202-210 North Mangum / Rogers' Drug Store

Rogers Drugstore, 1968

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Looking northeast from the corner of Parrish St. and N. Mangum St., 1890s

(Courtesy Duke Archives)

(Courtesy Duke Archives)

After his first warehouse on the south side of the 100 block of E. Parrish St. burned in the 1880s, EJ Parrish built a second warehouse that eventually extended most of the length of the block, although it was set back from Mangum St. with a grassy area in front and places to park your mule along the north side of the building.

(Copyright Sanborn Fire Insurance Co.)

Above, the intersection of Parrish, Mangum, Orange, "Hollaway" (now City Hall Place), and North (later Rigsbee, now parking lot) - 1893. Fire Station #1 is located just to the north of the warehouse, and the Parrish building is just to the south. First Baptist Church is located west, across Mangum St.

Below, a fuzzy bird's eye view shows the EJ Parrish building (with some interesting protruding bays on the front that I hadn't previously noticed), the Parrish warehouse, and the first Fire Station #1. Trinity Methodist Church is in the background.

Looking east, 1905.
(From "Images of America: Durham" by Steve Massengill)

By January 1913, the Parrish warehouse was torn down by RH Wright. He announced that month he would tear down the ware house and begin construction on "six of the handsomest business buildings in the city - four [of which would] face Mangum street while the other two [would] face Parrish street" to be completed before 1914.

Above, looking north from the 100 block of North Mangum St., around 1914. On the right, the EJ Parrish Building, and just beyond that, the northeast corner of Parrish and Mangum. There is a scale outside the front door, and it appears that there is a sign that says _Levin on the Mangum St. side, Henry Levin(e)'s shoe repair shop.
(Courtesy Duke Archives)

The Carrington-Rogers Drugstore became the initial tenant on the corner (200-202); Public Hardware was another early tenant. By 1923, they had moved a few doors east on Parrish St., and Carrington-Rogers had become Rogers Drug Co. Other bays of the building were filled with other tenants - 200-202 was the Rogers Drugstore, 204 was Henry Levin(e) (spelled both ways,) 206 was Universal Stores, Inc., 208 was SE Rochelle, and 210 - a one story 'bumpout' on the north side of the building was the Service Cafe.

Above, the view looking east-northeast, 1923. Moving left to right, a bit of the First Baptist Church is visible at the left edge of the picture, the first Fire Station #1, Rogers Drug, and the EJ Parrish building. ( I surmise 1923 because Trinity Methodist Church is missing in this picture - it burned in January 1923 and was rebuilt in 1924).
(Courtesy Duke Archives)

In 1928, Medlin's Electric Shoe Shop was at 204, Universal Stores at 206, SE Rochelle at 208, and A&P at 210.

In 1932, the OK Electric Shoe Shop was at 204, Universal Stores at 206, SE Rochelle at 208, and Warren and Markham at 210.

In 1937, 204 was Ferrell's watchmaking, with Wright's Automatic Tobacco Packing Machine Co. and Wright Real Estate upstairs. 206 was the White Owl cigar store, 208 was SE Rochelle, and 210 was Mangum St. Barber Shop. By 1941. Rochelle had moved to his next location. 204 was empty, 206 was W&L Cigar Store and Billiards, 208-210 was the Durham Gas Co.

A small view of the Rogers Drugstore sign is visible at the left edge of the shot below, looking east on Parrish St. ~1940.

(Courtesy Duke Archives)

A shot of the south side of the building looking west down Parrish St., 1950s.
(Courtesy Bob Blake)

In 1948, 206 housed the Allenton Co. real estate, and 208 the Ray-Browning Co., men's clothes. 210 housed Broadwell Paints. In 1952, 206 has Allenton Realty and Insurance Co., 208 Ray-Browning Clothiers, and 210 Family Finance and Acceptance, which had become Union Finance Co. by 1959.

The business lasted into the late 1960s.

Above, the Rogers Drugs Co., 1968 - note the multiple building entrances/storefronts.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)

A 1970s redo deprived the building of its original windows and much of its variety of entrances on the first floor for a feast of plate glass, but helped meet the wig needs of Durham.

Above, looking northeast, 1979.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)

Another redo in 1980 reformulated the entryways with arches and different doors.

Looking northeast, 1979.
(Courtesy Durham County Library)

Looking east down the 100 Block of East Parrish
(Courtesy Durham County Library)

I think this was a Verizon building for a number of years in the 1990s. Most recently it has been occupied by Preservation Durham and the Parrish St. Advocacy Group. It is one of Greenfire's many buildings, and they are in the midst of a renovation of this building, fire station #1, and 107 E. Parrish St. (adjacent to this building on E. Parrish St.)

Looking northeast, 2007

Update 4/21/09:

Greenfire appears to have nearly completed renovations on the old Rogers' drugstore, and has "For Lease" signs up. They've done a marvelous job with the exterior, returning to the original form windows, which elicits a sigh of relief after looking at this structure with terrible solid 1980s tinted windows for decades.

Looking northeast, 04.14.09.