116-118 WEST MAIN
116 and 118 West Main St. were home to the Merchants Bank and the Roscoe Griffin store, respectively.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)
The Merchants Bank was established sometime between 1895 and 1906; in 1906 it was the fifth largest bank in Durham, with total deposits of $25,000. I'm not sure where is was located prior to 1914, but there is a listing for a Merchants Insurance Company between Mangum and Depot (Corcoran) so it may have been in the same block.
The Merchants Bank building in the 100 block of West Main was constructed after the fire of 1914 in a classical style with big Ionic columns providing the depth of relief from the facade.
(Courtesy Duke Archives)
The picture at the top shows the pair in the 1920s. The picture below shows both still intact by 1960 (only a small portion of 118 is visible.)
Looking northeast
(Courtesy Duke Archives)
By 1965, 118 West Main had received the standard stark facade covering; Roscoe Griffin had moved down the street, and a store called "VonStraaten's" had taken its place.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)
I really find the following shots painful. Below, some enlightened folk disassembling the Classical facade in order to modernize the front.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)
The result? A yummy flat blue CVS.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)
I'm not sure when these were redone again, but I believe it was sometime during the 1990s. Some of the original facade of 118 West Main has been uncovered (the small diamond shapes in the brickwork are visible again) but there are long strips where the windows once were. 
The former Merchant Bank, 2006.
118 and 116 West Main.
I don't think there was anything left of the Merchant Bank facade, sadly. I'm guessing the person who renovated this tried to mimic some of the elements.
118 West Main had an interesting recent history as MK House of Jazz, and then Club 1000. That establishment had - I believe - 3 shootings in about a year. The last one, in October 2005, was fatal and prompted action by the city to shut down the establishment by revoking its liquor license. Weeks later, Greenfire bought the property (back when they owned a trifling 6 other buildings downtown). It has been vacant since that time.
Posts
5 comments:
I was inside this building repeatedly about 20 years ago. The first floor had been turned into a quite pedestrian floor plan, but the 2nd floor had most of the original structure of the bank. It was unkempt, but could have potentially been restored to something really nice. It still had attractive floors and nice high ceilings, but I don't remember too much else.
Hey Joe!
Interesting - I wonder if the interior detail is still present, or succumbed to a more recent renovation. I often wonder about what clues might be in the interior of the buildings as to their origins. I went in the KONTEK building on Holland St. last week, which was quite cool.
GK
I was told today by a friend that the 2nd floor was remodeled -- it's now cubicle space. I didn't inquire further, but I imagine the worst. :(
"Cublice space" definitely doesn't stoke an inspirational vision.
GK
The clothing store is vAn Straaten's, not vOn...and it was a point of pride in Durham to be able to say, "I bought it at van Straaten's." Well, not exactly say it; in the 60's, it would have been considered gauche to announce where one purchased one's clothes. It would have been discreetly whispered, and behind a cupped hand for good measure. It wasn't unusual at all to hear "van" pronounced with two syllables, as in va-yan Straaten's. *sigh* It's not just the architectural gems that are being lost; the art of being Southern disappears as surely as the aroma of cured Brightleaf tobacco, or the crisp smell of a stack of papers fresh from the spirit duplicating machine. Once gone, gone forever.
Post a Comment