Greensboro Daily Photo

Where is Spring?

The S.H. Kress & Company building was constructed in downtown Greensboro in 1930 and was a department store for 40 years.  The chain's founder Samuel Kress took pride in his buildings and tried to make them architectural gifts to the communities in which they were built. Our Kress building is no exception. The art deco architecture sparkles today. While the department store is long gone, the building houses a night club on one side and an event center on the other. Information about the architecture can be found here and information about the event center, known as Kress Terrace, here.

Today's post does not feature the building but the brilliant art display in the front window. After the wintry days we've had lately, we just fell in love with the BURST of color and with the message, Where is Spring? Here is a display in the same window that we shared last year. Thank you Kress Terrace for these arranging these wonderful works of community art. Finally, we're sharing this photo with the great group of photographers at Weekend Reflection.

 

Round House on Walker Ave.

Living in the round gives new meaning to the expression, "I feel like I'm running around in circles." Seriously though, people have been living in round abodes for thousands of years. Those who sell round homes will tell you they are quite durable, wind resistant, and functional and, in many ways, better than traditional, square homes. This one, without many windows, resembles the cloth and felt yurts of the Mongolian steppes.  If there is ever an open-house at this residence at 2416 Walker Avenue, we'll be first in line. We'd love to see how they slice the pie! 

We've featured the round building on Holden here and Greensboro's Lustron homes, here and here. If you have an interesting home in your neighborhood, please let us know. We love to explore the different ways that Greensboro residents live.

 

East Market Street

Here we see some relatively new construction at the corner at Murrow Boulevard and East Market Street. The photo was taken between Bennett College and North Carolina A&T University. We're always surprised that there is so little traffic here-- vehicle or pedestrian. It is a very convenient route connecting Elm and Lee Streets. Additionally, a full-service post office is located nearby on Murrow Blvd. 

This photo was taken on a warm fall day and, oh, how we are missing the warmer weather. We bought tulips at the Fresh Market yesterday and the cashier commented, "Seeing these flowers makes me hope that spring is on its way!"  With a low of 16 degrees last night, it is hard to believe that this cold weather in Greensboro will be over any time soon.

 

Charming Alley

You know a downtown area is healthy when there are charming alleys. Here is the alley located between Chakras Spa, Mary Contrary Boutique, and Simple Kneads Bakery. On a warm day, doors are opened, benches are placed outside. You can sit and enjoy a fresh pastry and tea, delight in your new hair cut, or ponder a purchase. Even on a dreary day, you can cut through to get to Elm Street faster! This view, and compact grouping of stores,  is about as close as Greensboro gets to European charm. Adding to the visual interest of this nook is the metal flower gate. We believe it was sculpted by Erik Beerbower, Greensboro's most famous metalworker. If you have a minute, his video is worth viewing, here!

This is our Monochrome Weekly shot which brings lookers to our city from as far away as meme-sponsor Alieni's New Zealand! Whether, local or from afar, Welcome! Sit back and look around a little bit, follow our links, and do post a comment. We maintain this site to promote our fair city and to build community.

 

Blue Beauty on Spring Garden

Walking by this blue beauty on Spring Garden Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro, we could still smell the fresh paint. The house was photographed the day after her facelift was complete. Near the banana tree house, and only a block east of UNCG, this abode with the oh-so-southern wraparound porch is charming, convenient, and spotless. What a setting! Imagine gentleman sitting on the upper balcony, pre-1968,  watching the young women stroll by-- back in the day when UNCG was for women only!

House Formerly Known as Zenke

In August, we brought you the Zenke House in its former location across from Blandwood Mansion in downtown Greensboro. Here we see the same house just a bit north on Cedar Street. Although the new owners don't yet have the structure restored to its original splendor, we can see that it has been given a foundation-- a permanent home-- and appears to have been here for a century. We haven't followed the saga of the other displaced Zenke structures but hope they have an equally happy ending. 

We're sharing this for Monochrome Weekly and will return in color when renovations and landscaping are complete!

Church of the Covenant

The cornerstone on the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant reads 1914; however, the need for a Presbyterian church to meet the needs of the neighborhood between State Normal and Industrial College and Greensboro Female College (now UNCG and Greensboro College respectively) was established in 1894. The original wooden structure, completed in 1906, was replaced by this brick one in 1914. Greensboro architect Harry Barton designed this building with two equally grand façades with Ionic porticos to take advantage of the corner lot. The façade on the left faces Greensboro College and the one on the right faces the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

This liberal-minded church community bills itself as an inclusive, open-minded, home for your soul. In additional to more traditional services, they have extensive, inspirational music events. Over the years, with expansions, the building encompasses the major portion of the city block and has helped keep the Mendenhall/Walker Avenue area of College Avenue a spiritual haven for many. 

This is our contribution to what we have dubbed Sacred Sunday. Also, every first of the month, the 1,000+ City Daily Photo sites are invited to participate in theme day. This month's theme is: Doorways. Here we offer TWO!   Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Little Log Cabin Near Wendover

If you live in Greensboro, you know that Wendover Avenue is one of the busiest retail corridors in the city. Big box stores and traffic jams abound. Well, about a half a mile off of Wendover, at the corner of Norwalk and Railway Avenues, sits this little log cabin, straight out of a century or two ago. On its small corner lot, the little log cabin looks so tranquil, until you realize that it is surrounded by warehouses, businesses, and traffic jams. We'd love to know the story of this little abode.

We hope you have a chance to get out and explore our town/your town this weekend. If you are local, please let us know where you've been. We're always looking for new places to photograph. Can you believe we're getting close to 300 posts?

House on East Lee Street

We wish we knew more about this house on East Lee Street. At one time, it must have been grand. The arched headers above the windows are quite an interesting architectural detail. The house looks as if it has been around since the 1800's and, at one time, was part of an estate.  As you approach the house, it becomes obvious that it is in need of some tender loving care, even some relocating as it is on the side of busy Lee Street. Finally, were the photo in color, you would see the red bed sheets serving as curtains and that they match the reddish-brown roof. This house is a poster house for "If these walls could talk."  If you know the history of this property, do share. In the meantime, we'll try to find out.

This is our black and white shot to kick off a new week and is our contribution to Alieni's Monochrome Weekly!

Windsor Community Center

In Greensboro, we love our community centers. Here we see the Windsor Community Center, located at 1601 East Lee Street at the corner of S. Benbow Road. The center is intergenerational with programs for people of all ages. The center maintains an outdoor public swimming pool in the summer. We were intrigued by the rounded, lens-shaped door. The architect sends a clear message-- enter here! What kind of community resources do you enjoy? Have you seen another building with an entrance like this? If you live in Greensboro, have you ever seen this building?

UNCG's Bryan School of Business

Correction, thanks to reader! This is the Bryan School of Business and Economics, not the administration building. We STILL do not have a picture of the Administration Building. The day we photographed Yum Yum Ice Cream Company, all we had to do was make a 180* turn to snap a picture of the Bryan Building.

When we arrived, we hadn't anticipated the construction. On the Spring Garden side of the building, the university will construct a new School of Education, likely a project in the pipeline well before Chancellor Sullivan retired to battle, quietly, the cancer that would bring her life to an end. 

We love this photo in black and white because the geometric shapes are so prevalent. This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekly.

Christ United Methodist Church

Christ United Methodist Church, located at 410 N. Holden Road, with the tall cross-topped structure and sprawling campus, has been one of our most challenging Sacred Sunday photo shoots yet! The church, organized in 1956 met initially in neighboring Sternberger School and had 246 charter members; amazingly, 40 of whom are still members today. Christ United was sponsored by West Market United Methodist Church when it was determined that Greensboro needed a Methodist Church west of the city. Groundbreaking for the first building took place in 1958. Over the last 50 years, the church has expanded significantly not only the physical facility but also the mission and outreach programs. Fitting with today's trend, they offer a range of services from traditional to contemporary.

Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro

Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro are locally owned by Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels. Both the hotel and bistro have attained a top-level, LEED Platinum rating for being environmentally friendly. As one example, Proximity Hotel has an unbelievable 100 solar panels on the roof. Talk about harnessing the sun's energy, WOW! The two businesses were named for local mills:  Proximity Manufacturing Cotton Mill (1896) and Proximity Print Works Mill (1912). Details about the green aspect, photos of interior spaces, and local mill history are available on the hotel's links, provided above. 

On a lighthearted note, if the square is your shape, this hotel is for you. Notice the 7x7 matrix of those large windows with 3x3 square grids. Like to be in the middle of things? Stay in the room that is 4,4 on the x and y axis! RARE to find a building so square!

If you are ever in Greensboro, and want to learn more about history and environmental friendliness,or just want a close place to stay, consider booking a night at Proximity. If you are a photographer, head over for a visit as it is fun to photograph. The above photo was taken on the Wendover side of the property-- not an easy view to capture we might add! 

The Preyer Federal Building

The L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building/Courthouse,  located at the corner of W. Market and Eugene Streets, is a gem of an Art Deco building from the 1930's. Preservation Greensboro has written extensively about the building, including its construction which took 12 boxcars of Mt. Airy granite and 55 train car loads of Indiana Granite. So many architectural details can be seen by walking around the building, carvings, lamp posts, art deco details. Carved into the façade are the words, "United States Post Office and Court House." Unfortunately, cameras are not permitted inside and, since it is a federal building, they are strict. Formerly, there was a post office, federal courts, and offices inside; now, the post office is gone but the courts remain. 

On the day we were out taking this photo, one of the workers, outside waiting for a ride, talked about the beauty of the interior. "Why they still have the original marble dividers between the bathroom stalls. And, oh, you should see this one courtroom that has a detailed, gold painted ceiling. The building is just beautiful." We were touched by her pride in the building. We love the massive, solid look of this public building, constructed in the years of the Great Depression.

Stucco House on Walker Avenue

The Spanish stucco house featured today is located on Walker Avenue, across from Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Likely, the house is owned or rented by someone affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). This type of architecture is not common to Greensboro; however, it fits with this eclectic neighborhood. In recent years, the façade has been spruced up and this house is a charming casa near campus, just down the street from the little log cabin we featured in January. We're wondering if the chair on the right is a Uhwarrie Chair Company product made in nearby High Point!

This photo is our contribution to the Monochrome Weekly.

Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Sacred Sunday

For our Sacred Sunday shot this week, we offer Ebenezer Lutheran Church. On the right, you see the older part of the church, dating back to 1929. To the right, you see the 1998 addition incorporating more areas for fellowship (kitchen, fellowship hall, gymnasium, narthex, and storage area). While the plaque on the side with the blue doors reads 1929, actually the church was incorporated in Greensboro in 1907 as Ebenezer Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. The church has a very interesting history which is documented extensively on their website. The church is located at 310 South Tremont Drive, at the corner of Walker Avenue, very near UNCG. The Ebenezer Lutheran has a history of racial integration and tolerance. The church has a long tradition of outreach to the community. As a matter of fact, in Hebrew, Ebenezer means, "stone of the help."

According to their website, Ebenezer centers its beliefs on the Sacred Scriptures and key words providing insight into the theology include: "justification, forgiveness, the sovereignty of God, love, grace, cross, covenant community, Body of Christ, true presence, hope, love, faith salvation, new life, fellowship, and the Holy Trinity." 

The photo above captures a tiny part of the church on the Walker Avenue side. The actual address is Tremont Avenue where there is a very long extension and entrance leading to the main sanctuary. 

Blue Sky over Blandwood Mansion

We started the week with a silhouetted interior photo of Blandwood Mansion and are closing the work week with a view of the façade of this historic Italianate villa. Architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed the prototype for Governor Morehead in 1844 and it was completed two years later, a year after he left office. You may recall our June 4th post of the house on Isabel Street in Greensboro with a similar façade.

If you have not visited Blandwood, please put it on your "to do" list. If you are not local, please follow the above link and visit it virtually. For those of you who are history buffs, do you know how many governors came before Gov. Morehehead and his political affiliation?  (He was the twenty-ninth governor and was a Whig). For those of you who are visiting through the Sky Watch Friday group, we hope you like the way the blue sky and white clouds frame Greensboro's oldest example of Italianate architecture!

St. Pius X Church: Under Reconstruction on North Elm St.

Saint Pius X Catholic Church, located at 2210 North Elm St., is being rebuilt from the ground up and, as seen above, is a work in progress. The parrish electively chose to demolish the 1954 sanctuary to build something that will accommodate their 21st century needs. In the meantime, services are held in the gymnasium of their adjacent parochial school. Through the process, the bells, seen above, have remained firmly in place, but the mammoth "crux cuadra" has been relocated to the school side of the property. 

St. Pius X Greensboro is blogging about the construction process. If you are interested, you can see how builders weathered the seemingly monsoon rains of spring and read the adventures of their rescuing five beautiful, feral kittens. While the ecclesiastic purple insulation is a stunning color, somehow, we don't think it is the chosen color for the outer façade!

Weaver Academy Art at S.H. Kress & Co. on Elm St.

(Celebrating 6 months of Greensboro Daily Photo with this post)!!!!!!!!

The beauty of downtown Greensboro is that it is ever changing. Here we see the storefront window from the now-defunct S.H. Kress Store serving as a venue for art by students from one of our alternative public high schools, Weaver Academy for Performing/Visual Arts and Advanced Technology. Art students from Weaver designed the display from items secured from the Teachers' Supply Warehouse. To learn more about the project as well as how you can donate to the warehouse, visit this website. Watch a short video about the creative process with 30 rolls of clear packing tape. What a wonderful way to bring attention to a very worthwhile cause-- getting supplies to teachers. Also, what a way to give back to the community through art. Kudos to the advertising and public relations agency, Bouvier Kelly Inc. for making all of this possible. Just so much giving!

Finally, a friend of ours said this post reminded him of the band DEVO and their song, "Are We Not Men?"

St. Mary's House Episcopal Church

This Sunday, we offer a view of St. Mary's House. They bill themselves as "a diverse and inclusive Episcopal Church community welcoming people of all ages, races, marital status, sexual orientation, and previous church experience." St. Mary's is located at 930 Walker Avenue on the corner of Tate Street. Located just a block from UNCG and Greensboro College, St. Mary's is a perfect place for college students who find themselves away from home and wanting to be part of a religious community, particularly one that won't be overly judgmental and dogmatic. The dynamic, little blue house also serves as a community center. In the early 1900's, St. Mary's was established as a church on campus for women attending State Normal and Industrial College (now UNCG) and Greensboro College. 

Joseph S. Koury Convention Center

The 250,000 square foot, 1,000 guest-room, Joseph S. Koury Convention Center is located beside the Four Seasons Mall in Greensboro. The venue is a now Sheraton property and is the largest hotel/convention center between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The convention center is named after developer Joseph S. Koury. The link to Koury Corporation describes Mr. Koury's career in the following manner saying that he was, "the most prolific developer in Greensboro's history...... [and he} built more than 8,000 homes in 14 residential neighborhoods, seven shopping malls and strip centers, eight major office buildings, hotels and the famous Joseph S. Koury Convention Center."  The crown jewel of his accomplishments is the  Grandover Resort with its two championship golf courses, spa, and amenities plus.

Mr. Koury's vision was far reaching and his attitude was "build it and they will come."  He was a hands-on builder who loved the sound and smell of freshly tilled earth. Wikipedia has a listing for the Four Seasons Town Center, developed by Koury, but not a listing for the man himself. His family still lives and works in the area; hopefully, they will provide the public with more information about this local legacy. So many Greensboro residents have wonderful memories of conferences and gatherings at the Convention Center.

Friendly Avenue Baptist Church

Friendly Avenue Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church in the conservative tradition. As stated on their website, their mission is "to bring all people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ."The church is over 100 years old and boasts over 1,000 members. This "full service" church, has thirteen choirs, catering to the various ages and interests of its members. This week, the church was getting a fresh paint job. 

Gatekeeper's Cottage at Green Hill Cemetery

This painfully symmetrical abode was constructed in the 1880's to serve as the Gatekeeper's Cottage for the Green Hill Cemetery. The gatekeeper's residence was on one side of the house and his office was on the other; hence, the two doors. The cottage is located at the confluence of West Fisher Avenue, Wharton Street, and Battleground Avenue at the south side of the cemetery. The structure is known for its Gothic style with romantic undertones. "It remains the last known Victorian-era cemetery gatekeeper's cottage in North Carolina, and one of the best examples of residential Gothic Revival architecture in the state." That quote comes from Preservation Greensboro's website where you can read even more about this structure, including names of past and present owners. 

As you scroll down to the bottom of the link Preservation Greensboro's article on this house (10/5/08), you will see a 1973 article from the now-defunct Greensboro Daily News. Accompanying the article is a side view of the cottage that shows the extreme pitch of the roof. It appears to be a 45 degree angle. We can't imagine how one would shingle this roof!

Castle of Styles

Castle of Styles is a hair salon facility at 3820 High Point Road beside the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Jim Schlosser wrote an article about this beautiful rock castle as a special to the News and Record (9/29/08). Schlosser so aptly described it as, "the house tucked among the commercial clutter along High Point Road."  As a matter of fact, it is located just down the street from the fiberglass putt-putt animals we featured yesterday. 

This 1930's structure is owned by the D.H. Griffin Family-- of demolition fame. DH Griffin Companies served as lead demolition consultant at the 9-11 cleanup at the World Trade Center in New York. Ironic and touching, that the clan with the big demolition equipment down the street just can't bring themselves to tear down this structure that sits on prime strip mall territory! Read Schlosser's story to find out why Mrs. (Marylene) Griffin is so sentimental about this once-private residence.

Bicentennial 2008: Tipping out Hat to the Next 200 Years

Here we are at the corner of Friendly Avenue and Elm Street. This photo could serve as an introduction to our city. From it, we learn the Greensboro is at least 200 years old (201 to be exact). The banner is thanks to nearby VF Corporation,  a company that "blends the art and science of apparel." To the left is Center Point which bills itself as "sophisticated living entwined in an urban lifestyle."  It shows that Greensboro has some tall buildings-- a shock to fellow daily blogger cieldequemper the first time we published an urban shot!

From a photographer's perspective, we like the cool colors (blue, purple, gray, white, black) and the Cubists' repeating rectangles motif. We like the fact that Friendly "one way" Avenue is visible. This road leads us through the city, past Friendly Center, past Guilford College, to the airport, and beyond. Perhaps our city's motto should read, "One way, Friendly!" We took three pictures of this view. One with the light green, yellow, and red on the traffic light. It wasn't until the pictures were all in front of us that we realized red and yellow were way too warm for this cool-colored photo. So, there you have it, a little bit of scientific, artistic and geometric thinking behind the photograph for all to ponder. 

Finally, the photo was taken on a cold, rainy Sunday morning when nobody was walking around downtown.

Burton's Pharmacy, Established 1927

Last Saturday, sitting in the parking lot of the Wrangler/VF Corp Building, we noticed Burton's Pharmacy seemingly engulfed by a city that has grown up around it. Burton's Pharmacy, located at 120 East Lindsay Street,  is our kind of business: locally owned, full service, and independent. Established in 1927, it appears to be in its original location. Likely, downtown workers appreciate having access to prescriptions, vitamins  and sound advice, all served up by people who remember when............... 

Sky over Governor's Court in Downtown Greensboro

Governor's Court at 113 North Church Street is a fine example of luxury condo living in downtown Greensboro. This tastefully done new construction fits with the architecture of the city. A 1,500 sq. ft., three bedroom/two bath unit sells for around $320,000.

We finally figured out why this picture looks like an artist's rendition and not a photo. There are no shadows on the ground. The trees look painted against the brick and portal motif. Additionally, not one person nor car is seen.  It is as if the building is primed for  Christo and Jeanne-Claude to surround it with brightly-colored woven fabric!

For the Skywatch Friday crowd, we like the way the sky is white on the left and blue on the right. Here's to a happy and restful weekend for all of us!

Gray Lustron on Dellwood: Interior View

The photo of the blue, metal Lustron home from last Thursday (April 30th) generated a great deal of interest from our readers. We even had some first time visitors-- specifically Lustron aficianados. Today, we take you inside the master bedroom of the gray Lustron on Dellwood. The build-in metal drawers and cabinetry bring to mind the efficient organization of a cruise ship, just perfect for a GI returning from WWII in need of a house to share with his young bride. 

Last week, Peter and Rick were kind enough to post comments on our blog regarding the blue Lustron on Lawndale. Both maintain websites related to Lustrons. If you want to learn more about these maintenance-free steel and porcelain homes, we suggest that you click on their names to get to their respective websites!

This is one time that the Monochrome meme actually worked better for our picture. In color, the hint of green in the upper left hand corner lets you know this picture was taken through a window!

On another note, if you are local, don't forget to eat out tomorrow. On May 5th, 127 restaurants will participate in "Serving Greensboro Together" a fundraiser for Urban Ministries. If you eat in one of the participating restaurants, 10% of the sale will go to Greensboro Urban Ministry. 

              

Blue Lustron Home on Lawndale Avenue

This blue house on Lawndale is a Lustron home. According to the Lustron Connection, a Lustron is a home with steel and poreclain exterior panels, steel framing, steel interior walls and ceiling. Carl Strandlund founded the Lustron Corporation in a former aircraft plant in Columbus Ohio after World War II. Approximately 2,500 of the homes were produced at a cost of approximately $7,000. They were designed to be maintenance free as well as rodent, fire, rust, and lightening proof!  They were originally sold in blue, blue-green, gray, tan, and yellow, the common colors, and green and pink, the rare colors.

According to the data base of the Lustron Registry, this house at 2302 Lawndale Drive is one of less than 200 blue Lustrons remaining. It is one of two remaining in Greensboro. A gray one is on Delwood Drive, also on the borders of Kirwood and Irving Park neighborhoods. A gray one on Myers Lane was torn down in 2000. At last count, thirty nine remain in North Carolina. 

In our quest to photograph Lustron homes throughout the United States, we are learning that many of them are in poor condition. As original owners moved on to bigger houses, many Lustrons were converted to rental property. Some have had siding placed over the original exterior walls! There are several websites related to these homes covering topics from statistics to testimonials about living in them. Have you seen one? Do you have one in your neighborhood? Do you live in one? Tell us about it today. 

   

Junior Achievement of Central North Carolina, Inc.

The Office for Junior Achievement of Central North Carolina, Inc., located at 3220 Northline Drive, is our feature for Monochrome Monday.According to their website, the goal of Junior Achievement is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. 

In the southern region of the United States, much emphasis is placed on being civic minded. Southerners like giving back to the community as well as acknowledging and documenting acts for the greater good. The Junior Achievement property is no exception. The above property represents an amalgam of community effort. The house, known as the Starmount Farm House, was the home of Blanche and Edward Benjamin. On May 17, 1999, it was dedicated to Junior Achievement by the Starmount Company and the Benjamin Family. The porches were dedicated by H. Michael Weaver in honor of W. Herman Weaver. Finally, the prominently featured triangular sculpture was donated by the Greensboro Kiwanis Foundation. This property has quite a pedigree!! 

Junior Achievement has been a community/business effort to mentor and inspire students since 1916. To learn more about the history of the organization, please read here. 

 

Cultural Arts Center: Graduated Roof and Cloudless Sky Above

Greensboro's Cultural Center at Festival Park located at 200 N. Davie Street has it all! As noted on the Downtown Greensboro website, "Within the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center are the following: The African American Atelier, The Center for Visual Artists, Green Hill Center for NC Art/ArtQuest and Gift Shop, and the Guilford Native American Art Gallery and Gift Shop." Additionally the Community Theater of Greensboro, the Greensboro Children's Theater, and a host of other organizations have offices there. Finally, you can be sure to find some music or art organization performing and hosting exhibits throughout the building. The Cultural Center is a community space we need to use and help fund. We decided to use it for Skywatch Friday because we love to showcase Greensboro's buildings. The redbud trees in the foreground look beautiful in combination with the green on the roof. Since the brick is approaching orange, it is ALMOST as if this were a celebration of secondary colors!

If you are not from around here, hopefully, you will appreciate the beauty of the building. If you are local and use this building, likely, you are on a first name basis with Mary, Rosina, Steven, and Mitchell (to name a few of the dedicated folks with offices in this building).  If you are looking for something to do this weekend, stop by the Cultural Center, take in an exhibit, and get a schedule of upcoming events. Happy Friday. We hope you enjoy this little slice of the cloudless blue sky.

Cone Mills Building near the Revolution Cotton Mill

Yesterday, we posted a sign about the Cone Brothers. Today, we post this little hut that must have been some sort of guard house on the property of Cone Mills. It is located on Yanceyville Street,  just up the hill from Revolution Mill. We will feature the repurposed Revolution Mill Studios in a future post as it is a spectacular venue featuring everything from offices to on site housing and recreation. However, we also like to document these little snippets of history before they get razed to the ground. Also, we were in search of signage, public displays of the Cone Mills sign, as well as signs with "Greensboro, NC." 

If you know about this little hut, please post a comment and share your  memories.

Easter in College Hill

Eastertime has arrived in the College Hill neighborhood. The bunny flag and the egg wreath on the front door are the icing on the cake of this robin's egg blue house near UNCG and Greensboro College. College Hill has been designated an historic district since 1980. Can't you just imagine an Easter egg hunt on this lawn with grandpa sitting on the porch coaching grandchildren where to find eggs? "Don't forget about that birdbath, Tyler. Don't just look at eye level Alex. Look above!..." 

Yesterday's post showed the serious side of Easter so we thought we'd lighten up a little bit today and offer the magical, Easter Bunny side of the holiday. In America, we love to decorate the inside and outside of our homes. The best way to enjoy springtime in College Hill is to get out and walk or ride your bike.

               

Downtown Greensboro: View from the Baseball Stadium

This is one of the views from the Newbridge Bank Park as you leave the baseball stadium and head toward Eugene Street. Yes, Greensboro has tall buildings but in a city without much altitude change and no river views, skylines are hard to photograph. Eventually, we'll capture one to share. For now, two tall, flat buildings and a parking deck will have to suffice for seeing the northern end of downtown. The repeating rectangles do add some visual interest. The photo was taken at dusk as light was fleeting and shadows began to creep in, as seen on the right side of the photo.

Today, we're participating in the "My World" Tuesday theme day.

               

Greensboro Historical Museum: Up on the Rooftop

The Greensboro Historical Museum is undergoing a multimillion dollar renovation, outside as well as inside. Here we see two roofers finishing their working day on the museum's rooftop. We were impressed at how hard the men were working and how safety conscious they seemed to be. Renovations will take over a year, but will be well worth the wait! The museum remains open to the public and, as always, is FREE!

While the sky wasn't actually white on the day this photo was taken, it appears that way in this black and white photo.   Thank you for stopping by our website on your Skywatch Friday tour!

               

Quaker Village

Quaker Village, named for the large community of Quakers in the area, is a charming retail venue just across the street from Guilford College. While struggling with occupancy, Quaker Village is a place of great potential for businesses catering to the college students wanting a break from campus life or needing supplies to get through the next week. Recently, this alley way was remodeled and the results are extremely inviting; evoking life at the beach on a warm sunny day. No purchase necessary to enjoy the relaxing space above.

               

Victorian Beauty on Mendenhall Street

This house, located on Mendenhall Avenue, near Walker Avenue, is typical of the architecture found in the College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro. College Hill is sandwiched in between Greensboro College and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Greensboro's oldest neighborhood carries the historic district designation and has an interesting history indeed. 

Don't you just love the wrap-around porch and the rocking chairs, evoking memories of the days when porches were filled with people who engaged in conversations with neighbors, friends, and even strangers. On the day of this photo shoot, we took many pictures; so, plan on learning more about other buildings in College Hill. Greensboro is known for its pretty neighborhoods and this one is no exception!

Saint Benedict's Catholic Church

Wednesday before last was a very important day in the Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season. This picture captures the Elm Street door of St. Benedict's Catholic Church.

This church, located at 109 W. Smith Street is one of the oldest in the Diocese of Charlotte. It was first established in 1877 as St. Agnes Church. In 1899 the building in the photograph was completed and the original church structure was sold to the city of Greensboro to become its first high school. More of the interesting history is outlined on their website. Here is a bit from their site...

...while St. Benedict's was being rebuilt at the turn of the last century,

"a wealthy Philadelphia woman, Katherine Drexel, founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People, was working to distribute her fortune to benefit African Americans. Drexel learned of the building project and gave St. Benedict's Church $1,500 for a new church, with the condition that one of the four rows of pews be reserved for African Americans."

Saint Katherine Drexel was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. If you attend this church, it would be interesting to know if this pew is still reserved or to learn more about the diversity of the congregation..........

            

Greensboro Historical Museum

If you are looking for something to do this weekend and have not been to the Greensboro Historical Museum, please make an effort to visit. The museum, located downtown at 130 Summit Avenue, documents key aspects of Greensboro's history. The exhibits are very engaging as you walk through rooms that use artifacts to replicate places and events of previous decades and centuries: a Civil War exhibit, an authentic telephone switchboard, a vintage moving picture, a classroom, a drugstore, a display from the sit-ins, Seagrove pottery, and much more. You will leave the property knowing more about O. Henry, Dolley Madison, Governor John Motley Morehead, and other famous locals. Part of the 17,000 square foot museum is the original First Presbyterian Church complete with a stunning stained glass window. Another great feature of the museum is that it is FREE!  

If you have been to the Historical Museum, how about leaving a comment below telling others what you enjoyed most about your visit. 

               

Foust Building on the UNCG Campus

As we've stated before, the city of Greensboro is home to many institutions of higher education (IHE). Between The University of North Carolina Greensboro, Guilford College, Bennett College, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and Greensboro College, we could take a daily photo from an IHE and not run out of subjects for years!

The Julius I. Foust Building, pictured above, is one of two original buildings on the University of North Carolina Greensboro campus. It was completed in 1892 and has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. Dr. Foust was the second president of the school, then named The North Carolina State Normal and Industrial College.

A "Timeline of UNCG History" on the UNCG website contains a photo of a plaque on the Foust Building flanked by wreaths made from magnolia leaves-- very southern!

If you know any of the history of the Foust Building or have any anecdotes to share from "the good old days," here is your chance to post a comment. Please share our URL with your UNCG friends, so they can tell the world about this landmark building on Spring Garden Street.