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.

 

School of Music at UNCG

Yesterday's footbridge walking to the north edge of UNCG's campus leads to the School of Music Building. Like those southern churches that extend for a city block, the music building starts at McIver Street and extends westward on Market Street-- a loooonnnng way. It is comprised of red brick, cement, and glass, combining hard angles and acoustically-accommodating round edges. Here we see one tiny piece of the building. Even more glorious than the outside is all of the wonderful music being created inside. Each theater, practice room, and classroom is an oasis of sound. On any given day, instruments of all kinds, music of every genre, and musicians at all proficiency levels can be seen and heard herein. Personally, we could use a good dose of POLKA & Oberek music.

If Ruby Tuesday considers Brick Red as red, we're onboard with the passionately red crowd today!
 

324 South Elm

Here we see a new five-story building under construction at 324 South Elm Street. The property was an empty lot for several years. We are happy to see new construction downtown; perhaps it is an indication that the local economy is improving. Some of the names on the construction site signage include: Lindbrook Development Services, Landmark Builders, Triad Design Group, Bradley & Ball Architects, ESC LLP Carolinas. We can't wait to see finished building and to learn more about it! 

 

...this is the steeple.....

This is the church and this is the steeple.... at Centenary United Methodist Church on Friendly Avenue. On Wednesday, February 10th, winds over 50 mph ripped through our town and huffed and puffed and tried to blow (among other things) this church down. Fortunately, the church is made of brick and all that toppled was the 25 foot fiberglass steeple. The steeple has been in place since the 1980's when it replaced a smaller one. 

This is our Sacred Sunday shot, when we take time to reflect and be thankful that Greensboro made it through the wind storm. The photo is grainy because we took it at night with minimal ambient lighting. It reminds us of an x-ray. We're sharing this with the Monochrome Weekend crowd to let the world see the teetering steeple.

 

WRANGLER

For today, Monday, the beginning of the work week, we feature the Wrangler Building on Elm Street. Wrangler, and parent company VF Corporation, are headquartered in Greensboro. The Wrangler name, known for authentic western jeans, was introduced to the consumer in 1947; however, the company's seed was planted in 1897 when Mr. CC Hudson relocated to Greensboro. Mr. Hudson arrived from Tennessee, seeking his fortune in our emerging textile town. His first job here was sewing buttons on overalls, earning 25 cents a day. 

In 1904, Hudson opened Hudson Overall Company above Coe Brothers Grocery on Elm Street. The company expanded and became Blue Bell Overall Company. Big Ben Manufacturing Company purchased Blue Bell in 1926. The merged companies remained in Greensboro. Blue Bell continued to merge, acquire and grow; eventually evolving into Wrangler. A great timeline with photos of this important piece of history is provided on Wrangler's website, here. Hopefully, Greensboro social studies teachers share this timeline with their students. For over a century, the textile industry has been an important part of our city's history and Wrangler has been a part of Greensboro's history since the 1940's.

 

Sky over Elm Street

We're heading uptown on Elm Street this weekend to enjoy our thriving downtown. This photo reminds us that the terrain in Greensboro is a little bit hilly. In 1808, Greensboro was selected as the county seat because it is geographic center of Guilford County. However, the city's website says the area is so low, ducks were actually swimming where they were going to start building the town!

The car in the road in the middle of our photo is about to drive down and over the railroad tracks that cut through the city. The track is not fun to cross, nor are the trains fun to wait for, but we must keep in mind that the railroad has been transporting goods to and from Greensboro since before the Civil War. The railroad brought us Cone Mills, denim, and, among other things, the US Army's Overseas Replacement Depot in the 1940's. (More on that later......).

If you just stopped by for Sky Watch Friday, WELCOME!

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.

 

Twilight Greensboro

Just north of yesterday's geodesic dome, behind The Carousel Grande Movie Theater, we stumbled upon this view of downtown Greensboro-- precisely at the moment before the sun dipped below the horizon. We snapped the shot and drove closer to get a better view and, poof, the sun was gone for the day. Serendipity is a big part of city daily photography. Some days we drive with a mission. Other days, we drive around and, when we least expect it, something catches our eye. On this day, the warm glow of a sparkling Greensboro twilight caught our eye. This is our contribution for Sky Watch Friday!

 

Buffalo's Bar and Grill

Buffalo's Bar and Grill opened in the above location on Battleground Avenue in 1990. Now, this former gas station, repurposed as Buffalo's, is once again empty. Buffalo's Bar and Grill, continues to thrive just down the road on Battleground Avenue: Same food, same menu, same pub-like atmosphere. What is missing in the new location, however, is this brushed aluminum façade and the wrap-around windows. This façade has vintage character and is thoroughly photogenic. At night, it reflects light in an eerie spaceship way. Could that be New Mexican tumbleweed rolling across the foreground?  By day, it shines like a battleship in dry dock. Now, we have to wait and hope someone breathes new life into this building.

 In the meantime, see you at at the new location on Monday for 50-cent wing night. Tuesday is all you can eat wings $11.99; however, we're prefer not to binge and go for the bargain price!

 

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

Featuring an Episcopal church for our Sacred Sunday has been long overdue. Here we see St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, located at 2105 West Market Street. Although their website does not have a history section, we did learn that the church is over 100 years old at that it has at least 500 members. This brick, steepled structure is a traditional style, common throughout America. 

St. Andrew's is a bit hard to photograph as it is located on a busy street and the structure is long and skinny. However, we do like the way the steeple glistens against the blue sky. If you live in Greensboro, you realize this photo was taken a couple of weeks ago as, lately, the skies have been extremely overcast!

 

North State Milling Co.

Today, we share a photo of the now-abandoned North State Milling Company located at 816 South Elm Street. Likely this is the best Lee Street view we'll have as the lot in front is currently under construction. This brick and wooden building, with metal silos, was built in 1912 and remains an outstanding example of early 20th-century industrial architecture. It is a slice of life in Greensboro as it used to be. If you want to read more, Preservation Greensboro writes about this treasured place. We keep hoping a national advertiser will feature it in an ad or that a movie will use it as a prop.

We are sharing this photo with our Monochrome Weekly friends.

Faithway Baptist Church

Faithway Baptist Church, 610 E. Lake Drive, sits at the edge of a city park/walking trail overlooking the area where Bryan Blvd. curves on into downtown. This church is within walking distance to the Lake Daniel and Westerwood neighborhoods. They've had the same pastor, James Bledsoe, for nearly 20 years.

Unfortunately the website for the church does not tell the history of the building and when we were on this night photo shoot, we didn't find a cornerstone with a date. The sign in front reads, "The truth shall make you free.. thy word is truth."  Actually, it reads,  "thywor  dis   truth" but we think they suffered a case of the shifting letters! Happy Sacred Sunday, Faithway! The light on the door looks like a cross!

On a sad note, this week, in Greensboro, a 14 year old boy took his own life. As you look at friends, relatives, strangers, young and old alike, please keep your words kind and inviting. Often it is not apparent who is troubled, self-loathing, and in pain. In closing, please pause to reflect on the week-- regardless of your belief system.

High Point Furniture

If you have ever shopped for furniture in High Point, likely, you have seen this giant chest of drawers at Furnitureland South. It is at least four stories high. As you walk under it, you realize you are in the furniture capital of the world. This 40-year-old company, one of many industry-related venues in the area, represents over 500 companies in over a million square feet of space.

There is another great giant piece of furniture on Hamilton Street. If you ever make it to Greensboro, head a few miles Southwest and and visit this furniture mecca. People who sell and buy furniture here realize the value on the local commitment to the industry. Especially during furniture market weeks, we all put our hearts and energy into this important industry. Even though the sky is a little bleak in this photo, we are posting this on Sky Watch Friday because the blog gets so many visitors from around the world on skywatch days. Thanks for looking!

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

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses

Today's Sacred Sunday post is The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Pisgah Church Road. In line with their avoidance of religious symbols or iconography of any kind, The Kingdom Hall, featured in this photo has only a sign at the road announcing the gathering place for Witnesses. While on site, we had the good fortunate to speak with one of the elders who answered our questions about his religion.

The religion is relatively new, getting its start in the 1870's with Charles Taze Russell and the Bible Students. They actively evengelize, discussing their beliefs and sharing their publications with all who are interested. The religion is Bible-based with Jehovah, the English translation of God's Biblical name as the focus towards which all worship should be directed. Jehovah Witnesses believe that the last days of the present world order are near. If you want to read more about the religion, much is available on the internet, especially at their Watchtower site and on Wikipedia. The denomination has no paid employees and operates exclusively on volunteerism.

Pumpkin Patches for Charities

Greensboro has a great tradition of churches, especially youth groups, selling pumpkins as a fall fundraiser. Here we see a man and his daughter purchasing pumpkins at the Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church at the corner of Battleground and Pisgah Church Road. The daughter carried a small pumpkin and daddy carried the large one. "Just one," he reminded her and kudos to her dad, he stuck to it! Even we couldn't leave with just one apiece. The gourds were so fabulous and unique that we left with a bag full-- enough for a centerpiece for only $7.50. 

According to the members of the youth group, they anticipate selling almost 70,000 pounds of pumpkins and gourds. The supply looked fresh and abundant when we were there a couple of days ago. So, happy Saturday, why not head out and support a local youth group?  Make your house look like FALL and, if you celebrate Halloween, carve away! 

Downtown Greensboro

Downtown Greensboro is anchored by the (formerly, Jefferson-Standard, then Jefferson-Pilot) Lincoln Financial Building. The glass windows, reflecting blue, show the eastern side of the building. Every once in a while, we need to be reminded that in the center of the city, we have multiple story buildings. For those who live elsewhere, over the last decade, gentrification has made the downtown area an appealing place to live and work. 

Don't you just expect Batman and Robin to walk into this scene at any minute?

First Baptist Church at Night

 Once more, we feature the First Baptist Church of Greensboro for Sacred Sunday. The church is as beautiful at night as it is on a sunny, cloudless day. Even with this side view, it is hard to appreciate the size of this church! 

Night scenes are particularly in beautiful in autumn when the leaves are changing, rustling, and falling to the ground. Imagine the above site years ago when all was dark and, rounding a country road, one happened upon the glow of a white steeple and bell tower. Such a beacon. Does anyone know how it is that a church gets the name "first." Is the First Baptist Church or First Presbyterian Church really the first one in town?

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?

David Caldwell Park

David Caldwell Historic Park is located on the grounds of the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden between Hobbs and Holden Roads. According to the park's website, "(t)he Reverend Dr. David Caldwell (1725-1874) was a Presbyterian minister, a self-trained physician, and an early educator in colonial North Carolina. At this site in 1767, he opened an academy for young men. The academy produced five state governors!" 

The interpretive center, shown above, was dedicated April 20, 2007. The center is dynamic, offering several programs for people of all ages. It is believed that the property may be a wealth of history waiting to be unearthed. If you look to the right, you can see a couple out walking the trails and enjoying the warm, fall day under the sapphire blue sky.

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.

At Grove & Portland, The Beat Goes On

This music venue is located at the corner of Grove and Portland in the Glenwood neighborhood. Glenwood is making a real effort towards gentrification. As you can see, the building is beautifully painted with a snazzy banner of musical notes and instruments framing a plywood window and a bedsheet-curtain. This neighborhood is starting to spark to life on the weekends. Optimistically, wikimapia says about Glenwood, "A historic and very diverse lower-middle class to middle class neighbourhood in the southwest corner of Greensboro. It has seen some tough times in the years, but through local community efforts, the neighbourhood is to be expecting a revitalization. This will be like Greensboro's downtown."  Wikimapia, we sure hope you are right! If you follow that site, you can see a google map of the actual neighborhood-- very 21st century!

Yum Yum Ice Cream-- Since 1907

Yum Yum Ice Cream in its first incarnation was sold from a cart beginning in 1909 in downtown Greensboro. An early Greensboro postcard features the ice cream cart in front of the Courthouse. In the 1920's, the business was moved to a free-standing building at the corner of Forest and Spring Garden Streets. Since the location was at the western limit of the city, the owner called the business West End Ice Cream. Around that time, he introduced the ice cream flavor Yum-Yum, a flavor that is believed to have included grapes, raisins, a grain. At any rate, people began saying, "Let's go get some of that Yum-Yum ice cream."  The name stuck and became the official name for the store.

The shop is actually an ice cream factory with the product made in a back room, the old-fashioned way with vintage 1920's equipment. They have had the same ice-cream maker for 25 years now.  He is very picky about the source of his ingredients as well as quality and consistency. The proof is in the taste of the ice cream. Currently, they feature 18 flavors at $2.00 a scoop. The store is, perhaps, equally famous for its tasty, bright red hot dogs which start at $1.00 for a basic dog and cost $1.60 for one "all the way." Yum Yum is surrounded on all four sides by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Let's hope the university remains a good neighbor and allows this century-old business to continue in this prime location. 

We don't usually do a Tuesday meme; however, today we're posting on Ruby Tuesday! Visit there if red is your color!

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.

Bell Tower at Guilford College UMC

The Bell Tower at Guilford College United Methodist Church is the highest point of the sprawling church complex located at 1205 Fleming Road. The bell tower was built as part of the 1988 construction of the new sanctuary under the supervision of then pastor Dr. J.C. Groce. We believe it was dedicated to the memory of his daughter, Jennifer, who died in a car accident. 

For centuries, bell towers have been found on church grounds and attached to civic buildings worldwide. They are used to mark time or to announce present and imminent danger. Bell towers can also be referred  to as a belfry or a campanile. The GCUMC belltower in the photo above, against the backdrop of the sizzling blue sky, is reminiscent of something found in California. The white tower glows in the afternoon setting sun. 

In June, the church celebrated its 50th anniversary. While  the first worship service was held in the Guilford College Student Union in 1959, with 57 persons in attendance, it is not affiliated with Guilford College, a local institution of higher education started by Quakers. We had the good fortune of meeting current Pastor Tom Gibson and his wife. Pastor and Mrs. Gibson were hospitable and welcoming to us, as we were traipsing about the church grounds snapping photos right and left. Guilford College United Methodist Church congregants are lucky to have this charming, energetic husband and wife team at the helm. 

We hope you have a restful, reflective, and spiritually renewing Sacred Sunday-- regardless of your belief system.

Elon University Law School

Here we see Elon Law School, located in downtown Greensboro on 201 North Green Street. Originally, the building was the Central Branch of the Greensboro Public Library. When the new library was built, the building housed city government offices like the Water Resources Department. When the new facility for the water resources department was build near I-85, the building in the photo above became the School of Law for Elon University. The school has been tremendously successful in its few years of being open and graduates have a good success rate in passing the bar. While Elon University is located in Elon, NC, just outside of Burlington, Greensboro was lucky to have the new law school open in our downtown.

UNCG's Former Chancellor, Patricia A. Sullivan, Remembered

Dr. Patricia Sullivan, the former chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (from 1995-2008), will be buried today. The community mourns the loss.  

While she actually lived on Sunset Drive, in a home donated to the University by the Bryan family, Dr. Sullivan oversaw the complicated efforts to preserve the former chancellor's home, seen in the photo above. This building is now located just west of the Mossman Administration Building where she worked. From the beautiful blooms in the rose garden to the Patricia A. Sullivan Science Building, built durning her tenure and named in her honor, her presence is everywhere on the UNCG campus.

St. Matthew's United Methodist Church: Another Sacred Sunday

St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, organized in 1866, is the oldest and largest African-American Church in the Conference of Western North Carolina. The church, located at 600 East Florida Street, has occupied several location and structural changes. The current building, photographed from the back-- Britton Street side, was built in 1971 and has an angular, mod, linear, yellow-brick 1970's look.

The church has accomplished many religious, educational, social, and civic deeds in it's 140+ year history. As examples: In 1873, Bennett College, a local institution of higher education for African-American women, started in the basement of St. Matthew's. The first Boy Scout troop for African-Americans in Greensboro was organized and met here (Troop 441).

This is Greensboro Daily Photo's eighth month of Sacred Sunday shots. Search "religion" on our sidebar categories on the right to enjoy other photos.

West Market Street United Methodist Church

West Market Street United Methodist Church is today's Sacred Sunday post.  The history of the church, including its growth and its many locations, is outlined on their extensive website. 

The original part of the church, seen in the foreground of the above photo, was built in the late 1800's to accommodate the growing number of Methodists in the city. Not long after the church had been built, its stained glass windows were acquired. They are authentic Tiffany windows and, I believe, were brought to Greensboro by the pastor, via the world's fair at the turn of the last century. Another treasure of the church was acquired in 1999, a Dobson-Rosales organ. Additionally, they have a set of the "stations of the cross" paintings, known also as the Via Dolorosa. The paintings, depicting key points in the life of Christ,  date from about 1890 and come from a small church in France near the Belgian border. 

We applaud WMSUMC for staying downtown even through the years when many organizations were relocating to the suburbs. At some point, we hope to get inside the church and photograph the artwork. For now, we can enjoy the building itself as a work of art framed by a turquoise sky and light, billowy clouds.

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! 

Buffalo Presbyterian Church

The Buffalo Presbyterian Church, located at 803 16th Street, was established in 1756. The founders and members were mostly Scotch-Irish coming from their homeland to Greensboro via Pennsylvania. According to the website of the church, the present sanctuary was erected in 1826-7 and when the walls were extended in 1956, great effort was made to match the old hand made bricks. This beautiful property includes a memorial garden, two educational buildings, an historical room, a renovated manse, and a cemetery on the property. Buffalo Church has many community outreach projects.

Long, multiple-building institutions (like churches and schools), in older neighborhoods, on well-landscaped lots, are almost impossible to do justice with one photograph. We could post a photo a Sunday of Buffalo Church and have enough photographs for the year. We settled on this view because it shows you how peaceful the property is once you get out of your car and walk around. Also, if you will notice the mature palm tree. Greensboro is located in the USDA Hardiness Zones 7a and 7b, which is a risky for palms outdoors; however, given the protection from the building, the palm trees on the church grounds seem to be thriving. 

The Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Greensboro

The Biltmore Hotel, located at 111 W. Washington St., was built in 1895. According to their website, they offer free continental breakfast in the morning and a wine and cheese reception in the evening, in addition to standard amenities like free Internet access, fitness center, and a free newspaper. If the air conditioning or heating system ever go out in our house, I think we'll pack up and head down to the Biltmore! Maybe we'll go their anyway for the fun of it!

Our readers from other states in the USA and beyond may not realize that this hotel is not related to another great NC destination, the Biltmore Estate. 

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.

Aerial View of the Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)

Here we see an aerial view of the Piedmont Triad International Airport, known in three-letter-airport-code as GSO. The photo was an afterthought on the part of Mrs. GDP. During a recent departure from GSO, thinking we were on a brief holiday from photographing Greensboro, we realized, "Wait, we don't have a picture of Greensboro from the air!" Out came the camera and snap, snap, snap. If you look closely, on the left-center edge of the photo, you can just barely see the tip of the wing.

We like this view because of the bent horizon line and the comparison of the cars on the road to the airplanes on the tarmac. Also, those giant square buildings are quite imposing for a city with less than 300,000 residents. 

This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekly. We love monochromes because, often, published black & white photos look like pictures that have been in someone's attic for decades!

National Conference of Christians and Jews

The National Conference of Christians and Jews was founded as an interfaith organization in 1927. To be more inclusive and appeal to members of all faiths, the organization was renamed the National Conference for Community and Justice -- NCCJ in both instances. The organization's objectives include promoting harmony between people with different belief systems and ethnic backgrounds. One important event for the organization hosts is Anytown, where high school students come together to learn conflict management and how not to judge, bully, discriminate, or have biases against others. Today, August 2, 2009, Anytown Session II kicks off another weeklong session in Greensboro.  

Rabbi Fred Guttman and Reverend Mark Sills are co-recipients of the organization's 2009 Citation Award. In 1991, Local  Chief Justice Henry E. Frye was awarded the Brotherhood Award when the organization was still called the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The above photo is of the Fisher Park office, located across the street from the First Presbyterian Church. Follow the above Anytown link to see photos of last year's participants.

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!

Blandwood Mansion

The Monochrome Weekly Theme picture was taken through a side window, late one afternoon, at Blandwood Mansion on 447 West Washington Street in downtown Greensboro. It was the time of day when color begins to drain from objects due to the low light. Black and white emphasizes the silhouette of personal objects such as the punch bowl and small tables.

Blandwood, former home of Governor John Motley Morehead, was completed in 1846. It is billed as America's oldest Italianate villa. Blandwood is open Tuesday- Sunday. Additionally, throughout the year, several events take place on the lawn and in the carriage house. The day we were on location photographing, the director/curator Ashley Crayton Poteat was leaving work for the day. In our brief conversation, the energetic and dynamic Poteat proudly informed us that she was beginning her sixth year as director. While August will be a rather quiet month at Blandwood, September is full of events from bluegrass music the last three Sundays of the month, a National Preservation Institute Workshop, and a Museum Day sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine. Make it a point to stop by and take advantage of this local treasure. As always, guided tours of the interior, the museum shop, the carriage house, and gardens-- featuring native trees and plants-- are available to the public through the summer and into the school year.

Check back on Greensboro Daily this upcoming Friday as we'll showcase the exterior, Italianate architecture of Blandwood Mansion in front of a fabulous Sky Watch Friday Carolina blue sky!

Army & Navy Surplus Store on West Lee St.

Today, we are featuring the ARMY & N VY SURPLUS  at 1116 West Lee Street. They don't have a website to link to and we don't know much about them. However, we love the red, white, and blue façade on their store. It really put us in a "Fourth of July"  frame of mind. Several years ago, we were inside and, as we recall, the store is  a traditional American Army/Navy store-- uniforms, knives, general items related to military; understated and utilitarian. 

The cloudless, Carolina Blue Sky above is our contribution to Skywatch Friday. Let's hope the skies are sunny for all of the Fun Fourth festivities in downtown Greensboro tomorrow. This is the 34th year for the community event. Your spending time and money downtown will send the message that this event is worthwhile!

Finally, today is the 184th day for our blog and, with this post, we're officially into the second half of our first year. We hope you are enjoying the blog! As always, your comments are welcome! Your comments motivate us to spend hours roaming the city with camera in hand!

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?"