BELVIN'S GROCERY
The one-time LD Belvin Grocery, looking southeast, late 1950s.
(Courtesy Bob Blake)
LD Belvin's grocery appears to have been established in Bragtown between 1907 and 1911. I have very little information about the store, although it appears to have been no longer run by Belvin - and potentially no longer a grocery store - by sometime between 1920 and 1923.
Looking east, late 1950s.
(Courtesy Bob Blake)
I do not have a clear record of when this building was torn down, but it's long gone today, replaced by the vehicular entrance to a fried poultry mecca.
Looking southeast at the junction of North Roxboro Road and Old Oxford Highway, 10.26.08.
Find this spot on a Google Map.
Posts
12 comments:
Oooo! Check out the marker behind the Fairntosh sign: "Braggtown" with TWO G'S! (Or am I just so tired I'm seeing double?)
Lynn
No - you're right. Although it's clearly and consistently "Bragtown" on every old map and document I've looked at, there have obviously been folks who have spelled it with the two Gs over the years. I guess 'correct' is all relative if people choose to begin spelling it a different way.
GK
I think that it would be worth noting the King's Red and White Grocery Store on the corner of Roxboro Rd and Club Blvd. I'm not sure when they were established, but they are a family run, wonderful grocery that preserves much of the character of a yesteryear grocery store. Do you know that store's history?
Beth
No doubt - much of my decision to post about individual businesses/buildings is picture-driven, unless they are particularly unique, or I am trying to comprehensively cover a specific street. So, no slight of the Red and White intended; I simply don't have any old pictures of that intersection. (Closest I have is the Fowler's picture.)
GK
L D belvin store was torn down about 1980 or so. I am not sure if the out buildings were gone yet. The brick Belbin house was to the right and replaced an earlier structure than burned in the mid 30's
Paper work in the store dated back to 1906 or so and some items dated to the 1950's
I beleave it closed in the mid to late 50's.The gas pumps and belvin's car dissapeared in the late 70s before the road was widened.
Bragtown Amoco was across Old Oxford rd and was torn down the summer of 1977. Eagle drive in was next door and might have been torn down before that time
Across from Belvin's was the A&P that opened in the mid 60's and closed in the mid 70's .This building replaced the frame houses to the right of Old Hickory.After A&P Lighthouse conv. store and the post office moved in.
Thanks, Robby, for mentioning that because I've been having a big debate over whether there was a convenience store in that center. You just settled it for us.
The King's Red & White owner told me once that his family, his father, started ip that store in the 50's. has never changed hands except from parent to child. I cant say what it was before, or if anything at all.
who knows, maybe the owners are your source for images?
Anon
Thanks for the info, and good suggestion. I currently have my hands full tracking down sources, so if anyone wants to take the initiative of talking to the owners of the Red and White about pictures and history, I'd be happy to post it all.
GK
Oh man! Such a cool little structure! And it's gone :(
Thanks for the cool posts on such little-known locales, they're very enjoyable to read. And, it's very cool to see people comment on postings with additional historic information.
Red and White opened in 1956 or 1957. They used to "share" the building on the corner of Club and Roxboro with an Amoco Gas Station. Across Club Blvd there was a shopping center (still standing) that had an Eckerd Drugs, Winn Dixie Grocery Store (later a Western Auto) and several small stores were located behind the Eckerd's...I don't recall the names but one of them was Tyndall's Mens Shop (called the "Den for Men").
Fowler's was located on Roxboro Road directly across from this shopping center in the white building (it was painted white then and still is, if I remember correctly). Down the street (on Avondale, where Kmart later was located)from the Shopping Center was riding stables where my Mother used to take horseback riding lessons. Across from the stables was a wonderfully retro 1960's Arby's...you can still see the old sign out front.
Diagonally behind Red and White, next to the corner store is a house that still stands. It used to be painted pink, and it was the kindergarten to Mrs. Jones' Bragtown Nursery/Preschool. The nursery component was located in a big house that stood where the old Arby's is. I think it was torn down in the late 1960's to make way for Arby's. The entire nursery program was consolidated in a large home a few blocks up Roxboro Road where a preschool still exists.
When you said that you have pics of 'Fowlers', is that the recently closed pawn shop on the SW corner(behind the gas/slip in) of Club and Roxboro?
How about the old Purcells Grocery Store at/near Ellis and Angier?
What about pics of the 'Cow' stores?
Seth Roberts
seth@realtor.com
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