Mystery Photo

Edgemont?

I believe this store was located at the corner of Roxboro Rd. and Club Blvd., across the street from Fowler's Food Store. I think the store became the core of the building that is there now.

For what it's worth... The only Piggly Wiggly I see in Durham's public records was Cescom d/b/a Piggly Wiggly, and according to the corporations database, located at 1109 E Main. This location is now Los Primos Supermarket. I don't really have an eye for this sort of thing, so I can't tell from online maps 'Street View' whether this could be the same building... but good luck!

The stores I know of in Edgemont were the A&P, now Los Primos, a Colonial Stores, and a Winn-Dixie at Liberty and Alston.

The Roxboro and Club possibility is intriguing, as I don't really know what that southeast corner looked like in the 1950s-1960s. It looks like the store is at kind of an oblique angle to the street, though, and I think the existing complex is square to the street - not positive about that.

Thanks for your assistance!

GK

GK

Rik is correct.It is the auto store located at Roxboro and Club. Prior to it was a Winn-Dixie.

I, too, remember this store at Roxboro and Club in '59 or '60. Does anyone else remember when the Piggly Wiggly store was jokingly called "The Hoggly Woggly"?

According to the Durham Sun of November 9, 1960, the address at 2206 Roxboro Road was a Winn Dixie store---a full page ad in the paper identifies the location as such. The photo of the Piggly Wiggly must have been dated prior to November 1960.

I had no idea that this shopping center was built piecemeal like this, and assumed that it was built at the same time as the adjacent building----first Eckerd Drugs for many years, then a Medical supply store, now a Pawn Shop. All of this sadly mirrors the downward spiral of Braggtown as a prosperous and vibrant shopping area.

As near as I can tell, none of the vehicles in the photo are newer than the 1958 model year.

It really looks like the one on Roxboro Rd at Club Blvd. I went there as a young child with my mom. It later became Winn Dixie. Other stores were added along the Club Blvd side much later.

kinga looks like the Salvation Army store that was (is?) on E Main near Golden Belt and the hosiery Mill?

Looking at MS Virtual Earth, you can see the division of this building from the others. I never knew that this was first. Interesting. The curb divider in the parking lot appears to have survived it's original shape and location.

the Piggly Wiggly locations changed to Winn Dixie in the late 50s
i agree this is Roxboro rd across from the old Fowlers.now an auto parts store

Wow. You guys are impressive - I thought there would be at least a modicum of difficulty figuring this out. Thanks so much for your help!

GK

I remember this store well because on opening day my mother took me there.They had the first automatic opening doors in Durham.I was the first child in Durham to get my foot stuck underneath the automatic door.Yes Roxboro and Club is the right address.

once again, the hive mind comes to the rescue! looks like the shape of the curved grassy area near the corner of roxboro and davidson is also unchanged since the photograph was taken.

This store was at the corner of Guess and Carver St owned by the Riley Brothers I believe

I could be wrong but I do not believe so

The shape of the building reminds me of the old Revco (I think it's a rug store or something like that now) near the intersection of Broad and West Club, I remember thinking it was quite a distinctive building, was this the style that Piggly Wiggly used in the '50's?

It looks like the Piggly Wiggly that was at the corner of Main and Alston when I moved to the area in 1978, but I can see how it might be the Roxboro and Club site also.

My mother grew up 2 blocks from there in the 1950's. She confirmed that the old Western Auto had been the Piggly Wiggly. It looks like that pic is the old store. On an interesting note, I visited a friend in Charleston, SC a couple of years ago. The Piggly Wiggly there would rival a Harris Teeter here on selections and cleanliness.

Roxboro Rd.
The change from Piggly-Wiggly to Winn-Dixie was after 1958. My cousin worked there in 1958-1958 and always referred to it as "the old Piggly Wiggly" long after it was no longer even a Winn-Dixie.

A bit of trivia: In 1916, Piggly-Wiggly was the first self-service grocery store. The original owner patented the concept of self-service grocery in 1917. The store had a whoppiong four aisle and only about 600 products. They were also the first grocery franchise and the first to use refrigerated display cases.

Gary,

What a bunch of great responses you've gotten here. Maybe you ought to have a mystery photo every week? You probably come across quite a few pictures that you spend a lot of time trying to identify. Let your readers do some of the work for you.

John

as someone mentioned there was also a Piggly Wiggly at Guess and Carver. It is a medical supply store now. I was just thinking about how nice those old stores were for ease when you just need to run in for a few things.

Guess and Carver was an A&P.It might have been a revco after that but I am not sure. There was a near by "cow store" on carver

Yes, Guess and carver was an A&P.

no, there was a piggly wiggly at guess and carver and I am 100% certain of that- helped start a business in the sublease of the space. The only A&P i remember is where the 3rd iteration of Wellspring was/the current whole foods. There was an A&P on that property before the strip that is there now was built.

The grocery store on the northeast corner of Guess & Carver Sts. was an A&P. Across the street, in the late 60's and 70's, was a 7-11. Dr. Gore's veterinary office was behind his house which sat at on the southwest corner of the intersection, and I don't recall anything on the southeast corner; it may have been undeveloped at that point, or I just don't remember. Many of us kids in the area would walk or ride our bikes to the A&P, or to the 7-11 for an Icee, a real treat in the summer!

TI remember the A&P manager in the late 60's/early 70's was a Mr. Tilley, and the asst. manager was a Mr. Filyaw.

If that location was ever a Piggly Wiggly, it was before 1960. I don't think so, though. Pretty sure it was built as an A&P.

Gary, when I said the Piggly Wiggly was on the corner of Club & Roxboro, I meant the NORTHEAST corner, where the current Kings Red & White is. The building across Club, the car parts store, I do think was a Winn Dixie, and I also remember an Eckerd's in the corner, but the Piggly Wiggly was on the other corner.

Or not. :)

Hell, some days I can barely remember where I parked the car, so who knows if I'm remembering this correctly?

But if you look closely at the photo, and look at the Red & White from Google street view standing on Club, I think you'll see it. Through the years, the overhang came down, along with the planter on the East side of the building, and the chiller on the roof is gone, but...look closely at the far left of the mystery photo. You can see the telephone/electric poles going up Roxboro Rd, and they appear to line up pretty well with the Google streetview photo. Remember that Club Blvd. has been widened a LOT through the years at the Roxboro Rd. intersection, and has eaten into the parking lot of the Red & White.

C'mon, tell me I'm right!!!

I'd say that this Piggly Wiggly looks most like the one on Roxboro Rd, across from Fowler's and across
Club from the Red and White. Rik has it right, I'd say. I used to bicycle all around there from our house on Shenandoah Ave. in the
'50s.

If you look close you might see me bringing out groceries for customers.   I worked at that Piggly Wiggly which became a Winn Dixie when it was bought out by.   I still have a framed 3 X 4 certificate when I was named "Bag Boy Of The Month" in 1956.  I also got a $5.00 bonus in my paycheck that week for this honor.  The manager of the store was Mr O'Briant and the Supervisor was a Mr Rose.

It is on the corner of Club and Roxboro Rd.I work in a barber shop on the back left of that shopping center. The Piggly Wiggly is now an Advance auto parts store now.

The Red & White has always been the Red & White.