Greensboro Daily Photo

Macy's Department Store and Friendly Center

Here we see a view from the escalator of Macy's Department Store in Friendly Center. Children love riding the escalator and feeling like they are in a big city. Seeing all the red boxes reminds us that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. 

Friendly Center has been a Greensboro shopping destination for over fifty years; however, Macy's is a relative newcomer to the shopping center. Before Macy's was Macy's, it was Hecht's, and before that, Thalhimer's. Thalhimer's, previously Ellis Stone,  moved from its downtown Elm Street location to Friendly Center in the 1950's.  The Greensboro News and Record has written an interesting article about Friendly Center's history here. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow. We are putting together pictures for African American History Month. Greensboro has a rich history relevant to the Civil Rights Movement. If you are an event organizer and have something you want us to try to cover for African American History Month, please send us an e-mail at [email protected]

            

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park on a Gray Winter Day

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park may be  small in acreage (125 acres), but it is monumental and dynamic as an historical venue. The visitor's museum is a great place to start to get an orientation and to learn more about the battle, which took place on Thursday, March 15, 1781.  Additionally, reading the tombstones and the plaques on the monuments, scattered throughout the park, is informative. This year, on the weekend of March 14th-15th, the park will hold the 228th anniversary commemoration.

The men in the photo above are taking a self-guided tour. The window on the right reveals the gray landscape and leafless trees found at this time of year. If you do not live in Greensboro, you may want to learn about the venue by reading the website for the park. 

            

Living near Guilford Courthouse National Military Park @ Lincoln Green

Advertising in Greensboro can get very creative and whimsical! En route to photograph Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, we noticed this sign advertising apartments across from the park. The creation and placement of this sign is brilliant. Perched on the edge of a tree-lined ridge, the finches look so happy. Don't those cute yellow birds make you want to drop by and check out the LincolnGreen apartments? From the photo, you have no idea that the billboard is located on busy Battleground Avenue nestled between strip malls.  

We'll post on the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park soon-- keep stopping back.

            

                              

North Carolina Pottery

If you live in Greensboro and have ever put a shovel to soil, you know that our landscape is filled with CLAY. Given its abundance, Greensboro is steeped in the tradition of throwing clay into vessels. We have several local potters and pottery studios. Additionally, Jugtown and Seagrove are located a little over an hour south of Greensboro. In the photo above, you see one of the red glazed pieces made famous in the murder mystery novel, Uncommon Clay, written by North Carolina writer, Margaret Maron. If you are committed to the "buy local" movement or want to give a gift that represents our region, you can't go wrong purchasing North Carolina pottery (or books about NC pottery!). We use ours every day!

               

          

Lake Higgins

Lake Higgins, just north of Greensboro, is part of the Cape Fear River Basin. People in Greensboro, Guilford County, and the surrounding areas enjoy fishing and boating on Lake Higgins as well as following the extensive trail system. The Lake Higgins Environmental Education Center offers many educational programs as well as canoe, kayak, and rowboat rentals. We took this photo just before the sun dropped behind the spillway last Saturday afternoon. The winter skies have been very accommodating to photographers this year!

                                    

Brown Building on the UNCG Campus

Known as the Brown Building since 1960, the Music Building opened in 1925 on the campus of the University of North Carolina Greensboro. It served as the School of Music's home until 1999, when a new Music Building was dedicated on McIver Street. Recently, we found a post card with the above view of the original music building in the 1950's. The post card was written to a family in Daytona Beach, Florida, by a man named Bill. When the post card was written, UNCG was known as the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, and only females attended, hence the use of the word "fems" below.

On January 26th (today's date) 1958, Bill wrote,

Hey--

Every day I go by this building it reminds me of my younger days before they made the practice rooms sound proof-- you could hear the fems trying to reach high C on our front porch on a warm spring night, boy the years do fly-- see you soon, Bill

What an opening sentence for a novel!  Bill, unless you make yourself known to us, we claim that line!

By the way, we tried our best to replicate the view found on the post card while photographing the building. After all, we aren't called Greensboro Daily Post Card!! Surprisingly, the building's façade hasn't changed! See a 1927 version of the Brown Building here.

Here are four relevant books...

                                      

First Baptist Church Greensboro

The First Baptist Church Greensboro is a landmark on the corner of Friendly Avenue and Tate Street. This church is a dynamic house of worship. People are always coming and going. Be it choir practice, handbell practice, Sunday services, preschool, mission work, exercise, Bible study, suppers, youth groups, Korean church services,  there is something for everybody. 

From the view above, First Baptist does not look that big. However, for those of us who travel Friendly Avenue, when you look through your rear view mirror, you see that the church appears to be three blocks long. 

If you attend First Baptist and want to share something special about the church, please post in the comment section (below). Also, if you know about its history, please provide some details! Many books about First Baptist Church are out of print. We did find two copies on Amazon of this one from 1926!

The History of the Baptists of Greensboro, N.C., With Particular Reference to the Work and Growth of the First Baptist Church, 1850-1926.

Greensboro Children's Museum

Looking for something great to do today? Consider heading over to the Greensboro Children's Museum.   This is a busy weekend for the museum.On Saturday, The Culture of Color program kicks off at 2pm. Artist Andrew Paulk, Sr. will be there to airbrush art. Congressman Howard Coble will be there on Sunday (Jan. 25, 2008) to have his portrait painted between 2-4 pm. These activities sound fun! The exhibits and activities are always engaging and a photographer's dream.

Sunset in Greensboro

The skies have been fabulous this winter and the sunset last weekend was breathtaking. This was taken downtown near the corner of S. Elm and Martin Luther King Drive. 

Let's see what this weekend will bring. If you are a local, we hope you get out to enjoy our fine city. If you are visiting from afar, please stop back and see what we uncover this weekend!

Higher Education Area Transit

Well, after a federal holiday, a little snow and a presidential inauguration, today is "schedule as usual" for most of the area's 60,000 plus college students. In this photo, you see a HIGHER EDUCATION AREA TRANSIT bus. HEAT began service on Tuesday, August 8, 2006, with special emphasis on providing transportation to the eight fine college and university campuses in Greensboro and Jamestown. If you live in Greensboro, likely, you can't help smiling when the vibrant, peppy HEAT bus drives by.  Parents and prospective students, HEAT is just one more student-friendly advantage to attending an institution of higher education in GREENSBORO! 

Bloggers, if you are still reading this message, we challenge you to stand up and assume each of the four poses modeled on the HEAT bus!

Snow and Ice Hit Piedmont Triad Area

Yesterday, morning temperatures hovered around freezing and the ground was dusted with a light snow. The above leaves and sweet gum balls are frozen in a thin sheet of ice. School was cancelled and children were able to stay home and watch the inauguration with their families. In the South, we talk about the possibility of a snow storm for days. By the time it arrives, our pantries are stocked and we are prepared.  Today, it is supposed to be sunny, but cold. Likely, we'll be back to business as usual. Thank you for stopping by Greensboro Daily Photo!

President Barack Obama

In the 2008 presidential election, North Carolina was a battleground state.  To garner votes, then-Senator Obama visited Greensboro three times (March 26, August 20, and September 27, 2008). In the end, with a difference of less than 20,000 votes, Barack Obama won North Carolina's 15 electorial votes.

Today, regardless of political affiliation, everyone in Greensboro is talking about the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Coffee shops, restaurants, and bars are showing the televised coverage. School students will watch the swearing in ceremony. At least one local book club is planning an inaugural luncheon. On Elm Street, it is as if you can hear music rising from the instruments in the above music store and the "Yes We Can" poster has come to life. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Facing west,the bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (by Wilbur Lee Map, 1994) is located at the crossroads of South Elm Street and Martin Luther King Jr Drive. The plaque reads, "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , planned to speak at Trinity AME Zion Church in Greensboro (a few blocks from here) on April 4, 1968. He canceled his visit to Greensboro to remain in Memphis where he was assassinated on that day."

Lake Jeanette Independent Baptist Church

This humble little house of worship on North Church Street is a picture of the Old South, the Greensboro of yesteryear. As dogs bark outside the house next door, the wooden cross at the tip of the steeple beckons..... PRAY.  A simple, white, "no frills" structure, the Lake Jeanette Independent Baptist Church is located near a bait and tackle shop on what used to be a quiet, country road. The saying on the marquee at the edge of the lot changes weekly. On the cold, January night the picture was taken, it read, "Pray for our Country." 

Painted Person Spotted in Front of Browsery on Elm St.

Yes this photo was taken a couple of summers ago. However, what better way to be transported from the heart of winter than to reflect on warmer times! Here we see a man advertising his painted body show in front of the Browsery Antique and Book Store on South Elm Street. While the painted man is long gone, Charles and Ben are still working hard at the Browsery, eager to share with you their vast knowledge of books, glassware, antiques and all things related to Greensboro.

UNCG's Little Log Cabin

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Before we tell you where this little log cabin is located, guess!......... If you know the answer, you have probably been living in Greensboro for a while. If you know the history of this structure, you are a local! 

The answer: In the 1930's, the log cabin was built with federal monies on the campus of the  University of North Carolina Greensboro.   It was used for recreational offices and was located near the athletic fields on Walker Avenue. Later, it became the headquarters of the chief of campus police. In the early 1990's, the cabin was moved 1/2 mile west on Walker Avenue to make room for UNCG's new recreation center. Today, the log house is a private residence. 

Allen W. Trelease, a UNCG professor emeritus in History, mentions the log cabin in his  comprehensive, 680 page history of the university. Check out his book, Making North Carolina Literate.

Southern Marker into Downtown Greensboro

At the corner of South Elm and Lee Streets, you will find the above piece of sculpture. Two very active Greensboro residents,  Ricki and Sidney Gray, spotted this air compressor (from a naval ship) languishing on a lot and, together with the owner, recommissioned it to become "Planet Earth." Eventually, they would like to find a metal sculptor to weld the words, "Old Greensborough" on top of this, soon to become, Greensboro landmark.

Tranquilities Gift Shop

Tranquilities Gift Shop is located on the corner of Chapman and Spring Garden Streets in what was formerly a Pure Gas Station. The A-line roof, painted brick, and striped awning, give the building a cottage look. If you visit this locally-owned, one-of-a-kind store, be sure to stop by the bathroom where photos from yesteryear are displayed. Plenty of off-street parking, a coffee shop across the street, a nice restaurant, music store and bakery near by. If you haven't already, venture out, just west of UNCG campus, and discover some neat stores.

Cultural Arts District (Promenade)

This tree-lined promenade is found in front of of the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street. Even on a gray winter day, walking through the cultural arts district is inspiring. Russian writer Anton Chekhov strolled along Yalta's promenade people watching and getting ideas for his fiction. Likely, Greensboro author O. Henry spent time walking along our tree lined streets.

Guilford College

Classes start up again at Guilford College. The fourth oldest degree-granting institution in North Carolina, Guilford College was founded in 1837 by The Society of Friends (Quakers). This liberal arts college is listed in Colleges That Change Lives and is one of the few college campuses in the nation listed as a National Historic District.

Centenary United Methodist Church

Centenary United Methodist Church, as stated on their website, is "at the intersection of Friendly and Elam and the intersection of Thee, you and me."  This stained glass window, prominently featured at the front of the church, is visually stunning (from the inside).  Additionally, the church offers great sermons and wonderful religious programs.

Centenary UMC of Greensboro is well known for the fall pumpkin sale. You know it is October when you are driving along Friendly Avenue and see pumpkins of all sizes spilling out on the lawn and youth group members helping people load pumpkins into their cars. If you attend this church, please post a message here telling us a beautiful memory you have about your church.

Horses in Guilford County

In 2005, North Carolina was rated 8th in the nation in total horse numbers and Guilford County was ranked near the top. However, on average, North Carolina loses 3 acres of farmland a day to development; a statistic that affects opportunities to board and ride horses.  Nevertheless, places to ride in Greensboro abound and are available through public and private organizations. If you are a local rider and have a good horse story, add a comment.

Shopping on Elm St.

Happy Friday! Guilford County school teachers and students have been back into the routine of teaching and learning for a week now. Greensboro Daily Photo has completed a week of blogging. To celebrate, a stroll along Elm Street is in order. Greensboro has wonderful locally-owned businesses and Elm Street is full of them. Nothing beats having a proprietor to attend to your shopping and dining needs.

Above, is a photograph of soothing bath salts from Terra Blue at 518 South Elm. Sarah has been making bath salts for nearly a decade and has perfected the recipe. Additionally, Terra Blue offers her special blend of coffee, beads for jewelry making and an array of unique items. The bath salts are placed in antique French apothecary jars purchased at Lion's Crown Antiques at 536 South Elm. Post a comment letting  us know what you enjoy about Elm Street.

Community One Bank

Community One was started over 100 years ago in nearby Randolph County as the First National Bank of Asheboro. It moved into the Greensboro Market within the past few years, offering an alternative to larger banks that dominate the market. 

Merry Russian Christmas

Following the old Julian calendar, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7th. So, Merry Russian Christmas today. 

The photo above was taken in the Sunset Hills neighborhood of Greensboro. Since early December, the trees have been brimming with chicken wire balls covered with strands of lights. These light balls are hurled high into the mature trees lining the streets. No still photo can capture the sensation of walking through Sunset Hills where so many people come together to participate in this festive tradition. Truly, the sum is greater than the parts.

As the Christmas season wanes, these lights are being retrieved (no small task) and saved for Christmas 2009.

Breaking Up Christmas

 

As the Christmas season comes to a close, the above old-time dancers just may be dancing to the fiddle tune, "Breaking Up Christmas."  Breaking Up Christmas parties are held in Greensboro; however, they are believed to have originated in nearby Surry County.   In the days before electricity and multi-media entertainment, people would gather in each others' homes, push back the furniture and dance to fiddle and banjo tunes. These parties remain especially popular in the time between Christmas and the Epiphany,today, January 6th (read more about the Appalachian tradition here). Guilford County is home to many fabulous old-time musicians and dancers, many of whom are, well, breaking up Christmas. Listen to master old-time fiddler, Benten Flippen, playing Breaking Up Christmas here.

 

If your New Year's resolution was to exercise more, put on your dancing shoes and head on over to the Vintage Theater in Winston-Salem TONIGHT to hear two fine Greensboro old-time musicians, Rich Hartness and Tolly Tollefson, with Kenny Greer calling (7:30 dance lessons, 8- 10 pm dancing; $7). 

Old Horsepen Creek Road

Farmhouses with livestock, outbuildings, tilled gardens, cedar trees, persimmons, black walnuts, grapevines, and plenty of surrounding land are relics of the way Horsepen Creek Road looked in the past. While still standing (barely), this farmhouse is an anomaly amid the townhouses, private schools, sports facilities and planned neighborhoods on Horsepen Creek today.

St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church

Sunday is church day and Greensboro has many architecturally interesting houses of worship. St. Paul the Apostle, located at the corner of Horsepen Creek and New Garden Roads, dedicated the above sanctuary in 1993. With a roof line that looks like a skateboard ramp, this church is easy to identify.  If you attend St. Paul, please share an interesting story or uplifting thought about your parish.

Adam's Hair Studio

Adam's Hair Studio, perched on a hill at the corner of Oakland Ave. and Holden Road, is a Greensboro landmark. I'm sure the round building has a great history. Presently, it is for sale by owner. Surely, someone has a use for a 360 degree building. Can't you just imagine it as some trendy business? It looks like a giant flower pot! 

 If you know about the history of this building, please share the information as a comment. I will post another photograph later in the year if the building gets transformed or repurposed.

Happy New Year!

A night scene at the corner of Elm and W. McGee Streets in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. 

Welcome to Greensboro Daily Photo (GDP). GDP is my foray into the blogging world. On days that I don't get out to take pictures of the people, events, and places in Greensboro, I'll share shots of collectibles, especially North Carolina pottery and hand-blown, 20th century, American glassware.  GDP is in good company as our city is blessed with another daily photo blog, In Good Light.