951-953 East Main St.

1984 (SHPO)

1977 (SHPO

951-953 was built in the mid-1920s; like many of the structures to its west, it replaced earlier frame mercantile structures.

1928
951 Bowen Brothers and Holt
953 Edgemont Market

An interior picture of Bowen Bros. and Holt (Courtesy Rik Rasmussen)

1933
953 Edgemont Market

1937
Vacant

1944
951: JE Gunter Hosiery Mill
953: Scott and Roberts dry cleaners

1952
951-3: Triangle Electric Motor Co, Inc. (repairs)

1955
951-3: Triangle Electric Motor Co, Inc. (repairs)
953 1/2: Union Hall - American Federation of Hosiery Workers (Branches 31 and 31-A), United Textile Workers of America (local 602), Textile Union of America (Locals 248A and 248B), Woodmen of the World (Highland Grove Auxiliary No. 267.)

1960:
951-953: Triangle Electric Motor Co, Inc. (repairs)

For baffling reasons, 951-953 was listed as a non-contributing structure in the Golden Belt NR district in 1984 because the lower facades were "completely altered" with cinderblock infill. Give me a break. One day with a sledgehammer, and it's completely fixed, and new glass in those storefronts = good as new (old.) This is a fine building, with the important bits completely unaltered. But to take tax credits on restoring this building, somebody now has to go through convincing SHPO that it's contributing. Thanks, historic consultant, for making resoration of this building that much harder.

Of late, 951-953 primarily seems to incubate storefront churches; I don't think "Philly Fashions" is still around. As with its neighbors, I would love to see the return of storefront retail to this strip; however, one thing I've learned through experience (and shattering of my previous illusions) is that retailers - no matter how progressive the product or mission, how start-up-ish or cutting edge the entrepreneurs may be - are quite conservative when it comes down to their money and their business, which translates into location preferences that highly favor the west side of town, combined with parking desires that would do a Wal-Mart proud.

I don't blame them - there is a lot of rhetoric about transit and reducing the size of parking lots out there, but much of it evaporates in the moment a parent is trying to find a spot for their minivan full of progeny. Personally, I think people are more resourceful about parking than retailers give them credit for, but nobody wants to be the odd-store-out on parking availability.

It only particularly bothers me when the business rhetoric doesn't match the location - i.e., the Sustainability Store whose mission is to save the planet, care earnestly about their employees' pets, and to never stop being Concerned about the under-everythinged folks in Durham - as long as they can do it from somewhere south and west of ~Mangum St. - or wherever the latest Acceptability Line is in downtown Durham. At least the big grocery chains, etc. are somewhat more honest about it - just show them a census tract map to ID where the wealthy folk are, and that's where they'll be.