Greensboro Daily Photo

Inside Fordham's Drug Store

Yesterday, we shared a photograph of the exterior of Fordham Drug Store at 514 South Elm Street. As you can see, not a lot has changed, however, the soda fountain has been removed. That used to be where you could get Coke floats and flavored sodas. It has been said that the original owner of Fordham's, Christopher Columbus Fordham, originally rejected Coke serving Coke as he was convinced it wouldn't sell.* As for that Mexican marble soda fountain, it has been moved to Lane Drug Store 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.**

It does appear that changes are being made to the inside. It is fun to have these photos for archival purposes and when changes are made, we will have "then and now" photos. Today is Friday, always a good day to go downtown. Why don't you head downtown yourself and see what you can see? Hello weekend!

 

* see the article from Our State Magazine.

** reference and additional information, here.

Fordham Drugs at 514 South Elm Street

Every so often, we like to pass by 514 South Elm Street to check on Fordham Drug Store. It was founded in 1898, but has been closed since 2002. The architecture is in the Italianate style, so popular at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Greensboro still has many examples of this style building. The building has not changed much since it was built  123 years ago. It has the large glass windows, wooden floors, a tin ceiling, and the plaster mortar and pestle on top of the facade.*

While it has since tipped over, there is still a FOR SALE sign in the window. Given all of the history the building has in the Greensboro community, it was be so nice for it to retain as much of its original character as possible. Even the mosaic tile at the entrance says "Fordham's Drug Store." The 500 block of South Elm Street has so many history buildings. You can read more about them here. Not unlike having a CVS and a Walgreen's drug store right beside each other today, just down the street at 530 South Elm, was an O. Henry drug store. From today's photo, there is not a lot to reveal that the photo was not taken 100 years ago; perhaps the unidentified woman would have been reading a newspaper and not a cell phone and there wouldn't have been incense for sale on the street. What would you like to see this building become?

 

* Here is an article about Fordham's from 2016 in Our State Magazine.

Bald Eagle Trail

If you don't mind getting a little wet, it is awfully fun to hike in the rain. Yesterday, we spent the morning on Bald Eagle Trail, beside Lake Higgins, and it was if the fungi and lichen came alive during the rain. As we walked in the reverse direction on this trail in northwest Greensboro, the colors were brighter and more saturated. The above photo shows fungi growing on a log near the entrance to the trail. The fungi in the above photo protruded in a line that extended the entire length of the decaying tree; not just on this underpart, but up all along the bark, too. Do you notice the millipede up on the right? There were several on the tree. Millipedes are known to be excellent decomposers. They don't bite, but they do secrete a toxin, so it is best to leave them alone, doing their work at enhancing the soil on the forest floor. 

Perhaps we shouldn't tell you (we have some readers with a real fear of snakes), but we did see a copperhead off to the edge of the trail. Our picture of the snake was confirmed to be a copperhead by the N.C. Snake Identification & Education group on Facebook. That group is open to the public and its membership exceeds 28 thousand. They are wonderful about accurately identifying a snake with a photo and a location. This group will help you be less afraid of snakes and will help you realize that if you keep your distance, the snakes won't bother you. As for trail walking, including Bald Eagle, please walk where you walk, keeps dogs on a leash, and have an adult walk in front of and behind children on the trail. If you take time to stop and notice, it is amazing what you will see.

Summer Nights 2021!

Well, temperature wise, Greensboro has been in the high 70s, heading towards the 80 this weeks. With the summer solstice, it is now staying daylight longer and the people of Greensboro seem to be looking for opportunities to stay up and outside as long as possible. The above photo was taken at Sticks & Stones Restaurant at the corner of Walker and Elam. Last night, even after 8:00 p.m., it was still daylight and people were out enjoying pizza and conversation- about the time the lightning bugs were starting to glow. In addition to the great fellowship, the clay pizza oven at Sticks and Stones does not disappoint either.

In addition to enjoying the restaurant, Greensboro residents really appreciate the community Corner Market  held in this parking lot on the weekends. This location is right at the crossroads of Sunset Hills and Lindley Park and is a part of town loved by many. The above photo was taken at about 8:00 p.m. last night; it was still daylight, and people were lingering as long as possible. When you find just the right spot, summer nights can be magical. The corner of Walker and Elam is just that space. Happy Tuesday! Happy summer!

Aldi Opening on Battleground Avenue

Remember where Earthfare was located on Battleground Avenue? It was in the plaza near Pisgah Church Road, where there is a Starbucks and a U.S. post office. Well, now, an Aldi is going in the former Earthfare space. The first Aldi store was opened in 1913, during World War I,  in Essen, Germany by Anna Albrecht and Aldi stands for Albrecht Discount. Now, there are thousands of locations around the world, and over 1,600 in the United States alone. They are one of many grocery stores in Greensboro. In the United States, Aldi is third only to Walmart and Kroger. The above store is scheduled to open by this fall. There are already three Aldi's in the Greensboro area (New Garden Road, Randleman Road, and West Gate City Boulevard).  The New Garden Road store was the third to open (in 2013) and now, eight years later, the fourth is being added.

Even if you already have your "go to" place to shop for groceries, it is nice to see the above plaza gain and anchor store. This should put it at close to full capacity. The more options people have, the more likely they are to consider a destination.  Well, it is Monday, and if you had a large Fathers Day event, or a Summer Solstice event, chances are you will need to go to the grocery store somewhere. Where do you like to shop for groceries in Greensboro? Do you have a favorite? Happy Monday; you just may run in to us shopping for groceries!

Swift Street AME Zion Church

Since we featured Juneteenth yesterday, let's visit an African American church today, Swift Street AME Zion Church. It is, indeed, located on Swift Street, between Wendover Avenue and West Market Street, near the Terra Cotta Heritage Museum. This is a very active church, committed to God and Jesus and to issues related to social justice as well. They have Sunday school and worship on Sunday and Bible study on Wednesday. The pastor is Rev. Joshua Holmes. The church is so beautiful and look at those beautiful stained glass windows!

The AME Zion denomination was formed in 1821 in New York City. The denomination adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and  was established due to overt discrimination and a need for African-Americans to have a place to worship, have autonomy, and fought hard to be able to not have to have white ministers. The church was largely confined to the north until after the Civil War. *. We wish Swift Street had more church history available through the Internet. However, we're betting those who attend know who the keepers of the church history are. On the day we drove by, there were neighbors out. It is one of those churches that has a community surrounding it that cares about it very much. We hope they had a good Juneteenth and that they are around for years to come.

* read more and reference, here.

Happy Juneteenth!

Happy Juneteenth!

We wanted to learn more about this now-federal holiday and its historical significance. What better way to learn than to speak to teachers! April Dunovant, on the left-  "Ms. D" as her students call her, teaches social studies at the Middle College at UNCG. She also served on the committee that wrote the African American history curriculum for Guilford County Schools (GCS). On the right is Ms. Andrea Green who teaches English, and is also at the Middle College at UNCG.  When asked what Juneteenth means to them and how we can all learn more about the holiday, Ms. D explained that Juneteenth is "a day to remember the struggles of our ancestors and their resilience and their ability to hope." Ms. Green encourages people to find credible and primary resources to learn about the holiday and what led to it, as opposed to just reading what gets posted on social media. She suggested visiting the website of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She also suggested attending events like Day in the Park at 715 Summit Avenue from 4-7pm today and the open mic event with food trucks at LeBauer Park tonight from 5-8pm. 

Ms. D's grandmother was born on July 4, 1924, just 59 years after the end of the Civil War, and she always maintained that July 4th was not her Independence Day, because her ancestors were not free until June 19, 1865. She celebrated Juneteenth. Both teachers emphasize the complexity behind the Civil War, reminding us it was not as if President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation  in 1863 and everyone was free. Until 1865, the nation was still split into the Union and the Confederacy. Some slave owners in the Deep South, under the governance of the Confederacy, refused to comply. Ms. D and Ms. Green explained that even after the Civil War ended and the Confederacy fell, a whole new era of issues evolved, which is why some of the Juneteenth merchandise says "Free-ish since 1865."

Examples of these new issues include freed slaves needing housing, jobs, food, and money to be reunited with family members. Communities and towns had to be built with facilities and resources, accessible to African Americans. While African Americans were no longer slaves, they were still second class citizens, and separate was far from equal. There were many public places African Americans weren't allowed. It was at that time the historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were founded. As a local example, the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University was founded in 1891 and was originally known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race. It was the first institution of higher education for people of color in the state of North Carolina. As another local example, the first African American students were not admitted to the University of North Carolina Greensboro until 1956, only sixty-five years ago. Young African American students are so eager to learn of a history that has not always been readily available to them. Ms. Green admits to not knowing about Juneteenth until a year ago and attributes the murder of George Floyd to igniting a nationwide interest in Juneteenth. People are diving deeper into a history that has not previously been taught.

We learned so much from Ms. D and Ms. Green and are so grateful to have friends with whom we can discuss complex issues. Through rich conversations and positive interaction so much can be learned. The students who have these two teachers are in good hands!  May everyone enjoy Juneteenth!

Airport Traffic at PTI Is Starting To Pick Up!

Travel in and out of Greensboro is starting to pick up again, as evidenced by the above photo, taken in the Piedmont Triad International (PTI) Airport. A Delta flight had just come in from Atlanta and here we see travelers walking past one of the Jeansboro sculptures on the north concourse. The title is "Carolina Daydream" and it was painted in 2018 by Bailey Winger of Salisbury, NC. There are so many iconic North Carolina images on this sculpture: The Wright Brothers' airplane, a barbecue sandwich, the Big Coffee Pot in Old Salem, and more. Something about the color of this sculpture, and of the travelers, is so uplifting.

In 2018, four of the statues were added to the airport. They were selected out of twenty-five submissions as part of the PTI's master art plan.* There are also several of these sculptures downtown and they are perfect for Greensboro, known for its denim and jeans making. While the jeans are now made overseas, they have been such a big part of our history. May you have a great weekend whether you are staying here, just getting into town, or going elsewhere. Happy Friday!

*reference and read more, here.