Comments on: Raleigh’s Montague Building: An Historical Vacancy http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/ a look at the art, architecture, history, and people of the city at night Mon, 21 May 2012 23:02:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nabs K. Lately http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-4349 Nabs K. Lately Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:06:20 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-4349 Um, on behalf of the "pioneers" and my colleagues from downtown, I would like to clarify that there was quite a bit of activity on the first level of the Montague Building in the late 80's and early 90's. With all due respect to Caffe Luna, they came much later. From 1989-1992, I worked in Peden Gallery II as a Gallery Assistant (Raleigh Contemporary Gallery shared the next door space (the two galleries occupied the Caffe Luna space). Chef David Mao (of Duck and Dumpling fame now) owned the ABACUS restaurant on the corner (with the great dragon sculpture on the inside). The City Gallery of Contemporary Art was around the corner (where Tir Na Nog is now). We used to wake up the sleeping homeless everyday when we arrived at the gallery (they liked to sleep on our doorstep). BANKS Fine Food was across Hargett and they served free meals to the homeless regularly. The fountains in the back were on every day back then. First Friday consisted of four or five galleries and we all served wine to the visitors. The Grove was a great music spot (where Pour House is now) and it also hosted the very first "NCSU Art to Wear" fashion show. A band named Pine State played the last show there and everyone threw beer bottles at the corrugated metal wall behind them (a la the Blues Brothers). There were some hookers downtown back then and some drug activity in front of the galleries. It was different then but it was great working at a gallery after class at NCSU. We had great artists too; Claude Howell, Lope Max Diaz, Gina Gilmour, Bob Irwin, etc. It is all gone now. Um, on behalf of the “pioneers” and my colleagues from downtown, I would like to clarify that there was quite a bit of activity on the first level of the Montague Building in the late 80′s and early 90′s. With all due respect to Caffe Luna, they came much later. From 1989-1992, I worked in Peden Gallery II as a Gallery Assistant (Raleigh Contemporary Gallery shared the next door space (the two galleries occupied the Caffe Luna space). Chef David Mao (of Duck and Dumpling fame now) owned the ABACUS restaurant on the corner (with the great dragon sculpture on the inside). The City Gallery of Contemporary Art was around the corner (where Tir Na Nog is now). We used to wake up the sleeping homeless everyday when we arrived at the gallery (they liked to sleep on our doorstep). BANKS Fine Food was across Hargett and they served free meals to the homeless regularly. The fountains in the back were on every day back then. First Friday consisted of four or five galleries and we all served wine to the visitors. The Grove was a great music spot (where Pour House is now) and it also hosted the very first “NCSU Art to Wear” fashion show. A band named Pine State played the last show there and everyone threw beer bottles at the corrugated metal wall behind them (a la the Blues Brothers). There were some hookers downtown back then and some drug activity in front of the galleries. It was different then but it was great working at a gallery after class at NCSU. We had great artists too; Claude Howell, Lope Max Diaz, Gina Gilmour, Bob Irwin, etc. It is all gone now.

]]> By: Raleigh Boy http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2994 Raleigh Boy Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:49:29 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2994 Jamie -- Well, as a matter of fact, I do! I attended Hugh Morson (junior high) in the mid-60s and documented its demo over the course of several months with my Kodak Instamatic camera. The old Meredith College building -- aka 'The Castle' -- on Blount St. was also being demolished at about the same time (as was most of Blount Street). http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/01/raleighs-own-castle/ http://goodnightraleigh.com/2008/06/reminiscences-of-raleigh-boy-part-1/ Look for a post from Raleigh Boy on the Hugh Morson demo soon! Jamie — Well, as a matter of fact, I do! I attended Hugh Morson (junior high) in the mid-60s and documented its demo over the course of several months with my Kodak Instamatic camera. The old Meredith College building — aka ‘The Castle’ — on Blount St. was also being demolished at about the same time (as was most of Blount Street).

http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/01/raleighs-own-castle/

http://goodnightraleigh.com/2008/06/reminiscences-of-raleigh-boy-part-1/

Look for a post from Raleigh Boy on the Hugh Morson demo soon!

]]> By: Jamie http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2993 Jamie Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:17:12 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2993 Speaking of the Morson school building, does anyone have any pictures of that building while it was being demolished? I am interested in seeing pictures of this. It was such a beautiful building, and such a shame to be replaced with what is there today...NOTHING to look at LOL> Speaking of the Morson school building, does anyone have any pictures of that building while it was being demolished? I am interested in seeing pictures of this. It was such a beautiful building, and such a shame to be replaced with what is there today…NOTHING to look at LOL>

]]> By: Raleigh Boy http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2921 Raleigh Boy Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:34:00 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2921 TW-- This is a long reply, so get ready! Yes, yesterday I went to DH Hill and checked out Lancaster's book. The bibliography is extensive, but I can't fathom why the text entries aren't cited. This book is organized oddly-- just a string of 'events' loosely connected by subject. Even after reading the introduction I'm not sure what the story here is he is trying to tell. Anyway, I found the reference you cited re: the Spaulding family and the Montague Building. But without proper citation, I have doubts about the statement's validity. I found a reference in the bibliography to a thesis written about the Montague Building by a 5th year architecture student in 1983. So I got a copy of that from the Design Library today. He cites an N.C. Div. of Archives and History description and history of the building, but there is no mention anywhere of ownership by the Spauldings. He does mention that at the time of his writing, the building was being held in trust for the Norris family. From the Wake Co. Register of Deeds I found that the Norris' sold the building to Clearscapes architectural firm (Steve Shuster) in 1985, who in turn sold it to Kieran Shanahan in 2007. At some point I plan to attempt to trace the deed of ownership back further. TW– This is a long reply, so get ready!

Yes, yesterday I went to DH Hill and checked out Lancaster’s book. The bibliography is extensive, but I can’t fathom why the text entries aren’t cited. This book is organized oddly– just a string of ‘events’ loosely connected by subject. Even after reading the introduction I’m not sure what the story here is he is trying to tell. Anyway, I found the reference you cited re: the Spaulding family and the Montague Building. But without proper citation, I have doubts about the statement’s validity.

I found a reference in the bibliography to a thesis written about the Montague Building by a 5th year architecture student in 1983. So I got a copy of that from the Design Library today. He cites an N.C. Div. of Archives and History description and history of the building, but there is no mention anywhere of ownership by the Spauldings. He does mention that at the time of his writing, the building was being held in trust for the Norris family.

From the Wake Co. Register of Deeds I found that the Norris’ sold the building to Clearscapes architectural firm (Steve Shuster) in 1985, who in turn sold it to Kieran Shanahan in 2007. At some point I plan to attempt to trace the deed of ownership back further.

]]> By: Tony Woodard http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2920 Tony Woodard Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:54:01 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2920 The story is told on page 141 of the Lancaster's book 'Raleigh: An Unorthodox History of NC Capital'. He gives a bibliography, but does not indicate which source each story is pulled from. He mentions in the introduction that all stories, to be included, must come from two different sources. This book was published in the early 90's by Downhome Press. The story is told on page 141 of the Lancaster’s book ‘Raleigh: An Unorthodox History of NC Capital’. He gives a bibliography, but does not indicate which source each story is pulled from. He mentions in the introduction that all stories, to be included, must come from two different sources. This book was published in the early 90′s by Downhome Press.

]]> By: Raleigh Boy http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2912 Raleigh Boy Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:27:07 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2912 TW-- hmmm, I hadn't heard that before-- didn't turn up in my research. Do you know the source of Marshall Lancaster's info? This may warrant further investigation! TW– hmmm, I hadn’t heard that before– didn’t turn up in my research. Do you know the source of Marshall Lancaster’s info? This may warrant further investigation!

]]> By: Tony Woodard http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2911 Tony Woodard Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:38:19 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2911 In his book of interesting Raleigh tales, Marshall Lancaster tells a story of the Montague building. The Spauldings, a very prominent black family from Durham, purchased the building sometime before the end of Jim Crow. One of the Spauldings' sons was in Raleigh, meeting with one of the tenants and decided afterwards to visit a soda fountian on the first floor. After ordering, he was told he couldn't consume the soda at the counter and must go out on the sidewalk. The Spauldings, it is said, found another tenant for the space after the soda fountian's lease was up. In his book of interesting Raleigh tales, Marshall Lancaster tells a story of the Montague building. The Spauldings, a very prominent black family from Durham, purchased the building sometime before the end of Jim Crow. One of the Spauldings’ sons was in Raleigh, meeting with one of the tenants and decided afterwards to visit a soda fountian on the first floor. After ordering, he was told he couldn’t consume the soda at the counter and must go out on the sidewalk. The Spauldings, it is said, found another tenant for the space after the soda fountian’s lease was up.

]]> By: Raleigh Boy http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2906 Raleigh Boy Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:45:59 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2906 All-- Thanks for the comps. Hmm, Cream and Bean...Don't remember it. I guess it didn't last long-- Ben's last sentence tells it all, I suppose. I do remember the Hillsboro St store-- across from the bell tower. LG-- I'm with ya-- My memory doesn't kick in unless the event happened more than 10 years ago. JM-- Thanks-- I have a good teacher! Here's the story on B.F. Montague's New Bern Ave house: Built ca 1882 when all of New Bern was still residential. He died in the late 1920s and his widow Bettie continued to live there until well into the 1940s. A commercial real estate developer lived there in the 1950s, during which time the neighborhood began to change (i.e. run down). By 1962 it was vacant. The house was demolished in 1966 when the 300 block of New Bern and the old Morson high school nearby were taken out and replaced by the current Federal Building. Montague's house was replaced by the Greyhound bus station. When it later relocated, the building was renovated and is now the New Bern Ave post office. All– Thanks for the comps. Hmm, Cream and Bean…Don’t remember it. I guess it didn’t last long– Ben’s last sentence tells it all, I suppose. I do remember the Hillsboro St store– across from the bell tower.

LG– I’m with ya– My memory doesn’t kick in unless the event happened more than 10 years ago.

JM– Thanks– I have a good teacher!

Here’s the story on B.F. Montague’s New Bern Ave house: Built ca 1882 when all of New Bern was still residential. He died in the late 1920s and his widow Bettie continued to live there until well into the 1940s. A commercial real estate developer lived there in the 1950s, during which time the neighborhood began to change (i.e. run down). By 1962 it was vacant. The house was demolished in 1966 when the 300 block of New Bern and the old Morson high school nearby were taken out and replaced by the current Federal Building. Montague’s house was replaced by the Greyhound bus station. When it later relocated, the building was renovated and is now the New Bern Ave post office.

]]> By: John Morris http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2904 John Morris Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:57:56 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2904 RB - great photos and a great story! why was Montague's house torn down in the 60s? What is there today? RB – great photos and a great story!

why was Montague’s house torn down in the 60s? What is there today?

]]> By: LG http://goodnightraleigh.com/2009/02/raleighs-montague-building-an-historical-vacancy/comment-page-1/#comment-2903 LG Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:49:54 +0000 http://goodnightraleigh.com/?p=1526#comment-2903 Capital Area Preservation, a Wake County preservation organization, occupied the second floor of the building for a year or two around 2000. I was a member of their Revolving Fund Committee at the time. I'm sorry I can't be more specific about the dates, but I have a lousy memory and I have not been involved with the organization for quite a while. Capital Area Preservation, a Wake County preservation organization, occupied the second floor of the building for a year or two around 2000. I was a member of their Revolving Fund Committee at the time. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific about the dates, but I have a lousy memory and I have not been involved with the organization for quite a while.

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