Lot 25
Southwest Corner of Churton and King Streets
Young, Miller, and Co. aka The Blue House
c. 1765
According to the earliest surviving deeds, this lot was first owned by merchants from Glasgow, Scotland and Edenton, NC who had established a company with headquarters in Halifax, NC. It was one of the many sites across the colony where they operated general merchandise stores. The primary partners in this firm included James Young, Andrew Miller, and George Alston; hence, the company was known as Young, Miller & Co.
The Sauthier map depicts four structures on Lot 26 by 1768; however, at this time, Young, Miller & Co. is presumed to have owned the entire lot. A 1771 deed lists “Ralph McNair merchant” as being in “possession” of the property. McNair may have lived in one of the four buildings, although he would soon come to own property across the street and operate a store there (See Lot 26).
The structure directly on the corner of Churton and King streets has been identified through records. It was erected in the 1760s, was 55’x52’, and has been presumed to be Young, Miller & Co.’s store. It became known as “The Blue House.” McNair managed this store and is believed to have moved to Hillsborough specifically for that purpose. However, Young, Miller, & Co. employed lawyers Thomas Burke and John Kinchen to collect their accounts.
Many historians believe that Young, Miller & Co. also operated a tavern on Lot 25 because the company also owned a stillhouse on E. King Street (later purchased by William Courtney). Some believe that the tavern was in the Blue House. However, general stores were rarely used for such dual purposes, especially because married women typically would not frequent a tavern due to the social stigma yet married women were often a general store’s primary customers. More likely, one of the other buildings on the lot – perhaps the building directly beside the Blue House – was utilized for that purpose.
The 1768 Sauthier map depicts four buildings on the Churton Street portion of Lot 25. Historians identified these structures as the Blue House on the corner with a kitchen and stable and then two private homes.
Of this partnership, Andrew Miller was one of the most prominent members. He earned a reputation as one of the “three firmest Tories in the Province” of North Carolina. Miller was born in Scotland and moved to Halifax, NC where he became a merchant and leading citizen, friends with Governor Josiah Martin. In 1774, he refused to sign the Resolutions of the Association, a non-importation agreement for goods to Great Britain. Consequently, the Halifax Committee of Safety decided to boycott Miller’s businesses as well as those of his partners. However, retribution against him for being a supporter of England became so severe that he and his wife Elizabeth and their children were forces to flee the country.
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How Miller was regarded in Hillsborough is unknown, but by 1776, his name had been removed from the company title and people were calling the business Alston, Young & Co. By 1776, Alston, Young & Co only owned the 54’x55’ parcel of the lot on the corner. The remainder of the property had come into the possession of John MacClellan who sold it to William Johnston.
(L.) The 1776 indenture transferring the lot, excepting the parcel owned by Alston, Young & Co to William Johnston from the collection of the Orange County Historical Museum.
(R.) This advertisement for payment of debts to Young, Miller, & Co., ran in The North-Carolina Journal from February through June 1797.
State Treasurer's Office
1785-1789
After the American Revolution, the North Carolina state legislature confiscated the lot and its buildings as Tory holdings. Their goal was to raise much needed revenue for the state by selling the real estate. The majority of the lot was sold in one parcel for private usage. However, rather than sell the Blue House, they decided instead that it should be “reserved for the use of the Public Treasurer and other public uses until the General Assembly shall otherwise direct.” This marked the first known time that the lot was subdivided.
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To accommodate its new purpose, the building was renovated. The House of Commons resolved that “Martin Palmer be allowed the sum of sixteen pounds, nine shillings & two pence for his labour and articles provided in preparing the [Orange County] Court House for the reception of this House & that the Treasurers or either of them, pay him the same.” Renovations were completed by the end of the year and the new Treasury opened on January 1, 1786 with Mecumen Hunt as the state Treasurer. In November 1789, the Treasury was moved to Fayetteville under a guard of nine men from the Orange Company of Horse.
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(L.) Memucan Hunt (1729–1808) was the first person to hold the position of State Treasurer. He was appointed in 1784, at a salary of 500 pounds per year, and served until 1789.
(R). The 1786 confiscation record revealing the subdivision of the property. The majority of the lot was owned by the State of North Carolina. The remainder, a parcel that appears to be 84'x 54', was sold to George Doherty.
Although the Treasury had been moved, the state retained ownership of the building. After a fire destroyed much of the town in 1790, the state hired carpenter Martin Palmer, brick mason Thomas Bivens, and others to repair the Blue House. State treasurer John Haywood recorded payments of £2. to “Martin Palmer, House Carpenter, for repairing Houses after the fire.” In August Palmer received £96 for more extensive work, which included making steps, shutters, and windows, putting in a new sill 24 feet long and posts 7 feet tall, repairing stairs and mending weatherboards, installing and casing windows, framing and completing a carriage house, and installing flooring and chair board. He valued his work at £69. 6 s. 9 d. and added 25 percent for “diet and Lodging,” and additional materials. . After these repairs were completed, the building was rented out.
As this March 27, 1790, article in the State Gazette attests, a fire destroyed much of Hillsborough earlier that month, prompting the state of North Carolina to repair the Blue House.
This 1790 invoice (L) from state Treasurer John Haywood (R) lists the expenses for the repairs, including cash payments to Martin Palmer. Many of the materials were purchased locally. The July 15 purchases were made at Henry Thompson Sr.'s store (See Lot 6).
George Doherty
1785-1790
George Doherty purchased the bulk of Lot 25 in 1785. Around the same time, he married Mary Freeman Burke, the widow of NC Governor Thomas Burke. How he used the property is unknown, but given that his wife had two stately homes – one in town as well as a farm 2.5 miles north of Hillsborough – it is unlikely that they resided in any of the buildings on Lot 25.
Major General George Doherty (c. 1740-1792) served in the 5th North Carolina Regiment during the American Revolution.
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As a member of the 5th NC Regiment, Doherty would have fought at the Battle of Germantown. Hillsborough attorney and Patriot General Francis Nash was mortally wounded at Germantown.
Catlett Campbell
1798-1804
By 1797, the state government was firmly established in Raleigh and a bill was introduced into the General Assembly providing for the public sale of the Blue House. It was sold at the Hillsborough Market-House on April 16, 1798 to merchant Catlett Campbell for £650. Campbell continued to own the building until 1804 and is believed to have used it as a general merchandise store.
That same year, Campbell was first elected to serve as a Hillsborough Town Commissioner. Later, he would serve as Chairman of the Orange County Court. Catlett Campbell (1767-1845) lived until the age of 78 and was active in local politics, serving chair of the Orange County Whig party. He was also in various business ventures including the chartering of the State Bank of North Carolina and the creation of a cotton and wool factory in Hillsborough in 1813.
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​When Campbell died, he was in possession of “400 acres of Land, 18 Negroes, a number of Horses, Cattle &c., Wagons, Farming Utensils, Household Goods, with some Corn, Oats, &c,.”
(L) Obituary for Catlett Campbell from the January 28, 1845 Raleigh Register
(R) Terms for the Hillsborough Cotton and Wool Factory in the Raleigh Register, April 2, 1813
William Whitted
1804-1821
William Whitted Sr. (c. 1760-1821) purchased the parcel and its structures from Catlett Campbell. He continued to run a general store. During his ownership, the site begins to be called “The Corner” rather than the Blue House. The last reference to the property as containing the Blue House is a deed from 1810. Afterward, the building is no longer mentioned, presumably because it was replaced by another structure.
The Whitehead family moved to Orange County in the 18th century. The family name was changed to Whitted when they moved from what is now Alamance County to Hillsborough. The name became prolific in both the white and African American communities since William Sr., his several brothers, and their children all owned slaves and had offspring with their slaves. They were known for their “lenient” treatment of their slaves, allowing them to learn to read and write as well as to earn their own money. The Whitteds fought to be able to emancipate their slaves via their wills. Some were manumitted but a lawsuit returned several to bondage. Turner v. Whitted, 9 N.C. 613 (N.C. 1823)
The Whitteds were Quakers. They were recorded as being “Hickory Quakers,” denoting someone who followed the doctrine strictly as opposed to the “Gay Quakers” who were more open in their following of the tenets.
Whitted was also a founding director of the Mutual Insurance Society in 1804. His son Jehu was also involved in mercantile pursuits. (See Lot 6)
Various Owners
1804-1829
During this period, the lot was subdivided and owned by several different people, including Barnabus O’Fairhill (O’Ferrell),Josiah Turner, and David Yarbrough. No information is known as to how O’Ferrell used the property. His primary business was located across the street (See Lot 6).
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In 1823, a parcel that had been owned by blacksmith John Young (See Lot 35), possibly related to James Young of Alston, Young & Co, was offered for public sale by Sheriff Thomas D. Watts. The property was described as containing a commodious dwelling house with seven rooms and two good cellars, with a kitchen, smokehouse, and icehouse on the premises.
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A January 29, 1823 notice in the Hillsborough Recorder, which describes the buildings on the parcel.
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In November 1821, James Phillips (1765-1847) announced in the newspaper that he and son William had opened a grocery store in the building previously occupied by Charles Bruce. Bruce’s store was presumably a grocery store. It was closed by November 1820. In 1823, William and partner RL Cook took over the management of the store and changed the name to William H Phillips and Co. By 1830, William was partnering with Josiah Turner. Turner continued the business after the partnership was dissolved in 1829..
Advertisements in the Hillsborough Recorder
(L.) November 7, 1821
(C.) April 16, 1828
(R.) Among the many items William Phillips advertised was Newark Cider, brewed in New Jersey since the early 1800s, it was made from a special variety of American apple, the Harrison. Image courtesy of Ironbound Farm.
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Outside of this business, little is known about William Henry Phillips. He was one of the few member of his family not to be buried on Tryon Street (See Lot 99). He was elected a town commissioner in 1836.
Josiah Turner was an enterprising man, involved in a variety of businesses (See Lot 35). By the early 1860s, Turner had purchased several parcels of Lot 25, however he does not appear to have been operating any mercantile businesses on the lot at that time. Instead, he appears to have been renting them. A house he owned and was leasing to several people was the epicenter for the September 1863 fire that destroyed much of Lot 25.
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​Although not an owner of the property, a man named Bacon operated a shoe store on the lot at this time. By 1820, he had removed from the location. Mr. Bacon’s identity is currently unknown. He may have been Joseph G. Bacon, one of the founding members of Hillsborough United Methodist Church.
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1829, Bacon returned to his previous establishment, selling shoes under the company name Scarlett & Bacon. Mr. Scarlett’s identity is also unknown at this time but it may have been James Scarlett who married Mary Carson on March 15, 1820.
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Advertisements in the Hillsborough Recorder
(L.) April 16, 1828
(C.) November 18, 1829 announcing the dissolution of the partnership
(R.) August 19, 1829
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David Yarbrough (Yarborough), Grocery Store
1820-1834
David Yarbrough purchased a plot on Lot 25 in 1806 from his mother-in-law. He sold part of it in 1812. In 1820, Yarbrough announced that he had opened a grocery store in “the house formerly occupied by Mr. Bacon as a shoe shop.” In addition to the items of food he sold, Yarbrough’s inventory included paper, gunpowder, nails, and window glass.
David Yarbrough (1781-1841) was a town commissioner for Hillsborough and an administrator for the Hillsborough Academy. He was additionally a Mason and the manager of their 1822 lottery to raise funds to build new lodge. A member of the Orange Agricultural Society, he helped to plan their Cattle Show and Exhibition of Domestic Manufactures. He also served as the administrator for many men’s estates.
Yarbrough married Helen Doherty, daughter of George Doherty and Mary Burke (widow of the governor) and moved to Alabama around 1835.
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June 14, 1820 announcement that David Yarbrough has opened a grocery store
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William H. Adams' Tavern
1821-1828
William H. Adams is listed as receiving a license to operate a tavern in 1821. His ownership of a tavern is mentioned several times in the Hillsborough Recorder as a meeting place. It was most likely the second building north of the corner of N. Churton and W. King streets, which may have been the site of the original tavern. He purchased the property in 1824. By 1825, he was partnering with John Wilson and the firm Adams and Wilson owned a billiards table, presumably in this tavern.
A cartoon image published in 1775 of men in a tavern playing billiards
William H. Adams held many government positions. In 1818, he was the county jailer and he was elected town commissioner in 1822, remaining as such until 1825.He was a member of the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church where he was cited four times in the Session Minutes for his bad behavior:
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June 1823 – “The Session having learned (with much pain) from common report that two of their members, to wit William H. Adams and John Wall, had been engaged in the unchristian act of negro-trading.”
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In June 1825 – Adams was sent a citation and required to appear before the Session due to the reports that he had “erected a billiard table and was daily engaged in attending the same.”
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Later that month he received a second citation for his failure to appear.
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Three days later, when he still hasn’t appeared, they decided “in view of the several charges alleged against Mr. Adams to his conduct generally being so unbecoming a Christian,” the Session deemed it expedient and in the interest of the church that “Mr. Adams be suspended from the privileges of the church, and he is hereby accordingly suspended.”
Adams was also involved in many real estate transactions. In 1824, he purchased lots 152 and 153 in Hillsborough and is the presumed builder of the house there that later became the Burwell school. He bought 104 acres near Chapel Hill in 1824 and in 1827, he purchased ½ acre of lot on Franklin Street in Village of Chapel Hill. Like most people, Adams was a debtor. By 1832, Adams has lost nearly all his properties.
From the Hillsborough Recorder:
(L.) A February 6, 1822 notice that the Hillsborough patrolers will meet at Adams’ tavern.
(C.) A May 19, 1824 announcement that Adams’ had purchased his tavern.
(R.) A November 12, 1828 notice that mentions the billiards table.
Birdsall & Co.
1822-1823
​After William Whitted ceased to be in operation, Birdsall and company occupied the corner store. They offered a wide variety of dry goods, primarily textiles. Jesse and Stephen Birdsall were merchants from Fayetteville.
(L.) A May 22, 1822 advertisement for Birdsall & Co. in the Hillsborough Recorder
(C.) The February 20, 1822 announcement of the establishment of the store
(R.) One of the items Birdsall advertised selling on March 6, 1822 was “Fayetteville Mould Candles.” Although the exact meaning of this phrase is unknown, candles were produced at this time by pouring hot wax or tallow into metal containers. This method created uniform candles faster than hand-dipping. Presumably, Fayetteville was known for high quality candles.
A candle mold from the collection of the Orange County Historical Museum.
Kirkland's Corner
c. 1824-1839
Although William Kirkland did not purchase this parcel until 1825, the section of the lot that abutted both N. Churton and W. King streets was being called “Kirkland’s Corner” as early as March 1824. There, he operated a general store as he had done years earlier (See Lot 6), although he was now in partnership with his son John Umstead Kirkland (1802-1877). In 1828, Kirkland sold half of his interest in Lot 25 to his son.
(L.) William Kirkland; (C.) a December 1, 1824 advertisement in the Hillsborough Recorder;
(R.) John U. Kirkland
Lynch's Jewelry
1834-1883
​Lemuel Lynch (1808-1893) trained as an apprentice under silversmith and jeweler William Huntington (See Lot 6). In 1828, he purchased Huntington’s business on King Street and continued to rent the shop. However, for most of his career, he worked in a building fronting Churton Street that he purchased along with the parcel that it was situated on, in 1846. Lynch trained three of his sons to carry on the family business and they were respected for their high-quality work.
From the Hillsborough Recorder:
(L.) A July 30, 1828 notice that Lemuel Lynch had purchased William Huntington’s business
(C.L.) A July 30, 1840 ad for Lynch’s goods and services
(C.R.) Lynch also sold books. A November 17, 1842 ad above and an August 21, 1845 ad below
(R.) A humorous anecdote about Lynch’s store sign, September 1, 1887.
Lynch is best remembered for his work repairing the town’s c. 1796 English cupola clock while the courthouse was being built. He was paid $250 in October 1846 for his work in this regard (equivalent to around $10,200 in 2024). Presumably, the payment was for installing as well as repairing the clock. Afterward, he was paid $25 annually to keep it well regulated.
(L.) A Lemuel Lynch watch paper; (C.) The copper seal that made the watch paper;
(R.) Two spoons made by Lemuel.
All items in the collection of the Orange County Historical Museum.
Lynch held many civic offices. From 1838-1852, he served as a town commissioner. In 1841, he was appointed a justice of the peace. After the new state constitution reorganized county governments in 1868, he served on the first Orange County Board of Commissioners. He was an active member of the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church and the Treasurer of the Washington Temperance Society. At the time of his death, he was noted as being the oldest citizen in Hillsborough.
In 1883, Lynch moved the family business to the property he owned on Lot 23 on King Street next to Masonic lodge
(L.) Lemuel Lynch c. 1880; (R.) Lynch’s sons. Standing from left: William Brown Lynch, Robert Lee Lynch, James Parish Lynch; Seated from left: Huntington Lemuel Lynch, Thomas Edwin Lynch, George Calvin Lynch. Images courtesy of Kathie Lynch Brown.
Dr. Washington Dorsey
1834
Dr. Washington Dorsey announced in 1835 that he had opened an office in the space recently vacated by David Yarbrough. How long he remained is unknown but he moved to Granville County where he became a leading physician and citizen.
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(L.) An ad in the Hillsborough Recorder from January 23, 1835.
(R.) An 1835 lancet and its case from the collection of the Orange County Historical Museum. Lancets were used for bloodletting
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Farmer's Hotel
c. 1836-c.1848
Around 1836, Josiah Turner Sr. began operating a hotel on the northern-most portion of Lot 25, adjoining his businesses on Lot 35. The hotel would accommodate travelers and long-term boarders for over a decade. Several proprietors ran the hotel, including William Piper in 1837, Richison Nichols from late 1838-1841 when he purchased the Orange Hotel (today's Colonial Inn on King Street), and then A.C. Murdock in 1847.
Richison Nichols (1787-1858) held several positions in local government, including Magistrate of the Hillsborough police and town commissioner. Sadly, his December 1, 1858 obituary stated that he died after a long and painful illness.
Advertisements for Farmer’s Hotel in the Hillsborough Recorder showing its many owners:
(L.) August 19, 1837; (C.) August 22, 1839; (R.) September 30, 1847
US Post Office
1839
The United States Post Office was constantly changing locations. In 1839, Postmaster Thomas Clancy placed a notice in the Hillsborough Recorder to inform the public that it had moved to a Mr. Philip’s brick building in the rear of Lemuel Lynch’s Jewelry Shop.
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Latimer & Jones
1848-1851
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​One of the many partnerships that Charles Latimer had over his long tenure as a downtown merchant (See Lot 26) was a dry goods business with P. Jones, presumably Dr. Pride Jones who maintained an office over Latimer’s previous store across the street. Latimer & Jones was located at Kirkland’s corner. The proprietors bragged that their stock consisted of “every article suitable for this market.”
(L.) A February 16, 1848 advertisement in the Hillsborough Recorder for Latimer & Jones’ new store. (R.) A textile sample book c.1840-1850 showing the types of fabrics that were on sale at dry goods stores like Latimer & Jones.
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Waddill Mantua Makers
1848-1851
Mrs. J. Waddill and her daughter set up a shop in the “northern tenement in the house now occupied by Lemuel Lynch, esq. as a Silver Smith’s shop.” The meaning of this description cannot be fully discerned but is presumed to indicate that Lynch’s shop was two stories and that Waddill was renting a space on the second story on the northern side of the building.
(L.). Mr.s Waddill's announcement that she has opened her business on July 8, 1848
(R.) A fashion plate from 1848 depicting popular styles for women, similar to the clothes that Mrs. Waddill and her daughter would have been asked to make from scratch or rework from an old dress or repair. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Jacob Haughawout, Copper and Tin
1848-1851
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Jacob and his brother William Haughawout moved to Hillsborough from Virginia in the 1840s and established a copper, tin, and sheet iron business, first as partners with a man named Elliot, then Jacob carried out the business solely in his own name. His business was along Churton Street, toward the northern end of the lot and at some point, he purchased the parcel.
Jacob Haughawout (1825-c.1851) married Amanda Berry in 1847. She was the daughter of the famous builder Captain John Berry. Unfortunately, Haughawout died young.
An October 10, 1849 advertisements for Jacob Haughawout’s copper and tin business. In addition to household items, they sold stills and did roof and gutter work.
SD Schoolfield, The Drug Store
c.1850-1855
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When Rev. Robert Burwell married Elizabeth Freeland and Samuel D. Schoolfield in 1845, Schoolfield was recorded as being from Guilford County. Presumably, the couple settled in Hillsborough. The date when Schoolfield opened a drug store is unknown but by 1853 in business with William Johnson “WJ” Freeland, possibly an in-law.
Ads for Schoolfield's store in the Hillsborough Recorder: (L.) March 26, 1851; (C.) JuneJune 7, 1854; (R.) In addition to drugs, Schoolfield sold books including Aunt Phillis's Cabin by Mary Henderson Eastman. This novel was published in 1852 as a reaction to the anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which had been published earlier that year. In contrast to the latter, Aunt Phillis’s Cabin portrayed white plantation owners behaving benevolently towards their slaves, revealing “the essential happiness of slaves in the South as compared to the inevitable sufferings of free blacks and the working classes in the North.”
In January 1855, Schoolfield was still advertising in the newspaper, requesting that anyone who owed him for items purchased on credit should pay. The notice stated, “It becomes necessary for all the accounts on my books to be settled immediately.”
By April 1855, there were at least seven complaints filed against Schoolfield in the Orange County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions. The nature of these cases is unknown. Schoolfield did not appear in court to defend himself. Rather, the newspaper reported that had “absconded” from the county. To satisfy the judgement against him, his land and other holdings were confiscated.
(L.) An April 18, 1855 notice of the lawsuits against Schoolfield
(R.) The August 1, 1855 notice that Schoolfield's property was being sold
Alexander Pleasants
1850s-1861 and 1868
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Alexander “Alex” Pleasants (1837-1924) owned a grocery store, originally on Lot 26 across from the courthouse. Among the items he stocked were oysters. Due to the readily available supply of this shellfish as well as their low cost, oysters became a popular food. They were not available in Piedmont North Carolina until the railroads provided a means to supply the highly perishable product. Oysters were served raw and cooked at oyster houses, where they were typically enjoyed along with alcoholic beverages. Because the sale of oysters was halted during summer months, purveyors typically operated grocery stores in conjunction, allowing the proprietors to have other goods to sell during months that do not include the letter “r.” Pleasants advertised that that he also supplied cigars, tobacco, candies, nuts, raisins, figs, Scotch herring, crackers, and more.
As soon as the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Pleasants joined the local Orange Guards, serving as a private. Upon returning to Hillsborough, he went into business again, this time on Lot 25. On November 25, 1868, he advertised that he not only offered “a good plate of cooked Oysters,” but also “Pickled Oysters for his country friends.” He also promised to give Republicans an extra plate “if it would induce them to turn from the error of their ways” but insisted that he had “malice towards none” and wished peace and goodwill to his friends.
Pleasants is not mentioned in the newspaper after 1868.
He first married Amelia Hooker and then Euphemia Jane “Effie” Caddell. Pleasants had two children, both born in Hillsborough. His daughter married Joseph Taylor Hedgpeth. At some point between 1884 and 1897, the entire extended family moved to Greensboro where they are all buried.
(L.) An oyster saloon on Fayetteville Rd in Raleigh, photo courtesy of the NC State Archives
(R.) The November 25, 1868 announcement of Alexander Pleasants' oyster saloon
(B.) A 1858 ad for beer at Pleasants that was "recommended by all the doctors" in the US
Levin Carmichael, Tailor and Dry Goods
1860-1861
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In 1860, tailor Levin Carmichael (See Lot 26) moved his business into Kirkland’s corner store. There, he combined dry goods and groceries with his clothing business.
A June 27, 1860 announcement in the Hillsborough Recorder of Levin Carmichael's move and expansion of inventory.
Josiah Turner, Saddler
1860s
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Three Josiah Turners were associated with Hillsborough at this time. One, Josiah Turner, Sr. had begun as a blacksmith, became a property owner, and planter, one of Orange County’s wealthiest men. The second was his son, Josiah Turner, Jr., a Confederate congressman, newspaper editor, and opponent of Reconstruction, defender of the Ku Klux Klan, who raised a company of cavalry in 1861 and served as its captain until 1862 when he was severely wounded. The third was referred to as Josiah Turner, saddler to differentiate him from the others.
Where Josiah Turner’s saddlery was located is unknown but two parcels on Lot 25 are identified on the Museum’s 1863 map as being owned by “Josiah Turner.” As indicated by the newspaper account of the 1863 fire, Turner, Sr. was definitely renting some of that property as apartments. Whether the saddler was using the other parcel is unknown. His business appears to have moved several times. In 1882, he announced that he had moved “one door north of Roulhac’s store.” In 1886, he was in a new place of business, opposite the courthouse, next to the post office. In 1888, he was in the Berry Building.
An October 4, 1865 announcement of Josiah Turner'saddlery business.
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DD Phillips Saddler/John J. Pleasants, Saddler
1863/1889
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A small brick building that was located to the north of the corner store in front of its warehouse was labeled on the 1863 map as “Phillips.” The account of the fire on that block in 1863 stated that the building was “occupied by Mr. Phillips as a saddler’s shop, and belonging to Capt. Berry.” Presumably, the saddler was DD Phillips. (See Lot 26). How long Phillips was in this location is unknown but he died in 1870 at the age of 51.
In 1889, John J. Pleasants announced that he had opened a harness shop in that vicinity. Pleasants was presumably related to Robert F Pleasants the tailor. He married Miss McKerrall, daughter of John W. McKerral in 1890. In 1894 served as Poll Holder and in 1897 he resigned his position as Town Constable to become the Tax Collector.
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John Pleasants’ December 7, 1889 ad in the Orange County Observer
Berry Brick Building
1870-1893
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After a fire destroyed most of Lot 25 in 1863, self-taught architect and builder Captain John Berry decided to construct a large, brick mercantile building on a parcel of the lot that he owned. Construction work began in 1869. However, Berry contracted a serve cold in working on it and died in January 1870. Henry Richards Sr. completed construction on the building. It may have been the only brick mercantile building in town at that time because it was commonly called “the Brick Store.” Unfortunately, in 1893, this grand building was also destroyed by fire.
(L.) A photograph of John Berry from around the time that he was constructing the brick building
(C. & R.) An inscription and plaque on the site today, commemorating the builders.
Henry Richards, Sr. (1813-1890), was a native Hillsborough brickmason. The Richards family had resided in Hillsborough since 1769. Both Henry Richards and John Berry members of Hillsborough’s Eagle Lodge No. 19 and Richards worked with Berry as his associate and masonry overseer. Their first documented project was the 1850 construction of Smith Hall at UNC (Playmakers Theatre). Richards appears to have worked steadily with Berry until Berry’s death. No works have been attributed to Richards beyond those associated with Berry. The home of Henry Richards, Sr. and his wife Eliza J. Adams Richards (1821-1902) still stands at 307 West King Street.
The graves of John Berry and Henry Richards Sr. in the Old Town Cemetery
The building then became the property of Captain Berry’s son. He was also named John Berry but does not appear to have ever been referred to as “Jr.” but rather as “Dr.”
The Brick Store housed several different businesses. From 1871 to 1884 the first floor was used as a store by merchant Charles M. Parks. He then moved his business across the street into a new building he constructed (See Lot 36). The second floor was occupied as offices by Dr. Berry and Dr. DA Robertson, a dentist.
Dr. John Berry (1838-1906) earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and began practicing medicine in Hillsborough in 1860. Shortly after the war broke out, he mustered into service with the Confederate army as a 2nd Sergeant with the 3rd NC Infantry in early May of 1861. There, he served as a hospital Steward. After the war, he established a practice once again in Hillsborough. In 1866, his office was in the Strowd Hotel (today’s Colonial Inn). This practice included patients from Chapel Hill, which he visited bi-monthly. By 1872, Berry had moved his practice to the building that he owned on N. Churton. At this time, he was living at his boyhood home in Hillsborough with his mother and sister. The 1900 US census lists him as a farmer in Little River Township, living with his wife Mary along with their three daughters and one son. Their daughter Harriet Moorehead Berry would go on to play a critical role in promoting the Good Roads State agenda and ensuring that new, state-of-the-art roads were built in North Carolina.
Advertisements for businesses in Berry's Brick Building from the Orange County Observer
(L.) Charles Parks, December 13, 1871
(C.) David Robertson, February 7, 1872
(R.) C.A. Rominger, March 17, 1883
Dr. David Alexander Robertson (1835-1883) was born in Virginia. By 1857 when he married Sallie Sarah E. Nunn, he was living in Chapel Hill, advertising his services and visiting Hillsborough once a month and on court days. Later, Dr. MC Cameron" took over the practice in Hillsborough At this time there was also a Dr. William Cameron who operated out of his home).. Robertson continued to own the business and practice dentistry in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill until late 1882, when he moved to Greensboro. He died shortly thereafter. His obituary, written by the North Carolina Dental Association, noted that he was “earnest and untiring in the duties of his profession, yes, gentle and sympathetic toward the sufferings of those whom he ministered, he created a friendship lasting among his patrons and neighbors which will linger for many years to come.”
In March 1883, Dr. CA Rominger moved to Hillsborough and set up his practice in Robertson’s old office. Devout Baptist, attending Southern Baptist Convention, lived on N Churton Street. In 1886, Rominger moved to Reidsville. There, he earned notoriety for performing a difficult operation in which he drained the pus from an abscess, removed the tooth, cleaned the gums and the tooth of the woman, and then successfully returned the tooth to her mouth.
The next dentist to occupy this space was Dr. JD Webster. He remained there until the Berry Brick Building was destroyed in the fire of November 1888. The Orange County Observer reported that the building collapsed on top of a neighboring structure.
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​At the time of the fire in 1888, the basement was occupied by Julius Smith as an “eating house. The first floor was occupied by Robert Faucett’s shoe shop and Josiah Turner’s harness shop. The third floor was being used as a lodge by the African American chapter of the Odd Fellows.
J. Rosemond & Son/EA Rosemond
c. 1873-c.1915
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The exact years that the Rosemond store was in operation are currently unknown but it and the Rosemond family became institutions in Hillsborough. The family story begins in 1830 when Polish soldier John Kwiatkowski (1809-1906) was captured by the Austrians during the war for Polish liberty. The 21 year-old Kwiatkowski was held captive for three years and then banished to the United States. On the boat ride to New York, he changed his name to John Rosemond. After a series of mishaps, Rosemond landed in Wilmington, NC, where he worked in the printing office of The Wilmington Advertiser. He married Sarah Pleasants (1820-1899) and they had four sons.
Eventually, John Rosemond made his way to Hillsborough and by 1874 he had entered the mercantile trade with his youngest son, Edward Atkins (1856-1921). This store sold general merchandise but was known for its specialties, including confectionary, fancy groceries, cigars and tobacco products as well as toys. A July 29, 1885 article in the Durham Recorder noted that J. Rosemond & Son had “the most delicious soda water that we have ever drank from any fountain in the State and every one who has tried it will unite with us in pronouncing it best of the best.” An August 25, 1910 article in the Orange County Observer also mentioned that Rosemond’s carbonated drinks were “celebrated.”
Although the appearance of Rosemond’s soda fountain is unknown, it may have looked like one of these two c. 1890 establishments.
(L.) Courtesy of kristinholt.com; (R.) Courtesy of the Library of Congress
John and EA Rosemond continued to operate the store for presumably the remainder of their lives. ​
(C.) A c. 1911 photo of EA Rosemond in front of his store.
Rosemond advertised for many years as being Santa Claus’ Store.
(L.) December 20, 1906; (R.) December 17, 1908
In 1888, EA Rosemond expanded into the livery business when a Mr. Durham and a Mr. Mebane dissolved their partnership and Rosemond bought one half of Durham’s interest. The new firm was known as Mebane & Rosemond and it was located on Lot 24. However, in 1890, EA Rosemond appears to have struck out on his own when he purchased Central Warehouse and converted it into a livery stable where he also sold harnesses and tack. The rear portion of that facility, which had been a livery, was converted into a blacksmith’s shop. After the fire of 1894 destroyed the building, Rosemond built a large complex on Lots 24 and 25 that was called Rosemond and Brothers.
By 1890, EA has also opened an “ice factory” that remained in business for at least twenty years.
Both John and EA served as town commissioners. EA married Susan Gordon (1856-1926). The Rosemond family is buried at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
Rosemond's livery c. 1900
Dr. Hooker's Drug Store
1874-1892
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Dr. O.W. Hooker had a medical practice and drug store in Hillsborough for over forty years. He was also involved in several other business ventures.
Hymerick Octavius Wright Hooker (1823-1895) was born in Green County and moved to Hillsborough with his family in 1835. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, he earned a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1847 and began practicing medicine in the county. In addition to his regular patients, he also treated people at the poor house. After around five years, ill health compelled him to desist his country practice. He opened an office on King Street and concentrated on farming and mercantile operations. In 1857, he was in business with Dr. Pride Jones, selling iron and wooden items like sashes, blinds, and doors.
(L.) An April 6, 1850 announcement of OW Hooker’s medical practice
(C.) A July 8, 1857 advertisement for Jones & Hooker
(R.) A photo of Dr. OW Hooker
Around 1860, Hooker spent two years in New Bern, operating a dry goods firm with John F. Foard called Foard & Hooker. He returned to Hillsborough, and after the Civil War, formed partnerships with David C. Parks and Henry N. Brown (Brown married Hooker’s sister. See Lot 26).
By 1870, Hooker’s primary business had become the dispensing of drugs. In 1874, he constructed a new building on N. Churton Street that still stands today. He never had a partner in this endeavor but his son Octavius Deems "O.D." Hooker worked for him.
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(L.) A July 1, 1874 ad announcing that Hooker was in his new building on Churton Street.
(C.) A July 29, 1885 biography of Hooker in the Durham Record
(R.) A March 16, 1895 testimonial to Hooker after his death
Hooker was a stalwart in the Hillsborough Methodist Church and served on the Building Committee in 1859 that hired John Berry to build the brick structure that is still in use today on Tryon Street. He served as a member of the Board of Superintendents of the Common Schools and as a magistrate. In 1850, he married Mary Turner, daughter of Josiah Turner Sr. (see Lot 35)
In 1892, Hooker sold his business to W.A. Hayes.
A mortar and pestle and microscope used by Dr. OW Hooker from the collection of the Orange County Historical Museum
Dr. Marshall C. Cameron, Dentist
1871
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Two Camerons offered their services as dentists. The first was Dr. William who operated out of his home in the 1860s. The second was Dr. Marshall C who was a student Dr. Robertson from 1871-1874 when he took over the most of the dental practice located in the Berry Brick building. In 1877, Cameron maintained his own office above Hooker’s Drug Store. How long he remained there is unknown.​
A July 14, 1875 announcement of Dr. Marshall C. Cameron’s dental practice.
JE Jones General Store
c. 1878-c. 1898
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The JE Jones store was a fixture in Hillsborough for many years. Jones began his business in 1878, in a store building on Lot 25 that faced King Street. It was one door west of Rosemond’s store. A notice in the Hillsborough Recorder announced that Jones had “made his store house comfortable by placing an inside door to its front entrance.” This improvement was presumably done to keep cold and damp conditions from affecting the temperatures indoors.
In 1883, Jones moved to a site fronting Churton. This store was located in the brick building previously occupied by JBG Roulhac. Roulhac had recently closed his business, presumably due to ill health since.
In 1886, Jones returned to his former building on King. This structure was not damaged by the fire of 1888, but Jones sustained losses due to moving his stock out of the structure to prevent its destruction. By 1894, Jones appears to have been back on Churton Street because the account of the fire of late January that year stated that his “brick wall and the brave and determined men with buckets of water prevented the fire from going and further south.
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James Esley Jones (1841-1912) was the son of Caroline Hunt (1824-1899) and Robert Martin Jones (1812-1899) who was a farmer and the Sheriff of Orange County from 1852-1862 and again from 1864-1865. During the Civil War, he served in Company E 13th NC Battalion-Light Artillery which was organized in the spring of 1862.
In the 1870 census, Jones was recorded as living with his parents and listed his occupation as farmer. Within eight years, he was operating a general store and remained a merchant presumably for the remainder of his life. The location of his business appears to have always been on Lot 25, but it moved several times from facing King to fronting Churton and back again.
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In 1877, he was selected by the Orange County Commissioners to serve on the School Committee for the Hillsborough district. He also served as Deacon and clerk at First Baptist Church and was married first to Tidy P. Jones (1846-1891) and then to Dora Kanouse Jones (1849-1932).
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(C.) A March 31, 1881 ad for JE Jones’ store announcing not only his merchandise but also his removal to a new site on Lot 25.
Among the many items that JE Jones sold were plows produced by (L.) the Avery Company of Louisville, KY and (R.) the Watts Company of Richmond, VA.
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JBG Roulhac General Store
1879-1882
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John BG Roulhac (1849-1883) son of Joseph Blount Gregoire de Roulhac (1795-1856) and Catherine Roane Ruffin (1810-1880). She was from a prominent family. Her grandfather was William Kirkland, owner of the impressive estate called Ayr Mount. Kirkland had also been a merchant and operated stores on lots 25 and 6. Catherine’s father was Thomas Ruffin, who served as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, who handed down the infamous decision in State v. Mann that allowed slave owners to enact any horrific punishment “to render submission of the perfect slave.”
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JBG Roulhac was only seven years old when his father died. His grandfather purchased a house on W. Tryon Street for his widowed daughter. The house passed through the family and eventually became the home of JG Roulhac Hamilton who is considered to be the founder of the Southern Historical Collection at UNC yet left behind a controversial legacy due to his championing of the ideals of the Old South and apologetic attitude toward the Ku Klux Klan.
The full extent of JBG Roulhac’s career is unknown. For the three years prior to his young death, he operated a general store. He advertised that his merchandise came from New York and went on a buying trip there with James Webb Jr. in 1882. Economic conditions at this time were unfavorable. The United States had been in the Long Depression from the Panic of 1873 to 1879, and another panic would occur in 1884. I several notices in the Orange County Observer, Roulhac complained of people who bought on credit and hadn’t paid.
Roulhac was a Democrat and is buried at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
(L) An October 23, advertisement for JBG Roulhac’s store.
(L.C.) Among the items he boats of having Indian and Shaker corn
(R.C.) A May 28, 1881 notice that JBG Roulhac will not longer accept credit.
(R.) “The Great Financial Panic of 1873 - Closing the door of the Stock Exchange on its members, Saturday, Sept. 20th,” in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, from the collection of the Library of Congress.
Orange County Observer
1880-1892
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The Orange County Observer was founded in 1880 by Joseph Alexander Harris (1848-1926). Unlike the Hillsborough Recorder, which remained at a consistent location during the nearly sixty-year ownership of editor Dennis Heartt, the Observer had many different offices downtown. When it started, it was located on the first floor of the Berry Building. In 1888 when the Sanborn map was drawn, it was above Hayes’ Drug store, next to Central Warehouse, on the northern end of Lot 25. It remained there until 1892, when it moved to the second floor of Harris’s son’s grocery store (See Lot 26).
The newspaper began in 1880 as a partnership between Harris, RC Strudwick, and John T. Johnston but soon became a sole proprietorship with Harris as the continued editor until 1916. The newspaper was published until 1918.
In addition to the work he did printing, Harris was active with the Prohibition movement as well as with the Sunday School Convention and served as mayor of Hillsborough. He is buried at St. Matthew’s Church.
Advertisements letting the public know that they could barter for the cost of a subscription in wood on October 23, 1880 and in wheat on July 22, 1882.
Hooker Tobacco/Central Warehouse
1886-1890
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In May 1886, Josiah Wright Hooker and his brother OD contracted with the White brother to build a large tobacco warehouse on the northern-most parcel on Lot 25. The rear portion of the building was sued as a stable. The business was short-lived. In 1890, they sold it to E.A. Rosemond who used it as a livery stable and as storage for feed, guano, salt, shingles, and other such commodities.
J. Wright Hooker (1853-1920) was the eldest son of drug store owner OW Hooker and Mary Turner. He was named for his maternal grandfather and attended Trinity College (today Duke University) when it was in Randolph County. He married Mary Elizabeth White (1857-1946) of Hawfields. Because his primary business was tobacco, J. Wright and his family moved to Durham in 1900.
(L.) A January 26, 1888 ad for the prices of tobacco at Central Warehouse
(R.) A photo of J. Wright Hooker and his wife Mary Elizabeth White.
Dr. JS Spurgeon
1886-1950
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Dr. John Sanford Spurgeon (1863-1950), was a prominent practitioner who served loyal patients not only from Hillsborough, but also some who traveled from as far away as New York. Spurgeon received his dentistry degree in 1886 from Vanderbilt University. That same year, he opened his dental practice with offices in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, and one the Bingham School in Mebane. However, he closed the two others to focus on his growing number of patients in Hillsborough. His office was on the second floor of the building that housed Parks & Hedgpeth Furniture Store, next to Hooker’s Drug.
Spurgeon remained in the profession for sixty-three years. During that time, he published many articles and received numerous accolades, including President of the North Carolina Dental Society in 1902.
He was also a community leader, serving as a grandmaster of Eagle Lodge #19 AF&AM and President of the Bank of Orange from 1904 – 1936.
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In 1890, Spurgeon married Carrie May Waitt Spurgeon (1869-1963). She was also very active in civic and charitable pursuits. Together, they had six children. The family lived in the former Burwell School residence on N. Churton Street from 1895-1965. They purchased it from Charles M. Parks.
(L.) The Spurgeon house on the corner of Churton and Union streets c. 1965.
Today it is the Burwell School Historic Site
(C.) A February 13, 1902 ad for Dr. Sprugeon's practice
(R.) A photo of Dr. JS Spurgeon in his later years
AA Springs
1886-1950
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In 1886, Alex A Springs announced that he was engaged in the manufacturing of tobacco (the location of his Plug Tobacco Factory is currently unknown) and had opened a new store on Churton Street between the two drug stores. In 1887, LJ Weaver, formerly of Chapel Hill began working with him.
An October 2, 1886 ad for AA Springs new store.
In this ad, Springs advertises that he is selling “Maud Tobacco.” The meaning of this term has been lost but may refer to the fact that in the 1880s, W. Duke Sons & Co issued a “Actors and Actresses” series that featured trading cards of three different actresses named Maude: Maude Stafford, Maude Stafford, Maude Branscome, and Maude Waldemere
Also, in 1887, Springs attended the Piedmont Exposition in Atlanta where around 200,000 people viewed exhibits on the natural resources of the Piedmont as well as art and wood working. President Grover Cleveland attended the fair.
​In 1888, Springs hosted an ice cream festival at his residence on Churton Street, which, according to the Orange County Observer, “was very much enjoyed by the young ladies and gentlemen who attended in large numbers.”
Two unidentified women enjoying ice cream c. 1885
​Springs and his family left Hillsborough in 1890 and by 1891, he was serving as the Secretary of the Progressive Literary Society of Lexington, NC. In Lexington, he became the proprietor of the March Hotel.
As this June 25, 189 article in the Sanford Express relates, Springs’ wife was horrifically murdered in her bed when a home invader shot her in the head.
Bud of Hope Lodge
c. 1888
The Bud of Hope Lodge was one of many lodges in the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of America (GUOOF), a mutual aid and fraternal organization like freemasonry. GUOOF was established in 1843 by and for disfranchised African Americans. The organization served as both a social club and charitable institution, with a focus on morality and temperance. Benefits of membership included defraying the costs of illness, disability, burial, and widowhood.
Little is currently known about the local chapter except that it was founded in 1865 and was prominent enough that the members celebrated a large anniversary dinner in Webb’s Warehouse in 1887 (Seer Lot 3) and they were able to maintain the lodge on the third floor of the Berry Brick building. When they first began renting the space is unknown. They were listed on the Sanborn map of 1888 and were mentioned in the report on the fire that year. Although they were able to save all of their property during the fire, they do not appear to have continued to be on Churton Street afterward.
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(L.) Peter Ogden was the founder of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of America
(R.) A member of the Grand United Order wearing the fraternal order’s collar and apron. Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Newman & Smith
1892-1894
​Newman & Smith sold an interesting assortment of goods. The few times they advertised in the newspaper, they were offering bibles and tobacco.. ​
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Ads for Newman & Smith
(L.) October 10, 1892 for bibles; (C.) February 17, 1894 for NW Brown’s tobacco;
(R.)February 17, 1894 thanking the public for helping to rescue their merchandise from the fire
During the Civil War, William Henry Newman (1845-1920) fought with the Orange Guard Co. G, 27th North Carolina Regiment. At Bristoe Station in 1863, he received two severe wounds which plagued him the remainder of his life: one in the thigh and the other entering his face near his left ear and coming out under his left eye. He wasn’t expected to survive and was left on the battlefield.
Upon returning home, he spent the next 23 years working as a clerk in JE jones’ store. After a spell of illness due to his war wounds, he opened Newman & Smith. The store was devastated by the fire of 1894 and closed shortly thereafter. By 1903, he was the manager of West End Grocery in West Hillsborough.
Newman held several positions in town government, including commissioner beginning in 1885 and mayor in 1892. He also served many years as a deacon and trustee of First Baptist Church. Newman’s father John acquired the house on Queen Street that had belonged to Mary Burke Doherty (widow of Governor Thomas Burke). WH Newman inherited it in 1917.
Adevout Baptist, WH Newman placed spiritual notices in the newspaper from 1899-1912 like this thoughtful phrase that appeared on August 17, 1899.
JT Shaw, Jeweler
1894-1901
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John T. Shaw began his career as a jeweler in Mebane around 1888. In 1890, a notice in the Orange County Observer announced that he had gone to Oxford attend horological school where he hoped “to perfect himself in the American Lathe. Mr. Shaw will not be satisfied until he knows as much about his business as any other first class workman.”
In 1894, Shaw moved his business to Hillsborough, renting space on the north side of Parks’ new building. Not only did his business prosper but he was popular enough to be elected Mayor, serving from 1898-1899. In March 1899, he joined with Devereux Turner, Dr. Parris, and George Lynch to incorporate and form the Hillsboro Drug Co. The business was also referred to as Parris & Shaw because those two men were the proprietors.
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Several articles in the newspaper told of people finding gold in Orange County and selling it to Shaw like this incident that appeared in the paper on January 28, 1897. Gold Quartz, or Gold-Bearing Quartz is one of the world’s rare gemstones.
Shaw and his wife Ellie purchased the yellow house on E. King Street that is today referred to as Courtney’s Tavern in 1896 from CG Holt, but the lot was auctioned off in March of 1901 due to a lawsuit brought against the Shaws by Holt.
In 1901, he and his family moved back to Mebane and he continued his business there.
(L.) JT Shaw had novel advertisements like this one from March 3, 1894;
(C.) In addition to selling jewelry and repairing clocks and watches, jewelers sold eyeglasses. This ad is from August 8, 1894.
(R.) Pince-nez eyeglasses possess a C-shaped bridge composed of a curved, flexible piece of metal that provided tension to clip the lenses on the wearer's nose. Although pince-nez glasses were available from the 1840s through the 1940s, they were especially popular between 1880 and 1910 and were notably worn by President Theodore Roosevelt. From the collection of the Orange County Historical Museum.
Parks & Hedgpeth
1895-1906
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In March 1889, when Charles M. Parks removed his business from the building that he had constructed on Lot 36, his former sales team remained with the new owners, the Webb brothers. Among the sales staff was James H. Hedgpeth. Although Hedgpeth was originally supposed to remain a clerk at the old Parks store, now under the ownership of the Webb brothers, he continued his association with Parks, acting as his bill collector for old debts owed.
The conditions that led Parks to sell his successful business in 1889 are unknown but are likely related to the illness of his wife Virginia who died undergoing surgery in January 1894. By July 1894, after the January fire, which destroyed most of the buildings on Lot 25, Parks had hired African American contractor James Nichols to construct a two-story building on the northern most parcel facing Churton Street. The construction was completed in November. The building appears to have been rented out to Newman & Smith dry goods as well as jeweler JT Shaw.
In February 1895, the Orange County Observer announced that Parks was renovating the building that had been occupied by Newman & Smith. By March, Parks had formed a partnership with James Hedgpeth and had opened for business at that location. They began selling assorted dry goods but eventually became known primarily for the furniture they sold.
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An October 19, 1899 ad for Parks & Hedgpeth. Among the items they sold was furniture, possibly furniture made in the White Furniture Company factory in nearby Mebane, NC.​
(L.) The White Furniture factory c. 1940
(R.) A dresser produced by White’s around the time that Parks & Hedgpeth was in business
James H. Hedgpeth (1857-1937) was the son of Emeline Warren (1836-1906) and Jesse Hedgpeth (1826-1900). He married Rosalie Rosemond (1858-1933) in 1878 and they had at least one daughter. James Hedgpeth was a mason and member of Eagle Lodge where he served as Senior Warden.
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(L.) An August 24, 1889 notice that James Hedgpeth was collecting money owed to Charles Parks
(R.) As this January 5, 1895 article attests, James Hedgpeth was an excellent hog raiser.
​In May 1899, the newspaper announced that Parks & Hedgpeth had leased another building and were making improvements to it. The contractor was Haywood H. Thompson. On June 22, 1899, the Orange County Observer reported that, “Mssrs. Parks & Hedgpeth have moved their stock of goods into their brick store, formerly occupied by Mr. J.E. Jones. This store has been thoroughly repaired and renovated and is now one of the handsomest and most conveniently arranged stores in town.."
One of the many items Parks & Hedgpeth sold in the early 1900s was Devoe Paint.
Image courtesy of Historic New England
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By March 1905, the two men decided to close the firm and they sold their inventory to OJ and BB Forrest. Hedgpeth had decided to move to Clio, SC to assist his son Bennett who had already relocated to Clio with his hardware, real estate, and furniture store. The following year, Parks & Hedgpeth placed many ads in the newspaper seeking payment for old debts.
Forrest Brothers Grocery
1895-1969
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The Forrest Family was one of the earliest to settle in Orange County. James William Forrest (1700-1755) is listed on the tax list of 1755 along with his sons Thomas, William, and James. Although they would become one of the most prominent mercantile families in the county, they were farmers in North Efland until 1890 when The Farmers’ Alliance Exchange opened in a storehouse they rented from DC Parks on King Street. Stephen Taylor “ST” Forrest Jr., who was prominent in the Efland mercantile community, was the chairman of the board. His half brother OJ Forrest became the manager of the exchange around 1891 and his younger brother BB worked as a clerk for the exchange beginning in 1892.
In 1894, OJ and BB purchased JE Jones’ building and, after painting and other improvements to the facility, the Alliance Exchange moved to new quarters. The following year, the stockholders sold their interests to the Forrest brothers who maintained the name Hillsboro Exchange until around 1900. The business grew exponentially. In addition to their large two-story building, they had five large warehouses. Much of their business was conducted on consignment to eliminate middlemen and reduce costs.
By 1898, their sister Maggie had joined them. She operated a millinery business. Later, their sister Josephine would partner with Maggie in this endeavor.
Currently identified only as "Forrest & Forrest" these images may depict either the store in Hillsborough or the store in Efland.
Do you recognize any of the people in these photos?
​The Forrest brothers continued to expand their business, selling cars under the name Eno Chevrolet. Subsequent generations joined the firm, including BB’s sons Robert Oswin Forrest and Benjamin Felix Forrest.
An August 25, 1910 article in the Orange County Observer described their business in detail as well as the prosperous millinery operated by the Forrest sisters.
An eye-catching ad from May 10, 1906
By 1957, the building was in the possession of Bason Chevrolet and Forrest Brothers Grocery had moved to 113 W King Street where it remained until it closed in December 1969.
Another endeavor for the Forrest brothers was the Osbunn movie theater (a combination of the brothers nicknames “Os” and “Bunn”), on W. King Street. The building was constructed in 1915. (Above L.) a c. 1915 postcard that depicts the theater; (Above R.) a photo of the Osbunn in 1922; (Below L.) A sketch of the Osbunn as it appeared in the 1950s; (Below R.) The Osbunn theater in 2024. It was renovated extensively in 2020 and is now a restaurant.
At the age of 18, after his father ST Forrest died, Oswin Jones Forrest (1856-1932), was left caring for his mother and younger siblings. He maintained the family farm for many years but eventually moved to Hillsborough. According to his great nephew Bob Forest, Oswin “was a large man, good humored, fond of drink and quite a character. He lived at Twin Chimneys with his sisters, and they adored him.”
Oswin was civically engaged. He served as a town commissioner and town booster, being a major contributor to Farmers and Merchants Bank and a stockholder in the Hillsboro Milling and Manufacturing Company. He never married. In 1931, he suffered a stroke and died following year.
Benjamin Brosier Forrest (1866-1947) attended the Graham School operated by Professor Long. He lived with his uncle, Freshwater Jones while in Graham. In January 1888, he opened a school in Melville, Alamance County, but by April of that year he was attending business school in Richmond, VA. The Orange County Observer stated, “If pluck and energy will win Mr. Forest will sure get it.”
Family lore maintained that BB went to California in 1890 as part of a gold rush but no evidence can be found to support this claim. They also maintain that he later worked in Richmond and Bedford, VA but the only information found to corroborate his working out of the area was in 1894 when he moved to Littleton, NC to work as a clerk at the Bon Air Hotel.
BB married, lived on King Street next door to his siblings and had children. His wife was from Greensboro and was quite the socialite, appearing many times in newspapers around the state, always as Mrs. BB Forrest. She was president of the Hillsboro Garden Club for many years.
B.B. retired in 1936 after 50 years in business.
According to her great nephew Bob Forrest, Josephine Ann Forrest (1860-1942) “was brilliant and one of the few really well-educated women in her day.” She attended Elon College and Peabody College in Nashville. There, she focused her studies on math and Latin, but was competent in history and had “read all the worthwhile literature.” Josephine taught at the Bingham School, Sullins College and several other schools including Mebane Academy where she served as principal in 1891.
A trailblazer, Margaret Elizabeth Forrest’s (1858-1929) first career was as an educator. When certification of teachers began in North Carolina, she was one of the first – if not the first – to be awarded a certificate. In addition to working with her sister at Mebane Academy in 1891, she operated a public school in the home of William Strain on Margaret Lane in 1896 and 1897. By 1898, she had switched to the millinery trade and had a booming business with Josephine.
(C.) An ad for the Forrest sisters' millinery from June 9, 1898
(L. & R.) Ladies hats from the 1890s
Gaither Collins, Barber
1902-????
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In 1902, Gaither Collins began advertising his services as a barber in the Parks & Hedgpeth furniture building. He also offered services cleaning and pressing clothes. Gaither Collins (c.1911-1975) was of Saponi and African American descent.
Two ads for Collins’ barbershop. (L.) December 25, 1902; (R.) January 15, 1903
​​Collins was extremely active at Dickerson Chapel AME. He provided janitorial services and performed “any other job that was to be done.” In 1962, he contributed information about Dickerson Chapel to Allen Lloyd’s History of the Churches of Hillsborough, NC.
The Gaither family. Front (L to R.): Mamie Collins, Charles Matthews, Jr., Gaither Collins, son Edgar Collins, daughter-in-law Fleta Harris Collins. Back: granddaughter Laura Ann Collins Matthews, her husband Charles Matthews, Sr.
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More Coming Soon!!!!
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Hillsborough Gallery of Arts - Garry Childs, Owener (operated by local artists)
Providence Smiles - Dr. Kwame A. Gyampo, DDS, Owner
Kim`s Bake Shop at The Wooden Nickel - Kimberly Mayer, Owner
Spiral Studios - Jeannine Rogers, Owner
DWELL home+life - Kyle and Bonne Cecil, Owners
The Wooden Nickel Public House - Matt Fox and Dean James, Owners
Loftin & Loftin, PA Lawyers - John D. Loftin and John D. Loftin II, Owners
Antonia`s - Bryan Pearson, Owner
