201 North Church St. - Hicks Building

(Courtesy Duke Archives)

The buildings along the west side of the 200 block of North Church St. are a very-well preserved block of early 20th century structures. The Hicks building, on the northwest corner of North Church and East Parrish, and its immediate 3 neighbors to the north were constructed around 1910. 209-211 North Church, at the northern end of the row, was constructed somewhat later, likely during the early 1920s.

The Hicks Building at 201 N. Church St. housed the May and Page grocers in the early mid-20th century.

The above only shows a small portion of 201 N. Church to the left, but you can see the brick of the structure prior to the application of paint. (Courtesy Norman Williams Collection)

In the early 1970s, it housed "Tommy's Barber Shop."

The Hicks building, 1977, looking east on East Parrish St.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)

The 200 block of North Church St., 2007.

These buildings are a great cluster of contiguous historic structures - they are just too isolated with the desolate landscape to the east and southeast. Some great renovation has happened here over the past few years, though - notably at 209-211, at the north end of the block - a really impressive interior re-do.

Looking southwest, 2007.

The latent potential in the buildings on the west side of N. Church St. is amazing, though. Active participation and some thinking/planning beyond the immediate needs of the government will be needed by the county, which owns all the moribund land on the east side of N. Church. If that's ever developed into something with active storefronts facing N. Church , this little two-block section could be a great node of development on the east side of downtown.

04.28.2015 (G. Kueber)