The Second–and Forgotten–Location of The Raleigh Times
Chances are you’re familiar with what is arguably the most prominent icon of downtown Raleigh’s resurgence: The Raleigh Times Bar. You may also be familiar with the namesake of that bar, The Raleigh Times, which served as the city’s afternoon newspaper for more than 100 years, spanning the period from 1879 until 1989. What you may not be familiar with is the building the paper occupied after it moved in 1920 from its original home on Hargett St. The second Raleigh Times is located on W. Martin Street, facing Nash Square.
Historical photograph by Barden, Ellington’s Studio, Raleigh, N.C.
To accomodate its expanding operations, the building pictured above was built in 1920 specifically for the afternoon daily. The Raleigh Times was headquartered here and ran its presses at this location until 1955, when the News & Observer bought them out and folded the paper’s operations into their own.
In 1959 the building was vacant, but by 1962 the N.C. Farm Bureau was occupying the space. It was probably around this time the original façade was covered with the Modernist version that now adorns it. In terms of construction, it occupies a very unique niche: early 20th century commercial style, coupled with a mid-century modernist street-front façade.
The Farm Bureau remained there for many years. Currently, this building, the forgotten Raleigh Times, serves as leased office space for various tenants. Adjacent to it is the former Western Union  building, where Taz will soon open up his fourth corner market.
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01/29/2009
Ah yes . . . “Evening hours are reading hours.” I delivered the Times on my bike for a short while in the early ’70s. A fun after school job.
01/30/2009
If anyone wants to see how the modernist facade on the former Raleigh Times building looks in the daytime, go to this recent post on New Raleigh http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/taz-to-convert-downtown-western-union-to-store/
As you can see, the panels are painted a blah beige. As I recall, during the Farm Bureau’s tenure they were a bright blue, similar to those on the Garland Jones Office Building just up Martin St. and on the Brooks Hall studio-classroom annex on the NC State Campus.
06/04/2011
I had two routes for the Raleigh Times – the late afternoon run was ‘way out on the highway, past the Ralston Purina plant. The other was ‘way out on another highway, out past King’s Department Store, and a golf driving range.
The busiest day ever, needless to say, was the day JFK was assassinated. We paperboys were told to get our routes done ASAP (not difficult, because school dismissed early that day). I was dropped off in a neighborhood that was totally strange to me, across from a church that had burned down part-way the previous month. The supervisor dropped me off with four bundles of newspapers (200 copies) that sold for a nickel each. Within two hour I asked to use a telephone and begged for another five or ten bundles. That was a terrible day – but lots of us paperboys made what seemed like a ton of money.
06/07/2011
My father was a pressman at the TIMES around 1955.
02/06/2012
I worked in display advertising with Geo. Hooks as my boss in 1953=54 at The Raleigh Times. Then I went to Ivy-Taylor as Advertising Director and my boss was Mr. Thomas. The good old days………
06/11/2013
Does any rember the older man who sold the raleigh times on Wilmington street?
06/11/2013
Jack…I remember the little man well. His post was usually by the steps at the rear of Hudson Belk. He lived in Garner…just can’t remember his name.
06/11/2013
I also vividly remember the newspaper man. He was always stationed outside the Wilmington St. entrance to Hudson Belk and wore an old-fashioned ball cap, an unbuttoned vest and had a Raleigh Times canvas newspaper bag slung over his shoulder. He seemed bent over, and didn’t talk much. I’d often buy a paper for 10 or 15 cents, even though I already had a subscription.
Individuals such as the newspaper man, the peanut man on Cap Square, blind ‘Jack’ who, in his dress Salvation Army uniform, played carols on his accordion at Christmastime in front of Hudson Belk, and Miss Gladys Perry, the eccentric hoarder who lived in the Heck-Andrews house, gave downtown Raleigh a unique character which is now, sadly, long lost, and which I sorely miss.
06/12/2013
I remember the newspaper man. Always saw him when we went to Hudson-Belk to get my annual back-to-school clothes.
06/14/2013
Hey ralegigh boy, I think the newspaper guy talked a lot, just to himself. He always had a running dialog going under his breath editorializing about stories in the newspaper when he stood on Wilmington St. When he died a few years back the N&O did a story about him. Seems like he walked to downtown Raleigh every day from points south, Garner I think. Too bad I can’t find the article.
06/14/2013
Yep – my mom always admonished me “Don’t stare at him!”
06/14/2013
Here’s the N&O story:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2008/07/21/88094/paper-sales-were-personal-for.html
06/14/2013
Thanks a lot, NCSU. That’s it, Edward Perry. It was Garner he walked from. I worked in downtown Raleigh for approx. 15 years; used to see him every day.
06/15/2013
Going to Hudson-Belk downtown, I remember seeing him. I never really noticed that he had some disabilities. I later became a Raleigh Times carrier, too. I think I still have my paper bag in my attic. Maybe a valuable collectable for the Raleigh Museum?
06/16/2013
I bought 7 or 8 copies of the last edition of the Raleigh Times ever published. I wrapped them in heavy plastic, placed them in a Rubbermade storage container and put it in a utility closet. That must have been 30 years or so ago. I have not not opened the box since, but I can well remember the bold print headline on the front page “THAT’S ALL FOLKS”
07/05/2025
My Great Uncle, Oscar “Skip”Coffin was Editor of the Raleigh Times for many years. https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/catalog/03907