tuesday crowd.

 

Canterbury's Phillips Chapel

Here we see a photo of the Gothic-style Phillips Chapel on the campus of Canterbury School at 5400 Old Lake Jeanette Road. The chapel has stunning stained glass windows and seats 600. The Chapel hosts events for the community, hosts religious events as well as services for the K-8 students at the adjacent Canterbury School. Chapel is held three times a week and is rooted in the Episcopalian belief system. The chapel is named for Kermit G. Phillips who was instrumental in the design and building of this chapel. This Sacred Sunday picture was taken on a quiet day on campus. Normally, the campus has many students, parents, and teachers walking between the buildings.

Louis La Vache of San Fransisco Daily Photo has started a new meme, Sunday Bridges. Unless he moos me off the meme island, I'm posting this a a bridge from one building to the next. You can be sure if you comment on Louis' blog, he'll moo back within the half hour!!!
 

Center City Park

This photo shows the best of Greensboro: Families enjoying an afternoon in the park with perfect weather and great entertainment. This scene, with the giant pottery vessels and the Cultural Arts Center in the background, is found at Center City Park. The 1.9 acre park, located in the center of the city, opened in 2006 and took four years to construct.

As stated on their website, "Center City Park is to serve as a central gathering place for Greensboro's residents and visitors in a setting that is both relaxed and lively." Relaxed and lively describes Center City Park perfectly! Whether events are planned or impromptu, weekends are fun and safe here! To us, this unaltered photo looks like a painting.

 

First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro

We promised our dear friend Jane that we would show the rose window in the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro for one of our Sacred Sunday photos. Who can resist such a request?? First Presbyterian is likely the most European-looking of all Greensboro's churches. It has been said that the church was inspired by the Cathedral of Albi in Albi, France. 

First Presbyterian, a real  Fisher Park beauty, was designed by Hobart Upjohn and built in 1928 to replace the original building which now houses the Greensboro Historical Museum. It is incredible that the breathtaking fortress gothic structure was built in Greensboro between the world wars and at the time of the Great Depression. The rose window featured in the photo, is typical of Gothic architecture. Learn a little more about these stained-glass windows here. These glass works of art, represent a sacred concept of completeness and balance.