The voter’s rejection last month of a bond package to rescue Greensboro’s stadium built as a memorial to World War veterans has sent those dedicated to saving the 80 year old monument scratching their heads. How can the city-owned structure be conserved and reused with little in the way of appropriated funds, especially in a tight economy. More…
The Junior League of Greensboro held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the recently restored Historic Albright House at 3101 West Friendly Avenue. With the snip of scissors, the charitable organization became its own landlord, and owner of one of North Carolina’s most distinctive Junior League headquarters. The League itself is historic, incorporated in 1926 as…
To the citizens of Greensboro, the significance of War Memorial Stadium functions at different levels. To some, it’s a living memorial to those who gave their lives during World War I. To others, it serves as charming piece of North Carolina’s athletic history. Others see War Memorial Stadium as an opportunity for economic development exemplified…
For those driving on Friendly Avenue in west Greensboro, it is clear that work is underway on one of Greensboro’s most highly anticipated restoration projects. Recent insights on the history of the Albright House have been confirmed by the removal of aluminum siding and interior plaster – part of the scope of work currently being…
Fisher Park is one of North Carolina’s treasured places. Catherine Bishir, one of the state’s preeminent architectural historians, referred the neighborhood as “one of the state’s premiere streetcar suburbs” with “remarkably varied houses” as well as what she termed a “masterpiece”, the First Presbyterian Church. Bishir integrated her laudatory comments on the Fisher Park neighborhood…
The Pomona Mill located at the corner of Spring Garden at Merritt Drive, appears to be headed for destruction. The history of the mill dates back to 1897, when construction began on the complex for the Hunter Manufacturing and Commission Company. Later, this company was renamed Pomona Cotton Mill. Its simple two- and three-story, brick…
On September 10th, the Greensboro Zoning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning of the historic Albright House for office use, paving the way for preservation of the site as the headquarters for the Junior League of Greensboro. Final approval will be requested of City Council. In 2005, Preservation Greensboro named the Albright House to its inaugural…
Historic Barns Threat: Demolition by Neglect Rural Guilford County Since the earliest days of settlement, the family farm has been a vital image in Guilford County. As the main structures of farms, barns evoke a sense of tradition and closeness to the land that seems to diminish each year in our county’s rapidly suburbanizing landscape.…
Bellemeade Neighborhood Threat: Neglect and Demolition Cedar Street, Spring Street, Guilford Avenue Bellemeade, like other historic center-city neighborhoods, contains buildings that represent a broad spectrum of Greensboro’s history, including the circa-1846 Weir House (Greensboro Woman’s Club), the circa-1895 Pickard House at 231 North Spring Street, and the 1896 Aiken House at 217 Cedar Street. Unlike…
Holleman House Threat: Demolition 701 N. Greene Street, Fisher Park Historic District One of Fisher Park’s earliest residences, the Holleman House was constructed between 1905 and 1920 at one of the primary gateways to the neighborhood. The architecture of the house blends Queen Anne massing with Colonial Revival details, such as the Ionic porch columns,…
Pomona Mill and Southern Railway Roundhouse Threat: Abandonment and Demolition Spring Garden at Merritt Drive Little appreciated by some, industrial history of the city holds the key in explaining how Greensboro grew to become one of the largest cities in North Carolina. Much of that industrial history can be found associated with the community of…
Wallace Development in College Hill Historic District Threat: Demolition and Over-scaled Redevelopment South Mendenhall, Tate, Spring Garden streets Greensboro’s oldest neighborhood, once considered “safe” by the city’s preservation community, is under mounting pressure for redevelopment. In spite of being the city’s first historic district, rising land values and poorly maintained buildings are steering some of…