505 NORTH GREGSON
505 N. Gregson, 12.09.07
The grocery store at 505 North Gregson St. was built between 1920 and 1923; it began life as Graham's Grocery Store. This section of North Gregson St. did not develop significantly until the 1920s - there was no connection in the ~3 blocks north of West Main St. between Gregson St., which ran south of West Main St., and Brody/Hated St., which was part of the subdivision of Trinity Park, until ~1920.
By 1934, the store was part of Progressive Grocery Stores. By 1944, it had become a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. Between 1955 and 1960, it became Edens Grocery and Drug. I haven't been able to get to the North Carolina Room at the NC library during its business hours to research the city directories after 1960 to see when it closed. (The pre-1960 are always available when the library is open, on microfilm.) If someone else is able to do so, I'll happily update.
505 N. Gregson, 05.04.10
I'd love to see the rebirth of this building as a restaurant or other small commercial venue. My hometown of New Orleans is replete with such small neighborhood grocery stores that have been converted to restaurants. Durham folk, and most Americans, love their parking lots, though - no matter the political persuasion, the grand unifying deity when the rubber meets the road is copious, available, visible, proximate parking. I'm not sure you could convince a restaurateur to open here or patrons to eat here without knocking down an adjacent house or two for asphalt. The alternative would be for people to parallel park along neighborhood streets, and it's hard to imagine Trinity Park living in harmony with that.
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16 comments:
There is a 40-car church parking lot directly across the street. Any idea why, in general, a church would not be willing to make its lot available to restaurant customers from 6 PM to midnight (at a buck or two per slot per night)? Liability? Trash? Other communities do this; why not Durham?
This lot is currently zoned RU-5 (residential) though the land use info for the parcel on the Durham GIS reads "COM/ 1-STY SGL OCCUPANT". Gary, can you explain the difference between the zoning and the parcel land use, and how that would affect commercial development of this property?
My father bought this building in about 1965 and ran a printing company there until about 1970. All of the Eden's Drug Store soda fountain equipment was left in the building. Wish I had kept it !
Love the green paint job. Someone's idea of preservation? Why not just paint over the windows as well?
Love that building! Anyone know what the sign above the door in the 12.09.07 photo said?
To answer the zoning question, this would be considered a non-conforming use in the residential district. I don't know if the specific use is still ongoing, but if at any point it stops for at least six months (evidenced by utilities being turned off perhaps), that use or a similar non-conforming use can no longer operate there. If it has been abandoned for less than six months, there's a chance it could be used as a restaurant, although it would likely need a Special Use Permit. The good news in all that is that it can't just become a parking lot either. It is likely it would need to be rezoned to be used for a restaurant or retail use. http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/planning/udo/pdf/udo_14.pdf
About 8 years ago, friend of mine (a fellow former Trinity Park resident) had a nice business all set for the "Trinity Park Grill" restaurant to be located at this site. Unfortunately, his menu and concept was too similar to Devine's, the Federal, etc., his investors balked, and his funding fell through. Too bad--it would have been a lot nicer than the green paint.
In the back of my 50s mind I recall going to this neighborhood store as part of our Home Ec class at Durham High, buying ingredients for a meal and turning the receipt in to the Misses Krause/Woolworth for reimbursement. Anyone else buy into this memory?
The sign used to say Eden's Drugs and Sundries
The building was so much more attractive when it wasn't painted.
I love the green actually
the sidestreet cafe in oakwood in raleigh seems to do fairly well in a residential neighborhood without a lot. i like their menu too
Graham's Grocery store started out on W. Main Street. It is listed at 1017 and then 1117 W, Main in the 1915 and then 1919 Hill's Directory. I suspect a typo. The 1923 Hill's Directory shows the store at 505 N. Gregson. Mary and Thomas Graham were the proprietors. An ED post about Gloria Ave from Feb 17 of this year actually shows 2 photos of the Graham's residence on Gloria http://endangereddurham.blogspot.com/search?q=gloria+ave
It's the first house on the right (yellow) in both photos. The Graham Family owned the home from about 1913 until 1956.
Doc Edens also ran the drug store at the intersection of Mangum and Cleveland Streets. He sold various drug store paraphernalia and was also a broker for antique coins. Not sure when he closed the Gregson St. store , as it had been vacant for years when my father purchased it.
I lived at 1008 minervia ave which is a few houses away from this store and my mom, her mom and my great-grandparents all lived there for many generations I used to play in the alley by the store and now after living all over want to move back to this area and thinking of trying to get this building let me know how and who to talk to or any info about it as this has been part of my family life for so long we also went to the church across the street and have our name inside on many things. I love Durham no place like home!!!
I lived in the house at 1015 W. Trinity Ave. from 1965 until 1970. All during the years we lived there, my and my brother's best friends, Pete, Timmy and George Dunn lived across the alley from the store at 1001 W. Trinity Ave. Their father owned the store and used it for storage of his tools (he was a sheet rock contractor). A quick search of the tax records shows that Joe's wife, Yolanda, still holds the deed to the place.
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