Greensboro Daily Photo

Friedens Tiny Chapel

If you read Greensboro Daily Photo last Sunday, you saw the post on Frieden Lutheran Church, located on Frieden Church Road in the eastern end of Guilford County. The congregation has owned the property and has had a church there since 1775. The church started out as one made out of hand-hewn logs and then built a brick church in 1879. The church burned in 1939, and another was built in its place. In the background, you can see the latest iteration of Frieden Lutheran (see also, HERE). 

The Wagoners, church members, used the logs from the original church for a smokehouse. When they dismantled the smokehouse, they gave the logs from the original church back to the church. In 1961, church member Roland Summers recruited the young adult Sunday school members to use the timbers to help build a tiny chapel that was a replica of the original church from the 1700s. You can see the tiny hand-hewn log chapel in the foreground. Inside are pews and an altar from the past. This is a church that takes its documentation seriously. You can learn more by going to the article we referenced. Also, we highly recommend your keeping records of any organizations with which you are affiliated.

Happy Sunday!

 

*Reference and more  history of the church can be found HERE.

Charles Dabney, Foreign Cars Italia

Today's photo features Charles Dabney who is a sales consultant at Foreign Cars Italia. Charles was raised in Charleston, West Virginia. He earned an undergraduate degree at West Virginia State University, where he was an athlete and majored in marketing. Upon gradation, his father encouraged him to work for the power company- for the job security. Charles started in that career, but soon saw opportunity in car sales. Since that transition, and a few years in Atlanta, he has found his home in Greensboro and professional home at Foreign Cars Italia. We met Charles at The Continental Club the other night, where he enjoys socializing. 

He was at the Continental Club on the evening the Piedmont Old Time Society (POTS) was playing music. We had a great conversation surrounded by Trina Olson's paintings and great music by the old time musicians. We have a feeling the Continental Club at 816 South Elm Street is the kind of place to meet interesting people, hear good music, and see good art. We look forward to more conversations with Charles Dabney, and who knows, some day we may need a new car.

Happy Saturday! 

 

 

Piedmont Old Time Society Thursday Jam at The Continental Club

The Continental Club, located at 816 South Elm Street bills itself as "a cool, international social club, for disruptors and innovators." It is located in the building that years ago housed The Farmers' Exchange Store, a precursor to Southern States, where farmers would go to get grain, fertilizer, and other needs for farming. It is the white building on the southwest corner of Elm Street and Gate City Boulevard, the one with DAILY BREAD FLOUR on the back. 

Last night, The Continental Club hosted the open jam of the Piedmont Old Time Society (POTS), where acoustic fiddle and banjo music reigns supreme. POTS had previously held their jams at the Green Bean, but once that venue was no longer available, the group was on hiatus. When they learned the Continental Club would host the jam, they had eighteen people on the first night, playing well into the night. The lighting is absolutely beautiful at the Continental Club once your eyes adjust. However, it is a challenge to get crisp, color-balanced photos. The music sounded great last night. Hopefully, the Continental Club/Piedmont Old Time Society relationship will continue for a very long time and they will have all of their first and third Thursday jams there. The club is currently hosting an art exhibit by Trina Olson; the owner seems very supportive of visual and performing arts.

Happy Friday! May you find lots of great things to do in Greensboro this weekend.

Choice Showcase at Guilford County Schools

Last night the School Choice Showcase was held at the Greensboro Coliseum. Guilford County offers in-demand and innovative programs. Examples of choices include, performing and visual arts schools, Spanish immersion, engineering, and health and life science. The above photo features the booth of the Middle College at UNCG last night. Their theme is health and life sciences. It is not unusual for the popular programs to get 500 applications for 50 slots. . Here is a list of the choice schools and programs. At the moment, there are fifty one, with plans to create more. The application window started on January 13th and will close on February 20th. Some of the programs require interviews; others are strictly lottery based. Acceptance will be determined on April 21st. 

It cannot be stressed enough, if you have student who is interested in a choice school program, have them get their application in on or before the deadline and have them do their homework. Usually, students can tell when visiting a school if they can imagine attending the school. Choice schools are great for students who want a special focus. Attendance zone/neighborhood schools are best for students who want the traditional school experience. Students who attend choice schools can participate in sports and extracurriculars in their home school; however, if they want the thrill of walking down the hall on a Monday morning after winning a big game over the weekend, a traditional school is best. These decisions can be exciting and difficult at the same time. Guilford County Schools is known nationally for their schools of choice. Some of the program make it possible for high school students to graduate with up to two years of college credit!

Happy Groundhog Day and Happy Candlemas!

Home of the Future Publix on Mill Street; For Now, Christina's World

This is the lot on Mill Street where the new Publix Grocery Store will be located. We publish photos from Mill Street a lot because something about the way the afternoon sun hits this area, it is so beautiful. If we did a 180º turn, you would see Wendover Avenue. But for now, until the new Publix is built in 2024, this is one of our happy open-space places to catch a view of natural grasses meeting the sky.  Something about the scene reminds us of  "Christina's World," painted by Andrew Wyeth. We can just imagine someone horizontally positioned in the foreground with McKay's Books on the horizon, as opposed to a farmhouse. If you want a glimpse of what the new Publix will look like, see HERE. It will be a three-level grocery store. Do we have any existing grocery stores in Greensboro on more than one level? We can't think of one at the moment. If you can, let us know. In the meantime, a couple of our readers were asking about the location of this store, so we used that as an excuse to run back and get a photo. If you know anyone at McKay's Books, let them know they've lost an "O" and for now, it is McKay's B OKS!

Well, January has slipped away with no snow or freezing rain. What will February bring? Happy February 1st!

 

Winter Trees

Today's photo comes from our adventure exploring the eastern end of the county; the place where you are on a country road exploring and not sure if you are in Whitsett, Gibsonville, or even across the Alamance County line into Elon. The outbuilding above is one of about nine on a property at the corner of Frieden Church Road and Sweeetgum Road. Every one of the outbuildings is old, but has signs of being loved. Above, you see a cross and an American flag. In one, there are life-size pigs, maybe made of plaster or plastic. Beside another, there is a vintage truck. The two bedroom one bath house, built in 1930, is on 9.3 acres of property. This family has a little slice of paradise. As land gets sold off around them, we hope they hold on and keep all of their mature trees. One of our regular, long-time readers commented how much she likes trees in winter. We do, too!  These trees, in their dormant state and towering over the outbuilding with the hand-hewn logs, are breathtaking. The winter, low to the horizon sun, adds so much to the shading of the trees.

Happy Tuesday! Are you ready for February tomorrow?

 

Cats at Tanger Center for the Performing Arts

The Broadway musical Cats has come and gone from Greensboro, where it was performed at the Tanger Center this past week. The above photo shows the junkyard set where the cats gathered at night. The singing, dancing, and performing were superb. The performance was especially fun to watch if you knew the cats' personalities or if you were sitting next to someone who was a Cats fanatic. It also helps with appreciating the play to have read T.S. Elliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"  In his poem "Three Different Names", you learn that cats have familial names, particular names, and secretive names.* It helps to have some of those names and personalities memorized when seeing the play.

The London production of Cats ran for 21 years and the New York production for 18. When a play is that popular, wins many awards, and keeps attracting crowds for nearly two decades it becomes part of our cultural lore. If you missed Cats in Greensboro, its next stop is DPAC in Durham; so, you still have a chance to see it locally. The next play up at Tanger Center is The Book of Mormon on 2/21-26. If you want ticket to that play, they are going fast. Head to the box-office at 300 North Elm Street and treat yourself to one.

Happy Monday!

 

* reference and read more HERE.

Fridens Evangelical Lutheran Church

Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 6001 NC 61 in Gibsonville,  was organized in 1745, thirty one years before America was a country. The church was rebuilt in 1939 after a fire destroyed the original building. However, this church community is 278 years old this year. To put this into perspective, Luther began the Protestant movement in 1517 and Frieden Church was built in 1745, 228 years after the Protestant movement began. So, it is closer in years to the beginning of the Protestant movement than it is to the year 2023. This historic church is recorded as one of the oldest of its denomination in the south. The church, founded by German Lutheran immigrants heading west, even maintained church records in German until 1830.*

We stumbled on Friedens Lutheran while riding around the urban loop I-840 this weekend, getting off on Huffine Mill Road, and driving the backroads through Guilford County to Gibsonville. The  church is at the crossroads of NC-61 and Frieden Church Road. Frieden is derived from a German word that means peace and tranquility. Walking around the property of the church, the cemetery, and the small replica of the original church located across the street, indeed, brings a sense of peace and tranquility. While the eastern end of Guilford is changing,  this little slice of county make it feel like time is standing still. 

You can tell from the photo that the white columns at the entrance are a dominant feature. However, the stained glass windows are also very special. Have a great Sunday!

 

*reference and more information HERE.