One of my favorite buildings downtown. I really hope nothing happens to it. If I had some money, this would be the first spot I would want to revive. The building is gorgeous!

I dunno…I think those windows were redone at least two or three years ago. I’ve been noticing them for a long time and just waiting to see if something would be going in there. (Loft condos/apts seem the logical choice for that building…similar to what’s so common in downtown Durham these days.) Strange it’s still empty.

Here’s some info on that building from the Urban Planet blog:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/History-Triangle-t19040.html&st=200

“This was originally the Melrose Knitting Company mill. I do not know the exact date of construction but the original portion shows up in a 1903 Sanborn Map. (the eastern facade is clearly newer in your picture)
Here is the map.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/post-a5024-

I read some of the EIS that TTA originally submitted and this is not in the footprint for the station. In fact TTA had to prove the station would not harm the building from what I read. Its currently owned by a guy from Afghanistan (I attended a function there once, great time!). I also know the guy who built and installed all those windows and according to him the owner is sitting on it waiting to cash in on its location next to the station site. All hearsay, but thats all I know.”

Raleigh Boy here again: I remember it was an antique shop 30+ years ago, but it’s been mostly vacant since then. A one time 10 or so years ago there was some interest in putting artists’ and designers’ studios in there; but after cleaning it up and getting the power back on nothing ever came of.

Bresh– yes, that’s apparently an outdated link. I haven’t visited that site in quite a while. The Melrose Knitting Mill Co. began operating out of this building before 1903, and closed during the Depression years. It anchored the southern edge of the legendary working-class community of Smoky Hollow, which stretched from North to Peace streets, and was bounded on the east and west by the railroad tracks. The two-story, three-bay wing so clearly seen in John’s photos was added sometime after 1914. The front of the building itself actually faces North St., but that section of North between Harrington and Salisbury streets was taken out by the construction of Downtown (now Capital) Blvd in the 1950s.

Bresh — My knowledge of Raleigh history comes from many sources, most notably the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps — issued for Raleigh between 1884 and 1950, Raleigh property maps, city directories, the county registery of deeds, archival photographs and print material, newspaper accounts, various primary sources and from my own observations and experience.

I can make you pdfs of the Sanborn maps relative to Melrose Knitting Mill and send them to you in a private email, if you like.