Albans' Esso

Gary -

I've wondered about the odd set of curbs and curb cuts behind the Biscuitville on W. Club. Thanks for providing the explanation!

That Biscuitville picture brings back old memories. It changed over in the 70's to biscuits, prior to that it was a pizza parlor, prior to that...? Neither the location or the layout has changed in 35+ years. I eat there every time I go back home. Now that's a landmark.

At least the parking lot gets used by TROSA as a fantastic Christmas tree lot during the holidays.

I'm not quite sure what its purpose is the rest of the year.

This is interesting - I grew up a couple blocks south of this location and can remember when the stretch of Guess Rd. that angled between club and Buchanan was still there (through the 1960s.) But I had forgotten that it ever ran south of Club Blvd. I can also recall the building just to the East of the intersection of Guess and Buchanan. It was also there through the 1960s.

I started driving around Durham (legally) at the beginning of the 70's (and we're not going to discuss the driving that was done prior). At that time, Guess Road ended at Club Blvd., with Alban's on the west and the Shell station on the east. I'm nearly positive the southern extension of Guess Rd. was already closed. To continue into downtown, one made a left onto Club and then a quick right onto Buchanan. Or took Gregson Street.

Northgate wasn't yet a mall; just a strip shopping center. Thalhimer's was the glittering anchor store, but the busiest places were Rose's (discount store, are they still in business?) and Durham Sporting Goods, where wide-eyed youngsters could watch older kids race slotcars. This was, of course, just a branch of DSG, as the main store was still thriving downtown.

Thalhimer's (or whatever it is now -- Hechts?) continues to surprise. I saw last summer on my trip through Durham that it has moved again -- its' third location in this same shopping center.

In the photo from ~1960, I am surprised to see that huge home to the north, on what would have been the northern extension of Buchanan. Any info on that??

Thanks, Gary, for all that you do!

Dang, where's the "edit" button when you need one? :) "To continue into downtown, one made a left onto Club and then a quick right onto Buchanan" should be RIGHT on Club and LEFT on Buchanan.

I have to admit, even now as I'm giving driving directions and tell hubby to turn left, he'll ask me, "Do you mean THIS left (pointing out the driver's-side window) or the OTHER left?" Yeah, I get them backwards just that often.

Don't forget Kerr Sport Shop, which was in the basement of Kerr Drugs in the Northgate Strip Mall.

Lynn

I'll post on that house and Northgate in the next ~ 2 weeks.

GK

Mallie Paschall had a Sinclair station on the lot Biscuitville sits on. This was over 45 years ago. Mr. Paschall was nice he would help fix bike tires for the kids in the neighborhood.