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Charlotte Photo of the Day


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^ I don't think Trademark has been lit up in the last few weeks for some odd reason. I use 277 on my daily commute home and noticed that it has been dark for some time. In that second pic, The Avenue condo is also dark. 

Carillion tower usually has their gothic central spire well lit, but (imho), could use some newer LED lighting to bring it to life.

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10 hours ago, Third Strike said:

That's such a depressing photo. How could city leaders, even back then, think it was truly acceptable to raze most of the historic buildings in Uptown for empty space and parking lots?

In 1975, people didn't think a building from the 1920's was historic, they thought it was 50 years old. All across the country, buildings from that era were torn down in favor of modern progress and office parking. In the 1960's and 70's, a Victorian was outdated and old, not something historic. Much in the same way most people today aren't going to say all the 1960's ranch homes that are 50 years old are "historic" and when they get torn down and replaced, nobody really laments the loss. Almost 100 years later though, early 20th century architecture is back in favor and we lament the loss when we see pictures of a by-gone era.

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12 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

I guess this could qualify for TBT..  Charlotte 1975

547495_10151327978576207_63699964_n.jpg

That major street on the left side is Independence Boulevard. You can just make out the rail bridge on Stonewall with a dark shadow under it in this photo.The large green space between 2d and 3rd streets is the site of the former Second Ward High School demolished in the mid 70's. The HS gym is visible at the lower part of this area and is now part of Metro School. There are two car dealers at the 90º turn of Independence at the center left. Young Ford is at Caldwell and Independence with Arnold Palmer Cadillac the large building at the north edge of the green space from the high school property. I bought a used Honda Civic from that dealer.

I believe the Independence building is the last tall building on the upper right at the corner of Trade and Tryon. It was imploded for the Independence Center. That Sunday morning implosion was quite the social event.

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5 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

That major street on the left side is Independence Boulevard. You can just make out the rail bridge on Stonewall with a dark shadow under it in this photo.The large green space between 2d and 3rd streets is the site of the former Second Ward High School demolished in the mid 70's. The HS gym is visible at the lower part of this area and is now part of Metro School. There are two car dealers at the 90º turn of Independence at the center left. Young Ford is at Caldwell and Independence with Arnold Palmer Cadillac the large building at the north edge of the green space from the high school property. I bought a used Honda Civic from that dealer.

I believe the Independence building is the last tall building on the upper right at the corner of Trade and Tryon. It was imploded for the Independence Center. That Sunday morning implosion was quite the social event.

 

s_v13akncfz2w0269.jpg

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In the lower photo US 74 (Independence) comes from the southwest and at stonewall makes a nearly 90º right turn then follows current Stonewall to Charlottetowne, then roughly the current position heading southeast through and out of town. Headed west it went up the hill past where Charlotte school of law building and thence to Wilkinson. I cannot recall the route exactly between this photo and the I-77 overpass for 74 headed to the west side and to the airport which was a West Boulevard portal at that time.

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1 hour ago, SgtCampsalot said:

^^BOTH of these old photos, I cannot figure out for the life of me what Independence Blvd's former alignment was. Landscape has had too much cosmetic surgery. Any old maps handy?

Charlotte, 1975.  Cropped from the larger map here:  http://maps.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/historicmaps/

pSar1t8.png

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On 2/12/2016 at 9:57 PM, Third Strike said:

That's such a depressing photo. How could city leaders, even back then, think it was truly acceptable to raze most of the historic buildings in Uptown for empty space and parking lots?

In the post WWII era until 1970 or so, the federal government handed out lots of money for "urban renewal." Charlotte's then-leaders wanted to remake Charlotte into The City Beautiful, helped along by a master plan from A.G.Odell. Mostly, we've gotten what they wanted. Much of it is good but there are glaring holes and disruptions still today.

I grew up here and I can tell you that much of the space that was razed was not worth saving, except that it was a community of people. To me, that's the thing to lament. Not the marginally few buildings of interest.

Charlotte hardly stands alone in this space. San Francisco razed much of the Fillmore District for Geary Expressway. New York's Robert Moses destroyed the South Bronx. Atlanta created a huge scar to build the Downtown Connector and destroyed a chunk of Buckhead for Georgia 400.

Were these actions taken good or bad? In Charlotte, Marshall Park is pretty much a bust and even today, few want to build anything in the old Second Ward. But Third Ward was filled with ramshackle slums and now they're gone. In San Francisco, the Fillmore was split in two and the southern half has never really recovered. The Embarcadero was shrouded by its namesake double-decked freeway that might still be there were it not for the Loma Prieta quake in 1989. After many years, the South Bronx has begun to show signs of life. Georgia 400 and the Downtown Connector? Atlanta probably couldn't exist without them.

So, as with everything in life, there's good and bad.

Edited by Silicon Dogwoods
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I agree, Silicon. I'm native as well and, from what I remember of those areas, there were some pretty ugly places.  What I really miss is the Independence Building, Hotel Charlotte, Film Row, Belks and some of the buildings closer in to the square.  Happen to remember Kofinas Grill on West Trade? 

Anyway, it's still happening as we know. Little by little. Next on the chopping block is that cute little building on College and Stonewall. (For the Crescent building, no?)

 

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17 minutes ago, Windsurfer said:

I agree, Silicon. I'm native as well and, from what I remember of those areas, there were some pretty ugly places.  What I really miss is the Independence Building, Hotel Charlotte, Film Row, Belks and some of the buildings closer in to the square.  Happen to remember Kofinas Grill on West Trade? 

Anyway, it's still happening as we know. Little by little. Next on the chopping block is that cute little building on College and Stonewall. (For the Crescent building, no?)

 

Greetings, fellow native! :)

The Independence Building was a huge loss, both aesthetically and historically. Today, it would undoubtedly be saved, not razed. But Hotel Charlotte's loss gave us the Carillon which I think was well-done and the soon-to-be Grand Bohemian. I remember the Kofinas Grill-my dad worked uptown when I was a kid and he ate lunch there. On Fridays (payday, natch) we'd meet him after work and eat at the old S&W on West Trade then maybe shop a bit at Belk.

But no, I don't miss that cobbled-together building (Belk + Efird) and its ridiculous street-level connector walkway. We got the Bank of America Corporate Center instead! Don't miss that smelly Woolworth that some keep lamenting-please, are you serious? There's a carbon copy in downtown Augusta, Georgia if you want to venerate it. And speaking of smelly, I don't miss the Kress store where Bank of America Plaza and the Omni now stand.

If Crescent's Tryon Place ever goes vertical, I won't miss that building but I seem to recall it dates to the 19th century. But it's been so radically altered over the years that it's lost all historical and aesthetic value.

Edited by Silicon Dogwoods
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22 minutes ago, Silicon Dogwoods said:

In the post WWII era until 1970 or so, the federal government handed out lots of money for "urban renewal." Charlotte's then-leaders wanted to remake Charlotte into The City Beautiful, helped along by a master plan from A.G.Odell. Mostly, we've gotten what they wanted. Much of it is good but there are glaring holes and disruptions still today.

I grew up here and I can tell you that much of the space that was razed was not worth saving, except that it was a community of people. To me, that's the thing to lament. Not the marginally few buildings of interest.

Charlotte hardly stands alone in this space. San Francisco razed much of the Fillmore District for Geary Expressway. New York's Robert Moses destroyed the South Bronx. Atlanta created a huge scar to build the Downtown Connector and destroyed a chunk of Buckhead for Georgia 400.

Were these actions taken good or bad? In Charlotte, Marshall Park is pretty much a bust and even today, few want to build anything in the old Second Ward. But Third Ward was filled with ramshackle slums and now they're gone. The Fillmore was split in two and the southern half has never really recovered. After many years, the South Bronx has begun to show signs of life. Georgia 400 and the Downtown Connector? Atlanta probably couldn't exist without them.

So, as with everything in life, there's good and bad.

The loss of Charlotte's historic African American business and residential districts (First and Second Wards) is carefully documented in an article written by Dr. Thomas W. Hanchett on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Landmarks Commission website.  

The article is entitled "The Center City: The Business District and the Original Four Wards".  It's 28 pages long, but a nice read with photos.  

Sorry, I wasn't able to insert an interactive link.  The website is: http://cmlandmarkscommission.org.  Click on "Local History" at the top.  Next click "Click here for Histories of Neighborhoods".  Finally click "Center City Charlotte".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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