Department Store

Labor Temple, 1950s (Courtesy Herald-Sun) In April 1941, the heirs of Mary A. Green - longtime resident of a home at this address who had bought the land from A. M. Rigsbee in the 1880s - sold this parcel to trustees of the Plumbers & Steamfitters Union, Local 585. By the next year, along with more than two dozen other 'locals' affiliated through...

The previous two posts have examined the history and land use of the northeast and southeast corners of East Main St. and Dillard St. Today's post examines the southwest corner of this intersection, the site of the current health department. (Looking south) Here is the satellite view from Google of this corner, with most of the relevant past and present locations marked.

One of the earliest masonry structures built in what is now the core of downtown, west of Corcoran St. was the Armory Building, built ~1895. Looking east on West Main St., 1900. Two two-story buildings are on the right side of the street - the more elaborate of the two, with the flanking square turrets projecting from the second floor, is the...

Designed by Empire State Building architects Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon for banker John Sprunt Hill, the Hill Building is one of the most iconic in Durham

128-130 is the taller (5 story) structure to the right of Bagwell Plumbing and Heating (132 ECH.) It served as the headquarters for the Southern Fire Insurance Company until they moved to West Durham in 1951. It then was absorbed into Belk-Leggett Department Store. In the early 1960s, the facade was covered. From Roney St., looking south, mid 1960s...

Just to the left of the structure at 115 West Main was the very similar 109-111 West Main, a Queen Anne structure built in 1893. Looking east-southeast from Main St. ~ 1913 (From "Images of America: Durham" by Stephen Massengill) And a view west from Mangum St., 1905, doesn't show much of the building, but the small tower is clearly visible....

Looking southeast on East Chapel Hill St. from around the location of the Penny Furniture building, 1910s-1920. (Courtesy Durham County Library) 322-324 was the home to Belk-Leggett from 19 to 19 United Dollar Stores Company was started by Eli and Jenny Nachamson after they moved from Kinston to Durham in 1921 - the Nachamson family had evidently...

Like buildings to its east and west near Five Points, 326-328 W Main / 116-118 E Chapel Hill extended through the not-very-deep triangular block to have facades on both streets. The Raylass 5 and dime store was a tenant by the early 1920s. By the late 1920s, United Dollar Stores had taken occupancy of both 326-328 and 322-324. United Dollar Stores...

4 storefronts once existed where 201 West Main Street does now Left to Right, 201-203, 205, 207, and 209 West Main St., 1905 (Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection. Scanned by Digital Durham) Evidently built by Richard H. Wright in 1895, 207 West Main was the first home to the Citizens Bank, which evolved from the Morehead Bank. The...