.'t Sons
Book Bindery, jnc
^Pringp,rt,7dch?Vpc,
VOL, 90, NO, 4S riJESDAy, JUNE 19, 1979
KlhG9 MOUMTWri MIRROR H€RMD
15c
Thieves Hit
Western Auto
Early-momlng thieves ripped ott Western Auto Store Monday and
Inventorying was continuing yesterday afternoon to determine the value
of the large quantity of merchandise stolen.
City Police Patrolman Harry Martin discovered the glass door broken
on lower level of the store and upon Investigation found that intruders had
completely demolished the three doors which led to the upper level of the
store.
Odus Smith, owner and operator of the firm, said that a number of
television sets, watches, necklaces, a large quantity of guns and rifles,
CB radios and equipment. Including scanners and miscellaneous Items.
Mr. Smith said that both sections of the store were vandalised and heavily
damaged.
Assisting In the Investigation are city officers Robert Dodge and Ptl.
Julius Burton.
Studying Bible
In The Back Yard
t
♦ i
,.AN HISTORICAL SURVEY—Carol Perrin of the North Carolina
Department of History and Archives, is shown here conducting a survey on
le Dr. Bob Baker home on N. Piedmont as part of her historical structure
Photo by Tom McIntyre
search In Kings Mountain. Hie Baker house Is the only structure of Queen
Anne Victorian architecture In the community and as such, according to Ms.
Perrin, should be saved from demolition by the State Highway Department.
May Be Doomed For Destruction
Home Only One Of Its Kind
polr
to put up the funds to remove the
house to a safe site.”
Southern said it la possible for the
structure to be moved almost Intact
to another site. He said the
overhangs and porches would
probably be removed, then replaced
once the house Is relocated.
"The problem now Is time," he
said. "It Is critical. The only
salvation as I can see at this point Is
for some Individual with a pocketful
of money to suddenly appear on the
scene. The house Is practically free
to that person. The expense comes In
moving It. The number of obstacles
and distance the house would en
counter could cost between $40,000-
$60,000. The greatest obstacles are
power lines and trees."
Southern said he has talked with
the Historic Preservation Pund of
N.C. concerning saving the struc
ture, but reports that at this time the
group has Its hands filled with
similar projects.
Interest in saving the structure
began fresh within the past couple of
weeks while the historic preser
vation section representative, Carol
Perrin, conducted her survey on
historical structures In Kings
Mountain. The city contracted lor
the survey on a matching funds
grant offered by the Division of
Archives and History.
♦
"Our department tries to review
all highway department plans In
they Involve construction through
communities," Southern said. "We
have to determine what Impact the
plans will have on the historic en
vironment. We may not be able to do
anything in the Baker case, but
through the grant surveys, such as
Carol Is conducting In Kings
Mountain, we will be able to prevent
such waste In the future. I’m glad
Kings Mountain and many com
munities across the state have seen
fit to take advantage of this
program.”
The Queen Anne Victorian ar
chitecture was very popular with the
middle class during the 1800s stnd at
the turn of the century. Most com
munities across the state had
several homes of that style, but
through natural attrition the
majority of these structures are
gone now.
Southern said statewide the ar
chives division has fought a con
tinual fight to Impress on com
munities the Importance of
preserving such structures.
"In the past couple of years the
fight has begun to pay off,” he said.
"More and more communities are
realizing they have valuable
resources In these old structures.
'Ihey not only add beauty, but
cultural depth to the community.
"Aiding this fight Is the fact of
economic realities today,” he
continued. “It Is less costly to
restore these old homes than It Is to
build new ones. Couple this with the
growing negative reaction to the
bland architecture of today and you
will find that more and more our
historical structures are going to be
preserved.”
Interest In saving the Baker home
will continue, but time Is fighting
back. The bulldozers are warming
up sjid anyday now may just plow
under a piece of the precious past.
By TOM McIntyre
Editor, Mirror-Herald
The most prominent 19th century
architecture of quality In Kings
Mountain may be doomed to
destruction unless someone sud
denly appears to save It.
t The structure Is the homeplace of
r. Bob Baker on N. Piedmont Ave.
The structure Is listed with the
Archeology and Historic preser
vation Section, Division of Archives
and History as a Queen Anne Vic-
jforlan - and Is the only one of the
*'pe In Kings Mountain.
The structure Is due to be
bulldozed under a N.C. State High
way Department contract because it
Is situated on the direct route of the
new Hwy. 74 bypass. Initial con-
< |ructlon has already begun on the
ypass route off Hwy. 74 west of the
city.
Michael Southern, western N.C.
representative of the historic
preservation section, sadd at this
olnt the highway commission has
ashed Its hands of the matter and
ne salvation or dest jcUon of the
structure Is now between Dr. Baker
and the genertd construction con
tractor.
"The iMime was originally
scheduled to have been off the
{ll'operty last spring," Southern
’said. "But a group of Interested
citizens from Kings Mountain
managed to get at least two ex
tensions from the highway depart
ment. However, both extension
« )adllnes have come and gone
Ithout someone being found willing
COfCTo Meet As
A general membership meeting
« r the Kings Mountain Chamber of
immerce Is scheduled Mon., June
an at 7:80 a.m. at Kings Mountain
Motor Inn.
The breakfast meeting will be
hosted by several local companies
and an offtclal with Duke Power Oo.
IhU speak.
Golden Reunion
The Oolden Anniversary reunion
jf the Class of 1939 of Kings
fountain High School will be held
Wed., June 90th, at e p.m. at Kings ....
Mountain Motor Inn. SUMMER PUN-The two photos above show Mondays through Saturdays and $-6 p.m.
All class members are encouraged youngsters cooling oft In the swimming pool at Deal throughout the hot summer months,
to attend. Street Park. The park pool Is open from 1-9 p.m.
Photos by Gary Stewart
. A Back-Yard Bible Club has been
underway In Kings Mountain at Pine
Manor Apartments and others are
scheduled at other apartment
complexes In the city this summer.
Miss Vickie Hardin of Bessemer
City, religious education major at
Gardner Webb College and summer
employe of the Kings Mountain
Baptist Association, said the classes
are held from 9:80 until 11 a.m.
mornings and that approximately
30-2S children participated during
die recent visit of her Bible Mobile.
Miss Hardin said she parks her
automobile In a shaded area of the
apartment complexes, sits her books
on the car and Invites students to
participate in Bible stories, prayer,
singing and fellowship. She also has
been serving light refreshments.
She said that In some Instances,
many of the children she teaches are
not active In Sunday School and the
church.
"This Is our way of telling them
about God and giving them some
religious atmosphere", she said.
Kings Mountain Baptist
Association sponsors similar
p. }grams all over the county. It Is
the third year the program has been
in operation.
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Sundays