Greensboro Daily Photo

College Hill Sundries Interior

Recently, we posted an exterior view of College Hill Sundries. In case you haven't been side, here is an interior view. After a few visits, it is the kind of an everybody-knows-your-name sort of place. It is located at 900 Spring Garden Street, at the corner of Mendenhall Street. The establishment has been open for over 40 years and if you look around, it looks like not much has changed from yesteryear. The establishment is larger than it appears as in the back there is a pool table and more space for people to stand around. 

According to Triad City Beat, owner Jason Paul is part owner of Westerwood Tavern and Hops Burger Bar. Keep your out for special events held there. They are a perfect opportunity to visit the establishment and have a look around, especially if you don't just want to sit and have a brew. It has been such an anchor business in College Hill, a neighborhood that has been designated a historic district since 1980.

Happy midweek, almost April!

College Hill Sundries

College Hill Sundries is located at 900 Spring Garden Street at South Mendenhall. Most people know the corner establishment from the iconic Pepsi sign painted on the South Mendenhall side. See our post from 2009 (HERE- 14 years ago!!!), and you will see the Pepsi sign. We like this photo from yesterday because it shows what a dynamic place this neighborhood bar is. First, you see the "WILD FREE" hand-painted sign on the wooden, corner door. We believe that that is from the artists' pop up held there yesterday. On the left, you see one of the artists showing his work. Above his head, you see the "bike lane" sign, an important features for a college neighborhood. On the right, is a masseuse giving a massage at the special event. Finally, the sun was very bright yesterday and formed an arc over the middle of the photo. To the very right, you can see someone sitting at the bar. The place was hopping. From patrons to bartenders to vendors, everyone seemed in a cheerful mood. 

It took a little internet sleuthing and a some math to figure out when College Hill Sundries opened as a bar. In a News & Record article from 12/12/2001, we saw a reference to the King family who turned the location from a drugstore to a bar "19 years ago", which, since the article was written in 2001, would mean the bar opened in 1982, making it 41 years old this December! College Hill Sundries had its years as a dive bar with bathrooms that were barely tolerable. As explained in the 2001 article and verified by us yesterday, the bathrooms have been upgraded and  the beer selections modernized. From that same era (2001), the magazine "Men's Journal" listed College Hill  as one of the 50 best bars in America. The only bar in North Carolina to receive recognition in the publication. Oh the things one can happen upon, merely driving around town. 

We hope to see an add for the next pop up. If you are a vendor, you may want to inquire within to see about getting a spot.

Happy Monday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2023

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Greensboro will be awash with all things green, especially green libations for adults interested in partaking.*  As for us, we are out with our trusty canine looking for leprechauns and pots of gold. So far, all we have only managed to find is a little green man on a manhole cover. He has been painted green by the utility company. Do you think that is a hint treasure is nearby?  We have written about manhole covers twice on Greensboro Daily Photo; once in 2012 when we dug into the history of the Pomona Foundry that used to be in Greensboro and made manhole covers (see here). If our research is correct, they were acquired by Acme Castings left and moved from Greensboro (Pomona area near West Market and Spring Garden Streets) in 1969.

The second time we featured manhole covers was just about a year ago, when we were navigating the During-COVID- Era (DCE?) and wrote about the manhole rubbings done by Vito Ciccone (see here). That is an interesting post, if you haven't read it already. There, you can see that the above manhole cover design says "City of Greensboro North Carolina 1808" and you will realize the man in the middle is General Nathanael Greene, not a leprechaun. Do you have any manhole covers near where you live or walk? If so, look at what they say on them. We're wondering if any new covers are still cast with "Greensboro" or "Pomona" on them. What do the new ones say? These manhole covers weigh from 90-250 pounds. Do you know why they are round? Because the circle shape prevents them from ever being able to collapse inside!

Enough about manhole covers. We think we'll head over to M'Coul's Public House on West McGee Street downtown and have one of their (what we call) Irish meal bites: Deep fried, wonton wrapped corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots.

Happy Friday! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

* See here for these adult events.

Dr Alvin Blount, Mural on South Elm Street

Thursday was such a warm day in Greensboro, at 81ºF, the warmest February 23rd on record. After the afternoon shower, the sky brightened up again. On our trek along the 600 block of South Elm Street, we ran across this mural to Dr. Alvin Blount. As you can see, there is a bust and to the right, a THKU which presumably is a "thank you" to a man who did so much for integrating the hospital system in Greensboro. Dr. Blount was one of 10 plaintiffs in the 1962 Simkins vs. Moses H. Cone lawsuit in which it was determined that federal dollars for public facilities should not be used to discriminate. 

Blount was from Raleigh, NC, but attended N.C. A&T in Greensboro. To learn more about this inspirational person, who was the first black surgeon to work at Moses Cone and who practiced medicine until the end of his life, see HERE. Dr. Alvin Vincent Blount died on January 6, 2017. Thank you for all you did to make a difference in the world, Dr. Blount!

If you want to see the mural, head to the east side of the 600 block of South Elm Street. We're not sure who created the mural. Do you know? The mural has, to the left, " Dr. Blount, Cone Hospital @ 1.4.4.0. It is a lovely addition to downtown.

Happy Saturday!

Diebold Safe on Display at Red Collection

Today's photo is of the Diebold safe on view, but not for sale, at The Red Collection on Mill Street. Diebold started making safes in the mid-1800s. Do you remember those Saturday trips to town and to the bank, when all of those downtown businesses had a big safe? They are so heavy and secure, usually made of a steel alloy, sometimes weighing as much as 1,600 pounds. These devices really did seem so safe, impenetrable and impervious to fire. The painting on some make them look like a work of art. 

These are the kinds of things we come across, that cause to remember and reminisce as we are on our outings and urban explorations. This weekend, go out and have a look for yourself, at this safe at The Red Collection, or anything else that evokes yesteryear. Let us know what you find. We're wondering just how long the above safe will be on display and where on earth they would put it if they needed to get rid of it. Just think, in 150 years, these safes have gone from invaluable to almost obsolete... as societies move away from being cashless.

Happy Saturday!

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.

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.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is a federal holiday in recognition of the Martin Luther King Jr.   Dr. King was a spokesperson for nonviolent activism, and his work for the Civil Rights Movement in the United States is given special recognition on the third Monday of January every year. Today is meant to be a day of community service and civic engagement, and in Greensboro there are many opportunities to make it one. There is a (sold out) breakfast at the Khoury Convention Center; the parade starts downtown at 11:00 am. Another event, hosted from 2:30- 4:00 pm at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum at 134 South Elm Street today, is a program by Dr. Will Harris entitled "Beyond, and Better Than, "DEMOCRACY." 

The above photo was taken during an event at the museum during the Festival of Lights in downtown Greensboro on December 2nd, 2022. LaShon Hill was singing in front of a mural of the Greensboro Four: David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan), Joe McNeil. Her performance was well received. The museum, in collaboration with NC A & T, UNCG, Bennett College, and Guilford College,  is hosting a speaker series this February and the lineup is fabulous: Al Sharpton, Andrew Young, Johnnetta Cole, and James Lawson. Between this speaker series and the Bryan Series, Greensboro is getting many memorable speakers this year. Having five institutions of higher education in our city is truly special. 

Happy Monday! How will you be spending the day?

And So Begins Year 15 on Greensboro Daily Photo

 

 

 

And so begins Year 15 on Greensboro Daily Photo (GDP). We never dreamed, when beginning this endeavor on January 2, 2009, we would still be at this venture a decade and a half later; that's over 5,000 photos of Greensboro floating around the internet as a result of our blog. With the rise of Instagram and Tik Tok, you may think that blogging is decreasing; however, market trends show that it continues to rise (reference). Using apps like Twitter to lead people to GDP has proven beneficial; people are still reading. With the waning of print journalism, and the popularity of searching the internet for hometown news, our mom and pop,  all-volunteer, community-service effort is gaining in popularity. Some weeks, we wonder what on earth we will publish. However, something always seems to pop up. Serendipitously, we meet a new person or discover a new place and the post almost writes itself. In preparing yesterday's year-in-review post, we realized we've documented a lot of changes in Greensboro for 2022: New construction like the parking deck on Davie Street; the tearing down of the house on Battleground at British Woods, in preparation for new retail and a mixed-use project; the installation of great art on the Downtown Greenway; growth in East Greensboro; and more. With the passing of time, photos and paragraphs you never expect to serve as archival sources become so. 

The above photo taken of us, David and Janis, affectionately known as "Mr. and Mrs. Greensboro Daily Photo", was taken inside an interactive art exhibit at the Fine Art Museum in Santiago de Chile (by a random teen with great photography skills). We never seem to take the time to get a photograph of the two of us in Greensboro. We are always out photographing other people, places, and events. However, we are drawn to the above photo because it represents our love of life, adventure, each other, and our commitment to lifelong learning. We endeavor to bring that same zest to the Greensboro community- daily.

We wish you a happy 2023, and, as long as you keep reading, we will commit to bringing you a photo and paragraph a day about the city we call home!

Magnolia House: Interior View

Magnolia house, located at 422 Gorrell Street, is so important to Greensboro's history. It was built in 1890, but during the height of the Jim Crow era, Magnolia House gained special importance as a Green Book hotel. African Americans could stay here safely; guests would stay and often take a shoebox lunch with them as food on the road could be hard to come by. Today, Magnolia House again has lodgers, prepares meals, and educates groups about the history of the house. The signage throughout tells of prominent African Americans who stayed there, like Ike and Tina Turner and Jackie Robinson.  Magnolia House has special events; you can book weddings, music events, and more. It is quickly becoming a special destination in Greensboro.

The above photo features one of the downstairs rooms. The interior decorating was done by Gina Hicks and Laura Mensch of Vivid Interiors on South Elm Street. *  They brought their special flair while collaborating closely with property manager, Natalie Miller, whose father Samuel Pass owned Magnolia House. Above is an example of way Hicks and Mensch  respected the integrity of the architecture, leaving the fireplace, chair rails, high ceilings, yet brought a very elegant and glamorous look to the rooms. The wallpaper, gold light fixture, and mirror as a show stopping combination. Each of the six bedrooms are uniquely decorated.

The Christmas event at Magnolia House sold out; there doesn't appear to be a New Year's Eve event open to the public. However, check their schedule to see when a room is available and how you can order a shoebox lunch, or schedule a tour. Truly, this is a special piece of Greensboro's history. See more HERE. If you've never seen an exterior view, here is when we featured it in 2021.

Happy Thursday!

 

* read O. Henry Magazine article HERE.

Design Archives, Located at 342 S Elm St.

Design Archives Vintage and Handmade Emporium is a shop full of smaller shops. Design Archives, owned by Kit Rodenbough,  has been in downtown Greensboro since 2001. When we were downtown on Friday for the Festival of Lights, we noticed that the sign above the shop windows still has the advertisement for the previously store, Ellenberg and Shaffer Glass Art Studio. Ellenberg and Shaffer made leaded and stained glass windows. However, they have long moved on and are now located in Norfolk, Virginia. Also evident from the tile entranceway is the reminder that the building formerly housed Coble Hardware. Before that,  the building was Greensboro Hardware. It dates to the early 20th century. Downtown Greensboro is so ripe for having someone research the history and provenance of these wonderful, historic  buildings. So much of Greensboro's history can be unearthed by researching these buildings, businesses, and occupants. Perhaps we should interview Kit and see what she knows about this building that is on the National Register of Greensboro Historic District.* Please try to get by Design Archives and not only admire the historic building, but have a look at the wide variety of items available to purchase. From the kitschy to classy to handmade to items related to Greensboro, Design Archives has something for everybody. You will be supporting small businesses and shopping local, all under one roof!

In the meantime, we did want to mention that between Design Archives and Little Brother Brewing, Kit has announced that she is opening a doll shop. If you walk by the space, you will see floor to (almost) ceiling dolls, many of which are handmade. It will be fun to watch how Kit works her magic with this space. We'll go back and get a photo!

Happy Wednesday!

*Read more about on the National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form.

 

Old Mill of Guilford

Today's photo is an exterior view of the Old Mill of Guilford on Highway 68. It is a fabulous piece of local history to visit year-round, but especially on a warm, fall day. We had out of town guests visiting and the first things they want to do when visiting Greensboro is eat barbecue and head to the Old Mill to purchase grits and meal for making cornbread. (yellow and white for both). They crave this little taste of home. One of the guests is a welder and he struck up a conversation with Amy, one of the owners. She explained that the 24-foot wheel no longer provides power because there are so many holes is the pipe, the water can't build up enough pressure to turn the wheel. We learned it would take anywhere from $75,000 to $300,000 to repair it, depending on whether the repair was a liner sleeve or replacement pipe. Our guest happened to be a welder and would love to be involved in the restoration, if only he lived closer. He was surprised at the thinness of the gauge of the current pipe and would want to opt for a thicker gauge.

On Monday, we shared a wish for someone to deliver a giant moving skeleton to the owner of the Halloween house at 2304 Gracewood Drive. Today, we're wishing someone would spearhead the replacement of the pipe at 1340 NC-68. When you see projects get done, like the Ai Church down the road, you realize the impact restoration has on the beauty of a community. The mill dates back to 1767, over 40 years before Greensboro was a city. You would think, as a community (a county, a state), we could make restoration happen.* Maybe we should start an "invest in our community" page on Greensboro Daily Photo. Surely, replacing the pipe at the Old Mill, so they don't have to resort to grinding grain electrically, would be something special for our community! As you can see, welders, the welding is a straight line, until you reach that bend at the top.

Happy Wednesday!

* read more about the mill, here.

Old Mill of Guilford

We went to the Old Mill of Guilford to purchase corn meal this past weekend and took a great photo of the exterior. However, the photo is almost exactly of one we took in 2020 (see HERE). Therefore, we decided to share one of the interior details. Above, is one of the rack of stamps used to label bags of ground grains. You can read some of the stamps, cornmeal and sweet potato pancake to name a couple. The mill has been a Greensboro institution since the 1700s. We are so lucky that this grist mill is still around and still grinding grains the old fashioned way, with stone and water. How nostalgic to be using rubber stamps in this era where so much is digital.

One thing that has changed from the last time we purchased cornmeal from there is that there is no longer a plastic interior bag.- one less piece of waste! The people who wait on you are still friendly and efficient. We forgot to ask, but we're hoping they are using Gate City Rubber Stamp Company, located at 316 South Greene Street, for their stamps. Yelp dates this stamp company back to 1956, a mere infant as far as the Old Mill is concerned, but the match of old stamps and an old mill is a great combination. We're thinking a trip to the stamp store is in order. More sleuthing is in order.

Happy Tuesday!

Moses Cone Mural at the Denim Hotel

We had a chance to tour the Hotel Denim last week; above, is a mural painted on the 3rd floor. It is a painting of Moses H. Cone, the American textile entrepreneur who, with his brother Caesar,  built the largest denim mill in the world and the largest cotton mill in the US southeast. The Cones were major employers in Greensboro. Moses and his wife never had children and became great philanthropists in Greensboro and North Carolina. He accomplished so much to have died at age 51, in 1908 from pulmonary edema. Every floor of the Hotel Denim has art related to Greensboro's denim and blue jean history. The hotel's website has extensive photos of the art. We're betting the Hotel Denim, conveniently located at 1517 Westover Terrace, will be very busy during homecoming season, especially during NCA&Ts homecoming.

It seems fitting for us to feature one of Greensboro's most prominent Jewish citizens as Yom Kippur starts this evening at sundown. For those of you celebrating Yom Kippur, may you have an easy fast. 

Happy Tuesday!

Jeansboro Sculpture at LeBauer Park

It is hard to believe this photo was taken less than a month ago, back before this cold snap brought in by Hurricane Ian dropped the temperature to the 50s. The photo shows you the vibrancy of downtown, especially on Davie Street between the two city parks. The artwork is a fiberglass pair of jeans, celebrating Greensboro's rich heritage of making denim and jeans. There was a time when Greensboro made more blue jeans than anywhere else in the world. While that empire has moved overseas, the memories remain. In 2015, the name "Jeansboro" was coined as a nod to that history. We even have a Jeansboro Day.*  

The artist of the above piece is Sage Hanna Betts. There are several of these blue jean sculptures around town, one at PTI airport and another at the Greensboro Science Center.  The 4' tall sculptures were painted by local students and artists. Here is a GPS City map. We haven't tried it, because we have a pretty good idea of what is where in Greensboro; however, if you want to map out a tour, try here. We hope you have a great weekend and your are safe and your home is dry! If we took this photo today, people would be in long sleeves, rain jackets, and jeans. It is time to put the shorts away.

Happy Saturday!

* read more here.

Sunday Afternoon at Double Oaks

The Double Oaks B&B at 204 North Mendenhall Street dates to 1909. It was built for Harden Thomas Martin who was a native of Rockingham County,  the next county north of Guilford. The home was first opened as a bead and breakfast in 1998 by Win and Ann Milan. In 2016, James and Amanda Keith purchased the property and they have been working very hard to not only have it be a bed and breakfast, but to also be a venue for activities that bring in the community. The Keiths host events and also make it possible for community members to host events. The above photo features the Sunday afternoon old-time music group during String Band Sunday (from 4-7 pm). On Wednesday evenings they have jazz- Wine Wednesday.

If you know old-time music, you know that the fiddler calls the tunes and pretty much sets the pace for the jam. The above fiddler, Christen Blanton Mack is part of the Zinc Kings. They will be one of the featured bands at the North Carolina Folk Festival in Greensboro (September 9-11). Head to the folk festival to hear Christen fiddle. Or, stop by Double Oaks on Sunday afternoons to hear her fiddling and, maybe even play a tune with her. Savory tacos with homemade tortilla shells are available on Sunday afternoons. We are so lucky that in Greensboro, so many of these local venues offer special events- music, arts and crafts events, food trucks, and more. They say Thursday is the new Friday. Head out and find some fun! A new adventure is only a google search away!

A Legacy of Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership, founded in 1970,  is a wealth of Greensboro history. First of all, it was started by the family that created Vicks VapoRub, the Richardsons. On the middle shelf on the right is a gold jar of the salve, the billionth, yes billionth, jar. This product was selling well, even during the Great Depression. If you see the monitor in the bottom center of the photo, there is a very informative presentation about the history of the Richardson family, the history of the Vicks VapoRub product, and how that ties into the founding of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).

Lunsford Richardson (1854- 1919) is the pharmacist who created a salve to relieve symptoms of a common cold. The menthol that went into the salve was a drug from Japan. Lunsford's son, Henry Smith Richardson Sr. (1885- 1972), worked in the family business. As a quote in the presentation explains, H. Smith Richardson "began researching what separates a successful organization from one that fails. He devoted his time to developing ways to identify, evaluate, train and advance future leaders, and established the Smith Richardson Foundation in 1935."  H. Smith Richardson Jr. (1920- 1999) continued the work of his father and grandfather. Smith Richardson Jr. "was instrumental in creating the Center for Creative Leadership, an institute that trains executives, military officers and politicians in business and government. Mr. Richardson was chairman of the center's board from 1972 until 1994.*

The CCL, a global leader in leadership training, is located right here, between Bur-Mil Park/Owl's Roost and Hamburg Mill Road on North Battleground (Highway 220). Just think, it all has its roots in the work of the pharmacist who created the Vicks products. In the short hour we were at CCL, it was fascinating to hear the conversations related to the Richardson families companies and products. One person, who seemed to be very knowledgeable, talked about a garden that they had growing plants that could be used for medicinal purposes. If it has not been done already, getting oral histories of people who have first-hand information about the Vicks factory and some of the stories that only people who worked at the factory would know. As for the CCL, they have many books about leadership and much of the work they are doing today.

 

*Reference and more information in New York Times article from 1999. See HERE.

 

 

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

As many of you may remember from the post on Sunday, it was General Nathanael Greene's birthday. We know that the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park always has a lot happening in March, about the time of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. However, we don't recall their celebrating his birthday in August. This past Saturday, they had a dedication of a new cannon that is a closer replica to what actually would have been at the battle than the cannon in he above photo. The young man in the photo, dressed in what would have been civilian clothes from the time period questioned the ranger. He had just returned from seeing the firing of the new cannon and questioned its size, wondering how it would fit through the door. The ranger admitted that they were going to have to increase the size of the door to get the new cannon through. How heartwarming to see a young student that attuned to history and interested in history so much so that he dresses for the occasion. 

Seeing the exhibits at the visitors center is very special, but even more meaningful is talking to people knowledgeable about the time period.  We are looking forward to seeing the cannon in its new home. Every time we go to the park and to events there, we learn a little bit more about the history of Greensboro. Mark your calendar for mid-March 2023, when the reenactment will take place. Happy Tuesday!

 

Ukrainians in the Carolinas

Saturday, the Ukrainians in the Carolinas organization held a fundraising event for Ukraine at the Calvin Graves Plantation in Caswell County. The festival, known as Ivana Kupala, was a summer solstice celebration. The event featured music, food, crafts, the making of Ukrainian live-flower wreaths (vinok), dance lessons and more! The live music was a combination of  genres, including Ukrainian folk music. The above photo features the East Piedmont Rounders, a group of old-time musicians. They were playing traditional acoustic tunes with Jan Gittleman flatfoot dancing. The musicians performing are David Thompson, Mary Charlton, Mike Collins, and Larry Vellani, with Charlie Berry working sound. The Red Kalyna American-Ukrainian band also performed later in the afternoon.

Calvin Graves was a North Carolina politician who, according to the historic marker in front of this house (above), in 1849, cast the deciding vote for the North Carolina railroad. While this venue 40 miles north of Greensboro, it is an easy day trip. The money used during Saturday's fundraiser will help build a well for drinking water, medical and tactical supplies in Ukraine. If you are interested in donating, see here. Also, Greensboro will likely see an influx of Ukrainian refugees and there will be ways for you to help Ukrainian refugees. See here.

Have a great Wednesday!

RIP: Women's Hospital

Women's Hospital on Green Valley Road is no more. The above photo does not even begin to show the scope of the debris on the site. D.H. Griffin is in the middle of the demolition and, if you didn't know better, you would think it was in a war zone. A drone photographer needs to capture this scene.*  

The hospital was known as Greensboro Hospital when it opened in 1977. In 1990 when Cone Health bought it, the facility became Women's Hospital. In 2021, Deep River Partners acquired the property. Due to COVID, the transaction was delayed so that Cone Health could use the hospital for a COVID-19 care facility- the first in North Carolina. It was used as a COVID-19 care facility for 11 months. People also could get vaccines there. Deep River Partners is a leasing agency for non-residential real estate. It will be interesting to watch the property transform as the new facility gets built.  Have a drive past it, at the corner of Green Valley Road and Westover Terrace and see the transformation in process. Now that it has started, the changes will happen quickly. There is a really good news release from Cone Health providing the history of the hospital and the future for the site.**  

*David Bartenfield?

** reference and more information.

Revolution Mill on a Clear, Spring Night

Revolution Mill, the historic cotton mill complex on Yanceyville Road, is so beautiful at night. The above photo was taken at the entrance beside Cugino Forno Pizzeria, a pizzeria that was recently rated one of the top 100 in the world. It is the closest pizza to pizza in Italy that we have tasted in the United States. Eating pizza in the mill hall is do much fun. The long picnic tables are conducive to sharing with customers you don't know initially, but have the chance to leave as friends.

The two smoke stacks in the background tower high above the mill and the lighting at night is dramatic. In the foreground it the water tower that was formerly painted red. Now white, it stands out so much more. The textile mill, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is a multi-use complex today with everything from apartments to office space to restaurants to event space to more. Every time we go there, we see something new. The whole building takes on a different character by day and by night; both equally dramatic!

Happy Wednesday, a good day to go explore Revolution Mill.

Kontoor Wrangler

Three years ago, on May 23, 2019, Wrangler and Lee became part of the publicly traded Kontoor Brands, Inc. Above, is the corporate world headquarters on North Elm Street. They also have a headquarters in Belgium and Hong Kong. While Wrangler is a top seller in the American jean market, the Lee line is the biggest denim brand in China- and to think this is all based out of Greensboro. It would be nice to have a "know your city" tour for elementary school students with this building and company being one of the stops. When we were there the other day, the sky was so beautiful, the wind was blowing, making the American and North Carolina flags fly high. The whole scene was just so majestic.

The above building was built in 1994 and has a beautifully visible presence on the north end of town, on the front end of the growth here. Now, with the Tanger Center, the baseball stadium, Joymongers, LeBauer Park and all of the other venues surrounding it, downtown truly stretches all the way from Smith Street to West Gate City Boulevard. According to their website, Kontoor is committed to sourcing and and manufacturing their apparel responsibly and sustainably.

We hope you have a great weekend. If you get a chance, have a walk along the above headquarters and its environs. It is fun to know our city.

Towering Cypress Tree On Clement Court

John Witherspoon moved to Greensboro in 1968 to assume the position of Guilford County manager. The Forest Valley neighborhood off of Hobbs Road was being developed at the time, and it was where the Witherspoons settled, a nice neighborhood for John and wife June to raise a family. In 1970, he planted a Deodar cedar tree in the center of the cul-de-sac at the end of the street. Over the next 2+ decades during the family's time in Greensboro, they watched the cedar grow. At Christmas, the family would decorate it, even when they had to bring in special equipment to get the lights on the top. Now, after 50 years, the tree is probably too large to decorate, but it still gets plenty of use. While it is hard to see from this angle, under the tree, residents of Clement Court have placed a swing, a bench, and some other seating. It is really a great gathering spot for the families on the street.

While Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon moved on after his 23 years of service to Guilford County, the tree stands strong, serving as a visual legacy of his impact on the community. Of course other things came to fruition locally during Mr. Witherspoon's tenure with the county; including the consolidation of the courts, construction of a new courthouse and offices, the creation of an ambulance service, the establishment of countywide zoning, and more.* Mr. Witherspoon always loved the people of Guilford County, as well as the natural beauty of the area. His cypress tree adds to that beauty. As Arbor Day (4/29)  and Earth Day (4/22) draw near, let us all follow Mr. Witherspoon's lead and plant something that will contribute to the beauty of our community. 

 

*reference and more information.

Site of Union Graveyard & Formerly, Old Methodist Church

Yesterday, exploring the northwestern end of the county, we stumbled on a lot that used to have a Methodist church and still has graves of union soldiers. It is a little hard to access as there is no off street parking, but there is an historic marker outlining who is buried there. The graves aren't marked; possibly the names have worn off. The earliest graves are of veterans of the American Revolution in the 1700s- specifically, Samuel Vance and John Lowrey.. Also buried there is Civil War veteran James Gray Lowrey, who likely was the son of John Lowrey. According to the historic marker, Allen Lowrey was founding trustee and land donor for Oak Ridge Institute. He was born in 1809 and died in 1882 at the age of 73. We're not sure where the Methodist Church would have been located. The property is full of trees and stumps from trees that have been removed.

This property is on East Harrell Road; it splits off of Highway 150 and connects to Highway 68. That is one interesting road. Across from this Union cemetery is a house with a Confederate flag and just on down the road, a state trooper parks his car at the road, reminding all of us to honor the speed limit. There is also an old tobacco barn. History is so important. We are grateful that this property has been kept, honoring people who lived as long as 300 years ago. The shadows from the late afternoon sun accentuate the gravestones, some of which are nothing more that upturned rocks.

Happy Sunday!

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse: The Redcoats Are Coming

After a two year (COVID) hiatus, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, of the American Revolution, was reenacted this past weekend. And let the record show that Saturday was the coldest on record for the event. At the coldest point on Saturday,  temperature of 16 degrees was recorded at the airport. One of the participants told us that the fact that it had rained and the ground was wet really added to the discomfort. Another said that at least he had bragging rights to take back to his friends who elected not to participate this year. Truth be told, war is never "cozy" so those should who came out for the reenactment of a battle that was fought on March 15, 1781 were reminded of just how cold and brutal war can be. In the above photo, the British infantry is getting ready for yesterday's battle.

On a lighter note, as a participant observer, it was fun and educational to walk among campsites and hear all of the educational conversations about weaponry, historical accuracies, clothing details and colonial ways. In the pop up shops, you could buy linen socks, swords, tankards, and other items that would have been used in the late 1700s. While attendance was lighter this year, we noticed considerable intergenerational interaction; the old guard mentoring pre-teens into the colonial ways and the ways of reenactment. Greensboro is lucky to have this opportunity for residents to not only observe, but also participate in living history. We complimented a group in their spread of food and they invited us to partake! 

Happy Monday; happy making memories in Greensboro!

Rosenthal Annex on UNCG's Campus

If you like walking in the early morning, likely, you see beautiful scenes like this one where the lighting of dawn intermingles with the lighting inside buildings and houses. Yesterday, we were out walking at 7:00 a.m. and walked past Rosenthal Gym/Annex. Built in 1928, it was originally the Physical Education Building and then the (Joe) Rosenthal Gym. Next, it became part of the Health and Human Performance Building, which is now the Coleman Building.* Fortunately, the University of North Carolina (UNCG) maintains their archives and much of the history of their buildings is available. The gym was designed by Greensboro's own Harry Barton. What we don't know is why the classroom on the corner glows blue in the morning, just before dawn. Do you see those seven windows glowing blue? We don't know why, but they are so beautiful. Those windows match beautifully with the blue of the winter sky.

Happy Saturday! It would be wonderful to run into you out walking on this below-freezing winter day. Yesterday brought us a little snow, just enough to remind us that it is winter.

 

*reference here.

Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company

It is the beginning of a three day weekend for many, a weekend that may end with a little snow. Today, however, it is the beginning of a beautiful Friday and we're sharing a sunny view of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company- the Elm Street side. Do you see the name carved above the windows, the name that has changed many times over the years? We still tag the building as the "JP Building" because when we started Greensboro Daily Photo, the name of the company was Jefferson Pilot. Today, it is Lincoln Financial Group.

The building is a 374 foot skyscraper which, when built, in 1922, was the tallest building between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA!  Julian Price, president of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company had it built and hired an architect from New York City, Charles C. Hartmann to design it. Thanks to Mr. Hartmann's design and Mr. Price's willingness to fund the use of high quality materials like terra cotta and granite, the building stands today as an icon of Neo-Gothic/Neo-Classical/Art Deco style. If you are out walking around this weekend, have a look at all of the details. Take a few selfies in front of it. We'd love to see them. The "up" orientation of the photo reminds us all to look up and stay on the sunny side of life.

Happy Friday!

Happy Veterans Day: Tech Sergeant Lochra

Albert (Al) Lochra served in the Army Air Force as a radio operator during World War II. He flew on B-17 airplanes and was stationed in England from 1943-1945. Originally from Uniontown, PA, Mr. Lochra first came to Greensboro in 1943 to Basic Training Camp #10. Two years later, in 1945, he would return here to the Discharge Center at the end of his service. Along the way, he met his wife (Mary) Helen Fletcher Lochran who grew up near Bessemer, just outside Greensboro. The two married in 1947 and Mr. Lochra has lived in Greensboro since 1949. He lost his wife in 2014 and now lives with his daughter and son in law.

Mr Lochra has a keen memory and can describe his early childhood and the war years in great detail. He remembers fondly practically growing up in his father's grocery store in southwestern Pennsylvania, and also the hoops he had to jump through to volunteer for the army. He also talked about the three "mercy" missions  he made in Europe during the war. One of the flights was to get people out of Austria and to bring them to safety in Chartres, France; one was to take American soldiers, eligible for release, to Morocco to board planes to return to the United States; and one was to take food to Holland, a mission that the US Army negotiated with the Germans. At 96 years of age, Mr. Lochra  served the military five years before the Air Force was founded in 1947. Greensboro is extremely lucky to have Mr. Lochra in our presence. He still walks a mile a day, whether it is outside in front of his house, or, on colder days, twenty times around the living room to get his mile. He offered to put on his (original) uniform for the photo, and knows it still fits as he wore it to a service on Sunday. We opted not to trouble him to run upstairs to get it. Greensboro salutes you Tech Sergeant Lochra, today on Veterans Day, and every day!

The Historical Museum and the North Side of Town

Have you noticed how much the north side of town has changed? The first big wave was the Central Branch of the Greensboro Public Library on North Church Street, the nearby Cultural Arts Center, and the Children's Museum, and Center City Park. Then came LeBauer Park. Now, with the Tanger Center, Greensboro Northside has become quite a destination. The above photo features the Greensboro Historical Museum, a powerful "Northside" community resource since 1924. Prior to that, this building was the First Presbyterian Church. Look at that architecture, this section of the building with its round, brick exterior is so beautiful. Even though it is no longer a church, the interior and exterior are just so spiritual. It is beautiful on the inside and outside alike. 

We're wondering if, with the increased traffic in this part of town, if maybe someone could have a coffee cart outside the museum. The museum provide cafe tables and chairs- maybe not in winter, but when the weather gets nice. The museum is such a fabulous community rescouce. The only thing it needs is more foot traffic by the community. We need to do our part to support it. When the public schools are once again allowed to have field trips, it would be nice for every student to tour the museum at least once. 

We would like to arrange a tour of this building and then walk over and tour the current First Presbyterian Church. Both buildings are so beautiful and have so much history. If we ever arrange that tour, we'll let you know. In the meantime, have a happy Sunday. Hopefully you feel refreshed from that extra hour of sleep!

The S. H. Kress Building of 212 S. Elm Street

The Kress Building is the iconic, Art Deco style building of Elm Street. It was built during the Great Depression, in 1930, as a five and dime store. The owner believed even inexpensive items should be purchased in a place of beauty. As you can see from the above photo, the façade is distinctive. There so much interesting history surrounding the building. For example, it was part of the Greensboro Sit-In Movement of 1960, two months after the ones at Woolworth. Forty-five people were arrested for sitting at the lunch counter. Another bit of local imagery sits on the top of the building, at the columns flanking the word KRESS. Tobacco leaves flowing out of the horns of a ram, a nod to the tobacco industry in North Carolina. Also, the building implemented an early form of air conditioning where ice was frozen by night and the ice was used to cool salt brine water to cool the building- so very mid 20th century creative!*

In 2001, the penthouse of The Kress Building, formerly a mechanical room, was transformed into a penthouse for John Lomax, President, Lomax Construction. We're wondering if those curtains are part of the penthouse. We'll have to ask Lori Gray, who designed the space for John. In the meantime, we'll just have a Great Gatsby experience and sit here at "White and Wood Resturant," across the street admiring this beautiful building. If walls could talk, 212 South Elm Street would write a book!

Happy Tuesday!

 

• reference and more great information, here.

Jefferson Standard Building

The Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Building was constructed in Greensboro on the corner of Elm and Market Street in 1922. While the Genesis Marker in Fisher Park is the geographic center of Guilford County (see here), many people see the Elm/Market spot as the center, a sort of Ground Zero from which the rest of the city radiates. Indeed, this is the point at which North and South Elm Street and East and West Market Street are determined; the center of the compass rose. This spot was once known as Courthouse Square before it became known as Jefferson Square when the Jefferson Building replaced the courthouse. Sixty to seventy years ago, this building was a hub of activity, where you went for professional help: Doctors, lawyers, and insurance agents had their offices there. Also on the ground floor were a bank and a men's clothing store. During World War II, a county draft board was located inside. At that time, nearly all of the federal highways (U.S. 29, U.S. 70, and U.S. 421) passed through the square, giving it its name, "The Crossroads of the Carolinas."

Today, this intersection is not so much a hub of activity and the Jefferson Building is closed to the general public. It is used by Lincoln Financial Group and the (numbered) doors on Elm Street are not open to the public. We don't know exactly when that transformation took place, but we are grateful to Jim Schlosser who shared much of the above information with us. He has been so generous with information.  He is a walking encyclopedia of Greensboro history and lore. Jim remembers getting his pair of contact lenses there in 1958. Jim also remembers, in the pre-1990 days before the new Jefferson-Pilot  building was built, before the time and temperature lights at the top. When there was only the Jefferson Building, there was a big clock bearing a Wimbish Insurance Agency advertisement. People would say to each other, "Meet me under the Wimbish clock." Today, that clock only exists in the memory of those who lived during that time. We are lucky the building remains intact. On the outside, the architecture is beautiful, on the inside, the U shaped feature provided light and air in an era before there was air conditioning.

Here's to a great week, starting with a happy Monday!

Lincoln Financial Group

Yesterday afternoon was so lovely, we had to take a walk downtown. In all the years we've featuring Greensboro and admiring the Jefferson Standard, Jefferson Pilot, Lincoln Financial Group building, we've never stepped foot inside. Yesterday, we made it inside and saw the beautiful foyer. To the left is another entrance/exit. To the right are all the turnstiles that only those who have a right be there can enter.We spent a few minutes in the foyer, admiring its beauty. It got us thinking of all the money that has cycled through Greensboro here, as well as all of the executives who have made their fortunes and who became prominent citizens by working in the insurance industry.

According to their website, "Lincoln Financial Group provides resources and solutions that help empower Americans to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism."  The company started in 1905 in Fort Wayne, Indiana and got permission from Abraham Lincoln's son to use his father's name and likeness (reference and more information). The photo was taken in the part of the building that was added in 1990.  Julian Price built the older building in the complex to be his company's headquarters- Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company. He paid for the building in full because he didn't believe in debt (more history here). Fortunately, much is documented about the two buildings that comprise this complex, Greensboro's iconic skyscrapers. We would love to get a tour of the building and see Greensboro from the top floor. Yesterday, we were one step closer.

Jim Schlosser

Today we are featuring Jim Schlosser, a career journalist who started with the afternoon Greensboro Record in 1967 and retired from the Greensboro News & Record in 2008.   For  four decades, Jim was dedicated to covering key stories about Greensboro. He also went on special assignment throughout the U.S. and abroad, always bringing back stories to the local community. From the hearthstone/everyday to the Olympian/sublime, Jim took great care to be informative, engaging, and accurate. Jim acknowledges he had the good fortune to work during the golden age of journalism, back in the day when the local paper had multiple photographers, several reporters, and 100,000 subscribers. 

While Jim is retired from the newspaper, he is a person who will never retire from documenting and writing about the history of Greensboro. Above, Jim is photographed in front of the Greensboro city directories, books he frequently references when volunteering at the Greensboro History Museum. One of Jim's many retirement endeavors has been to catalog the negatives of local photographer Mr. Carol  Martin. There are approximately half a million negatives, dating from 1947 to the early 1990s; Jim laments, to date,  he has only catalogued  through 1954.  In the Martin Collection, Jim finds negatives on every subject from weddings to Greensboro street scenes to photos from Curry High School. The mystery of what he will happen upon in the Martin Collection parallels the serendipity of what he uncovers just by walking up and down Elm Street. Hamburger Square, the area around the railroad tracks, and the 500-600 blocks of South Elm Street have always been of special interest to Jim.

Another "job" Jim found in retirement is playing golf, something he put on hold during his newspaper years. We extend a big thank you for all Jim has contributed to telling the story of Greensboro, and for all of the leads he gave us for future Greensboro Daily Photo  posts. Happy Friday!

February 1st Place

Today's photo is of February 1st Place, located between Market and Washington Streets at Elm Street. It is a short and narrow street that carries a lot of history for our community. The street commemorates the Greensboro Sit-Ins when four African-American NCA&T students engaged in a sit-in at the F.W. Woolworth lunch counter. The Woolworth building, built in 1939, is part of the historic district in downtown Greensboro and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was save from demolition in 1993, estored, and plays a key role in the history of Civil Rights and social justice in Greensboro.

To the right, you can see one of the beautiful flower baskets maintained throughout downtown Greensboro. You can also see a Rolex Clock that stands in a metal case half way down February 1st Place. It harkens back to the days before cell phones and digital technology, when many people depended on analog clocks strategically set around  town. This one is well maintained and keeps accurate time. The metal casing says "Electric Time, Medfield, Mass. It is hard to believe that in less than 100 years, street clocks and downtown variety stores became obsolete. It will be interesting to monitor what future decades bring.

Tobacco: All Rows Lead to the Tobacco Barn!

Tobacco has been such a big part of the history of Greensboro, Guilford County, and North Carolina. Peak production in Greensboro was the 1890s.  P. Lorillard was the nation's oldest tobacco company when they built a manufacturing plant in Greensboro in the mid-twentieth century. Back when we would spend a lot of time in east Greensboro, we remember smelling tobacco being prepared and always tried to guess the flavors being added- chocolate was the easiest to identify. You could smell it from Lorillard all the way over to Dudley High School. In the 1980s, the local tobacco industry really fell on hard times. By 1989, Greensboro passed the most restrictive smoking ordinance in North Carolina.* In the 1990s, it was the state's top cash crop, but Guilford County is not in the top ten tobacco growing counties. 

We don't want to encourage smoking by any means; however, it is important for people to recognize the crop and recognize the role it has played in shaping the local economy. As you can see in the above tobacco field on Highway 150, it grows well in sand. This is a hardy crop that has been well tended. It is always fun to see a crop, pull of the road, and get a few photos. With all of the construction happening locally and land is selling for such a premium, continuing to farm any crop is quite a commitment. Would you recognize a field of tobacco? Study this one and then keep your eye out. This week, we've got you seeking out a new bakery, searching for purple LED lights, and now tobacco fields. Stick with Greensboro Daily Photo and we will lead you to interesting places!

Happy Wednesday. What will tomorrow bring?

 

*reference here and and here for more information.

Schiffman's 2021

Schiffman's is currently open in Friendly Center at the former Pier 1 location.  In August, Greensboro's oldest and most established jewelry store will reopen in its original Friendly Center location. The above photo shows the exterior letters just before they were installed on Wednesday. By Wednesday afternoon, they were already in place, bringing the remodeling one step closer to completion. The store has expanded, building into the former Build-A-Bear space. The new store is rumored to be the nicest jewelry store in the southeast. They will have jewelers on site, will be able to repair Rolex watches on site, and will have amenities and events that will make it quite the upscale destination.

We stopped by yesterday and spoke to Ben, and he assured us that the downtown store will remain open as a jewelry store and as the main office. Schiffman's has been in downtown Greensboro since 1893.  In 2011, we  were fortunate to have the opportunity to feature Tony Schiffman, Jr.. Tony died in 2015 at the age of 76, suffering from Parkinson's (obituary, here). He would be so pleased to know the business is growing under the helm of his three sons. If you like fine jewelry and want to shop local, Schiffman's is a fabulous option. Let's hope they remain open for another 128+ years... in Friendly Center AND downtown!

Happy Friday. Time to get out and explore!

Hamburger Square

If you want to know what life was like at Hamburger Square about 100 years ago, Jim Scholsser's article "Hamburger Square Has a Past" is an outstanding place to start. It was published in the book, "27 Views of Greensboro". The Hamburger Square area had so many businesses, it makes one wonder how on earth they all fit. There were hotels galore, trains stopping all the time, and passengers boarding and exiting.  There was a cigar factory, and yes, there were seedy aspects that kept Hamburger Square teeming with life.  While those old businesses are gone, their architecture remains. The area is on the national register of historic places.

Tha above photo is of east/west rail lines at the 400 block of South Elm Street. Because of this rail traffic, Greensboro became known as "Gate City". Schlosser writes that the railroad actually transformed Greensboro. Because of the railroad, our city recovered from the Civil War quickly, growing and prospering.  In 1890, more than forty passenger trains stopped at the square daily. The railroad is what brought the textile industry here. In recent years (the 1990s) gentrification began downtown and started around Hamburger Square with Natty Greene's, Just Be, Green Bean, Design Archives, and McCouls. Schlosser reminds us: "One aspect of the square remains unchanged. Everyday, at all hours since 1856, trains have jolted the peace at Hamburger Square" (p. 93). The above photo shows a couple of young adults trying to get the perfect photos on these iconic tracks. People are quick to remind us that Greensboro doesn't have mountains, a beach, a river. Perhaps the railroad tracks, with their ability to move people and goods, are our geographic feature. Happy Tuesday!

Reynolds Chapel Cemetery

Today's photo features the graveyard that used to be beside Reynolds Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, before the church sold their original property to BP and moved the church up the road to Hibler Road (featured on GDP yesterday). After recently reading Margaret Moffett Banks' 1/10/2014 News & Record article about the cemetery  in the church's previous location, we headed out to find it. On one side is the Wyndam Hotel and a chain link fence. The rest of the property has a wooden fence and there is no hint of an entrance. If you walk in the lane for the car wash at the BP, you will see a gate at the end, near the other car wash, the exotic car wash. While this isn't the best photo, we wanted you to see the orientation of the cemetery to the BP station and convenience store- note the green and white awning.

We were pleased to see that the cemetery is still being maintained and weeds no longer obscure the headstones.  The marked graves are mostly from people who died in the 20th century and that the only people being buried at the cemetery are people who already had family there.  If we read correctly, the most recent grave is from 2017 (Bertha Lee Pressley 1926-2017). It must have been hard getting the grave dug and a hearse brought into the cemetery in this landlocked 1/4 acre strip of land. The sanctuary has been gone for over thirty years, but the congregants continue to maintain this private cemetery. Now, if we were real detectives, we would attempt to settle the mystery Ms. Banks posed seven years ago. Where is Mary S. Means buries? Her husband Forrest has a double marker. Mary was born on May 20, 1901; either she was buried and a death date simply was not carved, or she was buried elsewhere. Hopefully, the Means family is satisfied with the solution.

Happy Monday!

Fire Station #4

Gorrell Street is located just southwest of downtown Greensboro, crossing over Morrow Boulevard and near Bennett College. We wanted to visit Station #4, photographed above and located at 401 Gorrell,  because Logie Meachum writes about it in his reflection, "Sweet Magnolia, in the book "27 Views of Greensboro".  Logie had to be bussed across town to attend a school that accepted African-American children. He made the most of the daily trip, ever eager to see what guests were playing at the Magnolia Hotel. Just down the road from the Magnolia was Fire Station #4, another favorite of his. Here's what he has to say, reflecting on his adventures  on the No. 5 bus.

"The No. 5 Gorrell Street bus went under the bridge at Market Street and Murow Boulevard, which was and remains the gateway to the soul side of town. As we headed toward Gorrell Street, my mind focused on two special places: Fire Station No. 4 had Greensboro's only all-black crew, who to me and the other kids at the time were local heroes; the other site was the Magnolia Hotel (p. 55). In retracing Logie's steps, we saw what he saw, firemen working hard to make sure they would be ready in the event of a fire. Engine #4 has been in this location since 1964 and it integrated in 1967.* The people who worked, lived, and traveled along Gorrell Street in the 1960s would be happy to know that the fire station, and the Magnolia Hotel down the street are still up and running. Have a drive and see for yourself. Happy Saturday!

*reference and additional information.

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.