613 HOLLOWAY / O'BRIANT STORE
One of my favorite buildings in Durham is the O'Briant store. Established ~1 block away on Railroad St. by RP O'Briant (who lived in the house directly across the railroad tracks from this building) prior to 1905, the grocery store moved to this location around 1915. The initial wood frame structure was replaced by this brick building soon afterwards.
This was the neighborhood grocery store for the immediate surround throughout the early 20th century. It was taken over by JR Beck in the 1920s and MD Fletcher somewhat later.
Looking west from the Holloway St. bridge (wooden bridge, I might add,) 1950s.
(Courtesy Herald-Sun)
The store appears to have gone out of business by the early 1960s. Supermarkets were not kind to these little stores.
Looking north, 1964.
But by the 1970s, it was rented by a tailor.
Looking northwest, 1970s.
(Courtesy State Archives)
Today it is owned by the people who live in 611 Holloway, just to the west. It hasn't been a retail store for a long time, and I don't know if it is simply empty or used for some purpose.
Looking northwest, Dec. 2006.
Looking northeast, Sept. 2007.
I can't exactly explain why I am so fond of this building. It's a great little commercial building, but I think the way one would enter from a cut-through on the bridge, and the way it hovers over the railroad tracks are part of it.
Looking up/west from the railroad tracks, Dec. 2006.
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9 comments:
The "hover" is for sure nice, and the way it anchors the end of the block with a nice-sized brick bookend, and the way it's nicely visible on its own when you approach from downhill.
Very cool post! Years ago, a friend and myself started to try to buy the building, but didn't get far (can't remember exactly what happened...I think the owners decided to hold onto the building). It is also one of my favorite buildings in Durham; hopefully it'll be around for a long time.
The way it sits over the tracks reminds me of the way buildings in other downtowns sit out over rivers. Something about it makes me wish there were a deck out that second story door, either for an upstairs apartment or a restaurant.
Growing up in Durham during the '50s & '60s, I can say this area of Holloway Street was intriguing to me. As a child it felt almost like climbing a mountain, to finally see the neat O'Briant store by the tracks. I LOVE this photo! Keep them coming, Gary.
These are my Dad's family members who owned the store...I will have to show him this.
Thank you!
Amanda O'Briant
this is kinda creepy, well me and my friend were walking through the woods off the cabeland trails off sparger rd. and there was a sleeping bag, pillow and some clothes and paper and under it was an i.d. for a patsy c. powell, born 1944 and issued in 1980 and the adress is 613 holloway street...i was trying to figure out who this is and get some info. please email me at bigb4591@hotmail.com if anyone knows anything.
this is kinda creepy, well me and my friend were walking through the woods off the cabeland trails off sparger rd. and there was a sleeping bag, pillow and some clothes and paper and under it was an i.d. for a patsy c. powell, born 1944 and issued in 1980 and the adress is 613 holloway street...i was trying to figure out who this is and get some info. please email me at bigb4591@hotmail.com if anyone knows anything.
I've wanted to run a small food market out of this space and live in the yellow house ever since moving to Durham (only 4 years ago). It is, without a doubt, my favorite building in this town. It's also featured in a painting in Watts Grocery on Broad Street.
I think it's really interesting how the M. D. Fletcher lettering has faded away to such a degree that the older J.R. Beck is showing through--things old are new again? Hopefully that can be a metaphor for the rest of the block.
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