Greensboro Daily Photo

Another Crown Victoria, This One a la Wes Anderson, Spotted in Greensboro

Last week's Crown Victoria, "Not a Cop", was traced to Reconsidered Goods. This week's Crown Victoria was spotted at Common Grounds Coffee Shop. With a quick google search of its hashtag, #SANTASVIC, we learned that an article about this car was published in Jackson County, Mississippi in 2019 when owner John Queen was headed back to Texas for a visit. Queen lives in Greensboro now and his car continues to turn heads and bring smiles. The white Christmas tree stays firmly secured on top 365 days a year and appears to be Interstate-proof. In the referenced article, Queen says the decorating started first as a competition with a friend, and also to bring joy to people. A quick review of the bumper stickers reveals so much about the owner, from political party to places visited, and hot beverage of choice- to name a few. Most of all, the car reveals the owner's commitment to Christmas decorations.

As for the title of today's post, clearly, it is a nod to Wes Anderson. We wanted to have a little fun this past weekend and went in search of a scene in Greensboro that evoked the aesthetic of film director Wes Anderson. We were inspired by the Instagram page @AccidentallyWesAnderson. Anderson's photos are recognizable by their iconic visual elements such as: unified color palate, use of everyday objects with a twist, playful patterns, and vintage items. These are some recurring elements in Anderson's movies*  Well, when we saw this scene in front of Common Grounds Coffee Shop in Lindley Park, at the corner of Elam and Walker Avenue, we were stopped in our tracks. This was it. It was as if the scene were staged for us, and even better, it also fits with what just may be emerging as a "Crown Vic/Greensboro" hashtag! 

 

*reference and more information.  

Hunter Elementary: The Old Building

Hunter Elementary School's website provides a very interesting history of the school. We usually write our own verbiage on GDP, but this information is so important, as is:

"Thomas A. Hunter owned the factory located in the neighborhood (the former Cotton Mill Square on the corner of Merritt Drive and Spring Garden Street).  He wanted the best for the children whose parents worked in the mill and saw that a small school was built for them.  Hunter Elementary School, then Pomona Mills School, opened for students in 1929 in the neighborhood that was called Pomona. It was a county school in those days but conveniently accessible by the trolley.  Because of his deep concern for the school, Mr. Hunter was allowed to select the first principal, Mrs. Robert A. (Mabel) Merritt. who became a teaching principal for the school. When the old wooden school was replaced with an updated brick building, Mrs. Merritt requested of the Greensboro City Board of Education that the school’s name be changed to Thomas A. Hunter School to honor the late Mr. Hunter.

Mrs. Merritt served as the principal from 1918-1950, in many cases seeing to her student’s needs by reaching out to her church, West Market United Methodist, to provide clothes during the Depression. Upon her retirement in 1950, the city of Greensboro renamed the road where Hunter Elementary is located to Merritt Drive.  "I want the children around here to have a school as good as any city school. I want them to have good books to study and good books to read for special enjoyment." said Mrs. Merritt.  

Hunter Elementary has gone through many changes and improvements during the past 78 years, but Mrs. Merritt's philosophy still holds true. We do want our children to have a school as good as every other school and we do want our children to have good books for study and enjoyment. However, we want and expect much, much more of and for our students." (reference). Today is ABC Wednesday for for "X" we present the school that has been crossed off the map. See the rest of ABC Wednesday, Greensboro Round 20, here.

W is for Workers

If you follow Greensboro Daily Photo, you know how much construction is taking place in Greensboro these days. Literally, the city is being reinvented before our eyes. Some construction is major, like the Battleground Stamey's BBQ being completely rebuilt. Some construction is more cosmetic. For example, the above photo features the SAPPORO and Jersey Mike's on Battleground in the Earthfare plaza, near the completely new Starbuck's. This sign appears to be a facade attached to the front of the building featuring the above two businesses. 

If you'll notice, there is a man at the top of the building. None of this construction can take place without workers; and, they are everywhere and working very hard. Working today was a bit challenging, if you were still working when the WET WEATHER hit Greensboro. We had a deluge.

Today is ABC Wednesday and, for Round 20, "W" is for "workers. If you see a worker, consider treating him/her a cup of coffee and, at the very least, if they are working hard, thank them. We love the way this cloud hovered behind this worker and actually made his neon shirt stand out.

V is for VF Corporation

VF Corporation is an global apparel and footwear company headquartered in Greensboro. The original company was founded in 1899. VF has over thirty brands. Lee, Wrangler, The North Face, Timberland,  and Vans are some of the brands owned by VF. According to their website, they have a global workforce of more than 60,000 employees. Recently, VF published statement that they disagree with the response of the White House regarding climate change and VF expressed a commitment to limiting emissions and helping mitigate the impacts of climate change.*

Greensboro, with its robust textile industry in the 20th century, was known as the denim capital of the world. Many Greensboro residents associate VF with jeans. We are, after all,  a "jeans" town- even in our public artwork. Some communities have fiberglass pigs, bulls, horses, etc. Greensboro has fiberglass jeans, artfully painted, downtown.

If you are interested, here is a very thorough timeline of the history of VF, where you will learn facts like the fact that VF actually stands for Vanity Fair. Originally located in Pennsylvania, VF relocated to Greensboro in the late 1990's. Above is a photo of their corporate headquarters off of North Elm Street. Below is the sign at the entrance. Today is ABC Wednesday and "V" is for "VF." See our A-U Round 20 lineup, here.

* See the VF website for reference and more information (here). 

U is for Used (Books)

Greensboro has three bookstores that offer used books: Scuppernong on Elm Street; Pages Past on Spring Garden Street; and, Edward McKay on Battleground Avenue (featured above). Like many other brick and mortar businesses, used bookstores have had to either find a niche market or diversify. Scuppernong hosts a lot of community events; Pages Past focuses on rare books; and Edward McKay has DVD's, albums, and buys used textbooks. As people have access to just about anything they want to read via computers and phones and can have Amazon ship items with the click of a button, bookstores need to be destinations and gathering places. Finding a balance between being conducive to hanging out, yet enticing customers to make purchases can be tricky.

Hopefully, these bookstores will remain in Greensboro for a very long time and will depend on the reading habits of this younger generation of digital natives. For those who are committed to reducing waste in the environment, "used" is the new "new", new to the new owner, that is. And, with that trend, books just may be with us for a while longer. If you like to read books on paper, consider stopping by one of our great used bookstores. Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "U" is for "used."

T is for Taco Tuesday

Taco Tuesday is a fun excuse to go out to dinner and eat affordably. The above photo was taken at El Azteca Mexican Restaurant at Quaker Village, across from Greensboro College. On Mondays, they have a fish taco special and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, their tacos are $1.50 each. So, if you missed Taco Tuesday yesterday, mark your calendar for Taco Thursday, tomorrow!

The waiters here will entertain you by bringing to your table four or more trays balanced on one arm. El Azteca also has a food truck you can rent out for special events. Mexican restaurants always seem to have a happy, upbeat atmosphere. As an example, the lights and papel picado banners on the ceiling above add to the ambiance.  If El Azteca is not convenient to your neighborhood, not to worry, Greensboro has no shortage of wonderful Mexican Restaurants. Do you have a favorite?

Today is ABC Wednesday, and "T" is for (imagine the ultra staccato sound of the trumpets announcing) "TTTTTT...Taco Tuesday." See the A-R Round 20 entries, here.

S is for Skateboarding

Skateboarding is both sport and hobby that can also be transportation from Point A to Point B. If you are a middle schooler, skateboarding is a great way to pass time- learning tricks, perfecting jumps, and trying those moves in places with signs reading "no skateboarding allowed." The above photo, taken a couple of weeks ago,  features two young skateboarders in a pop-up skate space at the back corner of Four Flocks and Larder on Spring Garden Street.  It seemed like good, clean fun. The above skateboarders were very respectful of pedestrians and stayed well within the confines of their designated space. 

Skateboarding is big business. There are over 11 million skateboarders in the world and the sport will be represented at the 2020 Olympic Games. It is a relatively young sport, with the first makeshift skateboards appearing in the 1940's. Those early skateboards are a lot cruder (boxes with wheels) than the boards the guys are using above. The early skate parks were empty, California swimming pools. Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "S" is for "Skateboarding." To you boarders out there, may your kick flips and pop shove-its be everything you want them to be. Hope to see you in Tokyo!

Revision Vintage

Today, we continue along East Market Street to the Revision Vintage shop of clothing, furniture, jewelry, and oddities. It opened May 5th at 313 East Market Street on the corner at Church Street and directly across from the event space known as the Cadillac Service Garage. The above photo features four of the five young women who own and stock the shop. The great creative team of Kim, Pam, Kristin, Lindsey and Britt (not photographed) grew their brick and mortar business from their pop up stores, realizing how well they worked together and the success of their collective collections.

Revision Vintage is proof positive that Greensboro is slowly expanding eastward. If you want to see for yourself, Revision Vintage is open on Thursday (12-6); Friday & Saturday (12-7); and Sunday (1-5). Additionally, the store offers great First Friday parties and dress up parties for grown ups. You can also make a private appointment on Monday-Wednesday in case you have some special needs like clothing for a theme party, special event attire, or you have vintage items to sell. If you like all things vintage, head over and introduce yourself to the Great Quintet at Revision Vintage, or call them at 336-617-3789.

The photo below features the store's façade. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our Round 20 Series,  "R" is for "Revision Vintage."

Q is for Quaker Village

Quaker Village, a shopping center with a combination of locally owned and chain stores, is conveniently located across from Guilford College on West Friendly Avenue. Quaker Village opened in 1964 and thrived for many years until suffering bankruptcy in 2010. Quaker Village got a facelift in 2014 when a neighborhood Wal-Mart was added and many other changes were made. Based on long lines yesterday, it appears that business in the village is booming. We were there at dinnertime and several of the restaurants had lines out the door. 

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, Q is for Quaker Village. Since we've featured Quaker Village before, initially, we had planned to feature "Quilting by Linda" at 7349 West Friendly Avenue. The address led us to a business park near the airport, When we arrived in the complex, "Quilting by Linda" was no longer there. One of our previous posts for the "Q" round of ABC Wednesday was Dennis Quaintance; lucky for Greensboro, he is still here! We haven't featured Mr. Quaintance for six years. If we start planning now, maybe we can interview him for the next round. We also hope to meet the barbers at QV barber and style. It is nice to keep the ideas flowing. And, if you ever have ideas, please share! After all, you're the reason we are here.

P is for People

The friendly, positive people of Greensboro are the reason we have maintained this daily photo site for over eight years. Last month, when we were on a photo shoot, walking along West Market Street and Elam, the passengers in an Accura sedan, stopped at a red light, rolled down the window and said, "Photograph us!" There are two kinds of people, those who hide from cameras and those who see out opportunities to get their pictures taken. The people in this car were in the latter category. They seemed so joyful and loving life that they wanted to share their smiles with the world. Their smiles were so perfect and heartfelt. We only had time to get the one photo of the couple, when the light changed and off they drove.

Today for ABC Wednesday, the letter is "P" and for our Round 20 Series, "P" is for "People," the people of Greensboro- not only the people in the above car, but you, too, dear readers!

O is for Outfield

Baseball season is upon us and, in Greensboro, there are opportunities to play and watch baseball at just about every level and for every age group. Pre-collegiate players have opportunties ranging from rec ball to more intense AAU ball. Greensboro is home to the minor league baseball team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. High Point could also be getting a minor league ball team for their proposed downtown stadium. Also, the local high schools have baseball teams, as do all of the local institutions of higher education. Literally, you can find baseball diamonds in every end of the county. The above photo was taken at an April 8th home game for the UNCG Spartans and features Spartan player Justin Embler (#8) safely sliding into 3rd base. The Spartans won that day against Furman. 

If you are looking for affordable summer fun, baseball game entrance tickets are very reasonably priced. The Grasshoppers have theme days, frequent fireworks displays, and plenty for young children to do if they tire of sitting in their seats. Today is ABC Wednesday and for "O" on our Round 20 Series, "O" is for "outfield."  To all the left, center, and right fielders (positions 7, 8, 9 respectively) in the outfield, today, we salute YOU and may all those fly balls land in your glove!

N is for Neighborhood

Greensboro neighborhoods have very distinct personalities. Sunset Hills is known for their location, convenient to Friendly Center and to downtown, and their lighted chicken wire decorations at Christmas. The above photo features the oldest house in Sunset Hills, located at 2702 West Market Street. This two-story home, in the Colonial Revival style, was built in 1895 and was relocated to the present lot in the early 1930s.

According to their National Register of Historic Homes application, the Sunset Hills neighborhood comprises 280 acres west of downtown Greensboro. It was developed in the 1920s, so having a house from the 19th century is unusual. The giant magnolia trees on either side of the lot hide the home from the street on this heavily-traveled section of West Market Street. The owners, who are only second owners since 1977, probably like the protection from road noise; however, it would be nice to be able to see more of their historic home. You can actually get a better look of the 3,000+ sq. ft. structure from the Elam Street side.

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for Round 20, "N" is for "Neighborhood, " specifically, the Sunset Hills neighborhood which, in addition to the Christmas ball decorations, is known for having neighborly neighbors who are frequently out walking along the tree-lined sidewalks.

M is for McGee Street

The above photo was taken on McGee Street, just off Hamburger Square, in downtown Greensboro. The statue is of General Nathanael Greene, the Revolutionary War General for whom Greensboro is named. (The statue itself  is actually located in the center of the round-about at Keith Holliday Circle). On days with beautiful sunsets, this view from West McGee Street is most spectacular. General Greene eternally stands guard over our fair city, as if protecting us. The bronze statue on a granite base was made by sculptor James Barnhill and dedicated in 2008. It was sponsored by the Bryan Foundation. Read more about the statue on this thorough page. 

While the General Greene is stealing the show, today's focus is McGee Street, a street that ribbons through Greensboro from just past Natty Greene's Restaurant on the east side to Edgar Street in College Hill in the west. It is a street full of life, evident from the patio of Natty Greene's or at the outside seating of M'Coul's Public House at 110 W. McGee.

Today is ABC Wednesday and M is for McGee Street. See our ABC Wednesday, Round 20 A-L entries here. In the meantime, consider walking the length of McGee Street!

 

L is for Lake

Some cities are built around rivers. Greensboro doesn't have a river, but we do have some lovely lakes. Hamilton Lakes is the name of a local community that is now part of the city of Greensboro. According to the city's website, the Hamilton Lakes neighborhood has over sixty acres of recreational opportunities. There are trails, natural wooded areas, a stream, a playground, and limited access lakes.

If you know the bodies of water in the neighborhood, you will have seen the mated pair of swans. The above photo features Mr. Swan who is dutifully patrolling the shoreline guarding his partner and their egg. She diligently sits on the egg, perched on their throne-like nest. He glides back and forth, ever willing to flap his wings and use his forceful beak on anybody who gets too close. Hats off to him. It will be lovely to see the swan family swimming around together this spring. When we do, we will snap a photo and appropriately title it "Swan Lake." For now, we'll respect their privacy and hope that the egg makes it to term.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "L" is for "Lake" (Swan Lake).  See A-K, here!

K is for Kernodle (Middle School)

Kernodle Middle School, located at 3600 Drawbridge Parkway, opened on August 21st, 2000. It is located between Carolyn S. Allen Community Park and Well Spring Retirement Community.  The school was named for John R. Kernodle, Jr., a native of Burlington, NC and an exemplary citizen in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina. He was a lawyer and theologian who served many civic positions, including serving as Chairman of the Eastern Music Festival and Chairperson of the Guilford County Board of Education.* This personable man was known for his commitment to social justice and for having a "wide smile and welcoming personality." He died in 1995 when he was only 50 years old as a result of being hit by a car in Atlanta.

Kernodle Middle School is well-loved by its stakeholders and were Mr. Kernodle alive today, he would be proud of the hard work on the part of students, teachers, and staff at his namesake school. In 1973, Ethel Stephens Arnett published a book, For Whom Our Public Schools Were Named, Greensboro, North Carolina. After 44 years and many new schools, we say it is high time for a new volume. To be sure, Mr. Kernodle would merit an entry.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "K" is for "Kernodle" (the school and the man). See ABC Wednesday posts around the world, here; and Greensboro Daily Photo's A-J, Round 20, entries, here.

 *reference and more information about Mr. Kernodle, here.

 

J is for Jewish Federation

The Greensboro Jewish Federation building is located at the corner of Friendly Avenue and Dolley Madison Road. The Federation has two constituent agencies, The Jewish Foundation of Greensboro and Jewish Family Services. As stated on their website, the "Federation has been supporting, sustaining and revitalizing Jewish life for nearly a century." They provide many important services to the local Jewish community. Their assistance extends to financial, emotional, physical and spiritual support. Their website alone is a wealth of information related to issues important to the Jewish community. From seeking grants and scholarships for travel to Israel to attending Jewish overnight camps locally, the website of the Greensboro Jewish Federation is a good place to start. The Federation also offers plenty of opportunities to volunteer and provide financial donations to support their efforts.

Since the 1800's, Greensboro's Jewish community has played a leadership role in many facets of life here. Moses and Ceasar Cone arrived in Greensboro, at the end of the 19th century.  The Cone family name became associated with textile industrialism, conservation, and philanthropy. Moses Cone convinced another pair of Jewish brothers, the Sternbergers, to move to Greensboro, in part because of the acceptance he felt by the Greensboro community. Greensboro's early Jewish families, like the above Federation, are at the root of Jewish life in Greensboro.*

Today is ABC Wednesday and J is for Jewish Federation. See our A-I entries, here. See a close-up view of the tree of life/ Star of David decoration on the building's facade, below.

 

*reference and more information, here.    

I is for International Women's Day

Today is the 106th year of International Women's Day. To quote the campaign's website, "March 8th is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity." Local initiatives in North Carolina include encouraging women to campaign for advancement and to stay home from work today to heighten awareness of how much women contribute to the workforce. At least one school district in North Carolina is closed today because of concern about not finding sufficient substitute teachers. The irony is that today is also the annual statewide tornado drill day. With or without their female teachers, at 9:30 a.m., all students in the State will move to safe shelter and assume the crouched, facing-the-wall position. 

On another note, today's photo is a poster at the city parking deck on Bellemeade and Elm Streets. It features Prlyanka Ruparella, a Ph.D. student at Greensboro's Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. According to the school's website, out of fourteen full-time faculty, one nano science faculty is a female and one nano engineering faculty is a female. Let's hope that more women, like the one featured on the poster, decide to pursue these specialized science fields. To be sure, it is hard work. To be sure, women deserve equal pay for equal work. 

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for Round 20, "I" is for "International Women's Day", which has been celebrated in the USA only since 1975. In Cuba, Madagascar, and Uzbekistan, it is an official holiday. Here's to crouching and facing the wall at 9:30 and standing up and cheering at noon!

H is for Heart

This past Saturday,  Allen-Tate Realtors gathered at their office on Green Valley Road to sew for the Scarves 4 Warmth Project. The workday was sponsored by Realtor Kelly Creed. Many of her Allen-Tate colleagues filled their training room to make scarves that will be donated to people in need of a little warmth. The bright, cheerful scarves, often with hearts and crosses sewn on them, send a message that even though you are down on your luck, you can know that an assembly-line of people is behind the scenes supporting you. 

Standing in the back is Bobby Craddock, the project's founder. If you would like to volunteer with the Scarves for Warmth Project or schedule a workshop, email Bobby at [email protected]. We have the feeling this project is the start of something even bigger. Finally, we'd like to send a big thank you to the Green Valley, Allen-Tate crew. They made some beautiful scarves.

Today is ABC Wednesday and we're sharing "H" is for "Heart" as part of the Round 20 series.

G Is For Greensboro

A proper entrance has a way of defining a space. In homes, it is known as curb appeal, that all-important first impression. In retail, the entrance is the first chance the business has to win over the customer; in restaurants, especially, it can determine if the diners will stay or leave. Cities can make first impressions, too. The above brick sign, located on Battleground Avenue at Westridge and Old Battleground, announces a driver's arrival into Greensboro.

This part of Greensboro, near Guilford Military Park, experienced tremendous construction in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was annexed in 1984.* We're betting the sign was constructed during that time. At any rate, it announces Greensboro in a part of town that has long been south of the city's actual northern limits. If you picked a new sign for a city today, what it would it look like? Perhaps it would be a vinyl banner in INTRO RUST or Sofia Pro font. 

Today is ABC Wednesday and in Greensboro, options abound for the letter "G".  For Round 20, "G" is for Greensboro!

* reference and interesting document, here.

F is for Florist

Valentine's Day is one of busiest days of the year at Scruggs Florist, located on Lawndale Avenue in Irving Park. The above photo shows one of the many stunning arrangements that flew out the door yesterday. The Scruggs family opened the shop in 1952. Today, Martha and Robert Scruggs run the business that Mr. Scruggs mother started sixty-five years ago.

The photo below features Mr. Scruggs who took the time to talk to us while his wife and employees attended to the flood of orders. Mr. Scruggs graduated from Greensboro Senior High School (now Grimeley). He studied textiles at N.C. State University and went on to work at Cone Mills for 40 years; making the floral industry his second career. If you want to get a feel for the genteel mannerisms of Old Greensboro and talk to someone who has watched Greensboro and the textile and floral industries  change over the decades, head to Scruggs Florist and talk to the owners.

The variety of petals seen below on the workroom floor provides insight into the lively bouquets assembled on Valentine's Day. Mr. and Mrs. Scruggs and employees, if you read this post, please know we are applauding you for your calm, professional demeanor as you assisted those who waited until the last minute to seek your services.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "F" is for florist. See our Round 20, A-E featured posts, here. 

 

E is for Elam

Elam Avenue runs through the heart of Lindley Park. The above photo features the Corner Farmers Market at the corner of Elam and Walker Avenue. What started as a small effort has evolved into a weekly farmers market that has been tremendous for community building. Neighbors gather, people jumpstart their dreams by selling produce, soap, baked goods, or anything else that has the potential to transform from a cottage industry into big business. This regional market sells local produce and products from 8:00 am until noon. Noon is about the time the parking lot needs to be used by the adjacent businesses, especially Sticks and Stones.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, E is for Elam. Farmers Markets are starting to pop up all over Greensboro. This one on Elam, however, can't be beat. It is a great way to buy local while getting out to socialize with neighbors.

 

D is for Downtown on February First

February 1st is a big day for Greensboro. February 1, 1960 at 4:30 p.m., four African-American college students attending NC A&T University, sat down at the above Woolworth Store at the "whites-only" lunch counter insisting on being served a cup of coffee. The students remained at the lunch counter, a form of non-violent protest, until the store closed that evening. These sit-ins continued and grew in participation, building momentum for the Civil Rights Movement.

The above photo was taken on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday at "ground zero" for the Greensboro Sit-Ins. These children were downtown with their father spending the day learning about Civil Rights and skipping along West February 1.  The building is no longer Woolworth Co, but the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (IRCM).

The February theme for the City Daily Photo Community is "Loving Life". We will share this photo with the CDP Community because these three, happy children exemplify "Loving Life." Today also happens to be ABC Wednesday and "D" is for "Downtown", a fabulous place for teaching children about our city and its history. If you are interested in helping to support Greensboro civil rights history, the ICRM is holding a fundraiser today to help fund field trips for children 336-274-9199. For the price of a designer cup of coffee, you can help a child learn about civil rights.

C is for Coliseum Complex... and Champions!

The above photo features the part of the Coliseum Complex that leads to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Hall of Champions. The Hall of Champions opened March 2, 2011. It is hard to believe that it has been in Greensboro almost six years. The display features the history of the conference as well as its long relationship to North Carolina. The ACC is an American collegiate athletic conference and it sponsors competition in twenty-five sports. In 1953, the ACC was founded in Guilford County, in Sedgefield. If you like college athletics and are local, you owe it to yourself to spend some time at this facility.

In the above photo, a dad explains some sports concepts to his small children as they listen intently. The children were so well behaved and engrossed in the conversation. Whether he was ever an ACC athlete or not, in the minds of his children, this dad is a true champion. With so much negative press these days, the scene reminds us there is good in humanity and it starts at home.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "C" is for "coliseum" and "champion."

B is for Barns

The Greensboro area still has many structures from the last century, reminding us of our rural roots. The above photo of a tobacco barn was taken on Highway 220 North, north of Greensboro and near Stokesdale. It is a fairly typical tobacco barn, about 20' x 20' square, with a tin roof and built of hewn logs and mortar. In the 1950's, there were half a million in this area, which was part of  the tobacco belt. Growing tobacco was one of North Carolina's primary crops. You may remember names like Winston, Salem, Lucky Strike, and Kool. Those were some of our local tobacco products. They all got there start in a barn similar to the one in the above photo.

Today, tobacco growing has decreased and only an estimated 50,000 tobacco barns remain in North Carolina.* The exterior view of the above tobacco barn appears to be in pretty good shape. It will be interesting to see if it gets restored or if it falls in the hands of crafters who will dismantle it for the wood. It is doubtful that it is still used for tobacco. It sure evokes nostalgia for yesteryear. Do you have any memories of curing tobacco or working in the barns?

Today is ABC Wednesday and for ABC Round 20, their final round, B is for Barn, specifically Tobacco Barns.

* reference and more information.

A is for Audree

LuLaRoe Audree Hatchett is one of the most upbeat and positive people you will meet. She always has a smile on her face and treats everyone with dignity and respect. Audree signed on as a LuLaRoe consultant in December.  LuLaRoe is known for their soft leggings, but they have other items too- like the elegant outfit Audree is wearing. A mother of three, Audree is so excited to be the new owner of a home-based business. Audree lives in Greensboro and enjoys meeting clients in person, but also loves her on-line customers. In this Internet era, entrepreneurs like Audree can realize the dream of owning and managing a business online. She also does in-home pop-ups and live sales on Facebook.  

We love to feature Greensboro's newest entrepreneurs, whether they have brick and mortar operations or online stores. Join Audree's Facebook group (here) e-mail her at [email protected] if you want to shop with her.

Today starts a new round of ABC Wednesday and, we're kicking it off with "A" for LuLaRoe Audree Hatchett! For this round of ABC Wednesday, we're not committing to a theme, but we're thinking we'd like to feature people. With your help, we might be able to do so. If you know of someone positive, upbeat, and encouraging in Greensboro, let us know and we'll do our best to feature them. We've still got B-Z available!