Newspapers / The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.) / July 2, 1993, edition 1 / Page 20
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20A The News-Herald, Friday, July 2,1993 Business (From Page 3A) moved the wooden shacks housing his office, drug store, ice house and stables off the lot at the southeast comer of Main and Mitchell streets. In their place he built the Mitchell Hotel with his drug store on the left side and the hotel dining room on the right side of the main floor. On North Railroad Street, Odom and Hill had moved their new store, and the Masons met in the hall on the second floor. Ahoskie's commercial history in cludes general retail stores, whole sale and warehouse building, hotels, banks, sawmills, cotton gins, auto showrooms and service stations, and funeral homes. The first commercial buildings in Ahoskie were commissaries or gen eral stores to supply the needs of loggers after the logging railroad opened in 1885. The town’s first store, Riddick and Freeman, was located on St. Johns Road (now Church Street) at its intersection with the railroad. For some reason, perhaps because the logging siding was further north, Main Street soon developed as the major business location, rather than Church Street, even though Main was not a through street until the 1920's. Business lots small Lots in the business section of Main and Railroad streets were small, 20 to 30 feel deep, enabling even the smallest entrepreneur to buy and build a modest store. At first, buildings often were shallow and then lengthened to the depth of the lot as the business grew. The dense concentration of busi nesses along Main and Railroad streets offered customers much con venience. At first, each owner held as his own the space in front, con structing a porch or veranda as part of his store. Later sidewalks were constructed for pedestrians so they could avoid cars and trucks. The streets were not paved until the 1920's, and it was not unusual for cars to get stuck in the mud, even on Main Street. Existing commercial buildings in Ahoskie date back from the early 1900's to the present. The E.J. Gerock Department Store at the southeast corner of Main and Railroad streets is intact, although the windows arc shuttered and the brick has been painted. The decorative brickwork still shows why it was considered "perhaps the most handsome in town" when it was built in 1910. The first specialized commercial buildings were the hotels, although both the Hotel Comfort, which was opened in 1906, and the Mitchell Hotel, which was opened in 1910, were still the typical double store fronts. The later Garrett Hotel, which was opened in 1926, had more of the specialized public lobby and dining space usually associated with hotels. It also had commercial space for lease on the ground floor with the hotel rooms on the second and third floors. Warehouses The Hub Warehouse, built in 1907, was constructed of brick with a unique stepped parapet gable fac ing Lloyd Street. It set the style foi the frame Basnighi Warehouse across Main Street in 1919. The Farmers Warehouse was alsc known as the "Iron" Warehouse foi the corrugated metal sliding used on the building. The other, more recent tobacco warehouses were con structed with more typical, less dis tinctive facades. Banks The town’s first bank, appropri ately named the Bank of Ahoskie, was organized in 1905 and was housed in a modest one-story brick building on East Main Street until its conservative board of directors finally agreed to build a larger, more impressive building during the recovery of the 1920’s. The site chosen was the most prominent in town — Main and Railroad streets, across the open space from the railroad station. The Farmers-Atlantic Bank, "the new bank in town," was built in 1914. Sessoms Building The Sessoms Building, erected in about 1920, was the largest com mercial building in Ahoskie until recent years. Richard Theater The Richard Theater, built by J.R. Garrett in 1927, played an im portant role in the social history of Ahoskie. The entry and lobby were an ear lier commercial storefront which had been used as a small mercantile and movie theater before the Richard was built. Automobile business The first automobile showroom was built in about 1915, the New- bem Building on East Main Street. The J.C. Sessoms Building, completed in the late 1930's, had larger show windows and higher ceilings to display new cars. Standard Chevrolet and Chas. H. Jenkins Motors built even more ex tensive showrooms in the late 1940's for their General Motors franchises. Service stations The Sinclair Station on West Main Street, built in the 1930’s, was totally oriented to the automo bile and was set back from the cor ner, breaking up the uniform front of the business district. Funeral homes Undertakers and mortuaries origi nally had been located in typical storefronts until the 1930’s, when more appropriate space was needed for the wakes and funerals that had moved from the home and church to the "funeral home." The Garrett Funeral Home on the east side of South Railroad Street was an example of a building con structed specifically for this use. Two other funeral homes, Reynolds and Hunter’s, have served the black population for many years. AHS (From Page 6A) of conversation. In 1924, it was proposed that Ahoskie consolidate and bring in children from four neighboring small schools at Earley’s, Harrell’s, Hickory Chapel and Brantley Grove. In 1927, the Earley's school burned, and this district was a con solidated with Ahoskie by means of a special election. After some controversy it was de cided that the new school building would stand at Academy and Main streets on the same site as the old one, which would be tom down. The new school cost $64,395. The auditorium of the old school became a wing of the new one and was used as a gymnasium. The new school had 30 rooms — eight for high school, 16 for el ementary, two for home economics, two labs and two commercial classes. It also had a library, an au ditorium that could seat 900 people, a reading room, principal’s office, reception room, and a gymnasium with showers and dressing facilities. The cornerstone for an agricul tural building was laid in 1935. and the home economics cottage was erected in 1940 with the aid of the National Youth Administration. In 1946, the state appropriated $25,000 for the construction of a gymnasium. The old gym then be came a cafetma. Basnight gave fountain W.H. Basnight gave the fountain in front of the school in memory of his son, Howard Jr., in 1946. In 1950, Basnight donated the site for a five-room band building and paid for the construction. In the 1960’s, several Butler building were erected on the back campus to accommodate a steadily increasing enrollment. One was for P«ces • ■ 5 Sta Latex Flat Wall Paint • one coat coverage • washable • colorfast • non-yellowing • spot reslstan^ 5 8?? .★★★★★★★ |lOur Best 7-Star Flat Latex House Paint ★★★★★★★ Our Best 7-Stai Semi-Gloss Latex Enamel ilat Latex House Paie‘ • one coat coverage • low spatter... no mess • 12-year durability • scrubbable • stain resistant • colorfast ' one coat coverage • 12-year durability ' scrubbable • low spatter > stain resistant > non-yellowing e V E N S T A ACRYLIC .Semi-Gloss '^ex Enaifl®' an auto mechanics lab, and three trailer classrooms were used. However, a new school building on West First Street was con structed a few years later and housed the high school grades. The old building was convened into a junior high, or middle, school. Finally, a few years ago high schools in Ahoskie and Murfrees boro were consolidated into Hertford County School in the same build ings. The Murfreesboro school then became Hertford County Middle School. Editor's note: Dennis Brown wrote this article for the Historical Issue of The Pow Wow, the student newspaper of Ahoskie High School, in May. 1969. He got much of his information from the book. The Ahoskie Era of Hertford County, by Roy Parker Sr. Football (From Page 7A) Bears. After Allen retired.. Carl Brock became the head coach. Murray and Charles Simmons were athletic di rectors, and Jane Burke was princi pal. Assistant coaches were Phipps, Lancaster, Paul Moore, David Ed wards, Jeff Edwards and Calvin Moore. HCHS won the 1990 conference title. In November, 1990, a stuffed bear mascot was donated by Nicole Stallings of Harrellsville and pre sented by Murray for school dis play. Editor's note: Tommy Mitchell wrote this article in mem ory of his father, Theo Mitchell, and his coaches. Jack Young and Calvin Freeman. Information was compiled from AHS yearbooks. The News-Herald clippings and per sonal interviews. Broom Tough fibers resist breaking and [ shedding. Four-strand stitching j ^ for added durability. Happy 1 2 Ft. Wood Step Ladder Sturdy yellow pine folding ladder features braced bottom step for stability. Birthday, Ahoskie!! 13®® 3-speed portable fan provides maximum cooling comfort. Grey ^ with white firm. Citronelle candle keeps insects away,bumsforhours. Galvanized j , bucket. Starting fluid lights charcoal bri- ^ quets fast. 1 qt. size. 2/*l Paper Towels Save on 2-ply roll of 96 sheets. ^ White with print desion. NO HASSELL RETURN POLICY We'll fix it, exchange It or return your money! No questions asked. We'll match any one's advertised price. AiCE HOMECENTER 28 qt. ice chest with a reversible lid that doubles as a food tray. 2 I liter jug packed inside. Great for | irties and picnics. Pest Control'^ I Choose from Ant & Roach Killer, Home Fogger, Flying Insect, or , Wasp & Hornet Killer. Each Disposable Dust Mask or Goggles Your Choice. Protectionagainst non-toxic nuisance dusts. 5/pk. Clear mask protects your eyes ^ from flying particles. Poly Tarp 8x10’ waterproof poly cover has grommets every 3’. Finished size kJ'6‘ X 9'6'. Blue, brown. FREE Bag Of ICE with any purchase of either a 12 pack or 24 pack of F beer. Offer good with coupon now thru July 4, only. ■ ■ COUPON ■■■■■■■J OPEN 7 DAYS EVERY WEEK Mon.-Sat. 7:30-6:30 Sunday 12;30-5:30 Memorial Drive AHOSKIE Across from Advance A‘.ito Parts Old Towne DRINKS • Cola • GIngerale • Tropical Punch * Grape • Orange • Pineapple Passion • Root Beer • Lemon Lime • Strawberry - Offer good with coupon now thru Sun,, July 11. Limit one coupon per customer.
The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.)
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July 2, 1993, edition 1
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