Goodnight Raleigh | a look at the art, architecture, history, and people of the city at night

Exile on Wilmington Street

300 block of S. Wilmington St., 1926. The four storefronts seen left to right are the same ones seen in the photo below. They were built in the late 1870s. (Image courtesy N.C. Division of Archives and History)

I have long appreciated the back street charm of the first three blocks of S. Wilmington St. The east side of the street features a virtually intact collection of 19th century 2-story brick storefronts.Â Rather thanÂ the banks, hotels, high-end department stores, office and government buildings found on Raleighâ€™s main street, these sturdy brick buildings originally housed cotton and tobacco brokers, seed stores and harness shops, saloons and lunch counters.

300 block of S. Wilmington St., 2009. (Image credit: John Morris)

Nowadays the first two blocks of Wilmington St.Â areÂ undegoing a resurgence and rehabilitation, while the 300 block remains gloomy and virtually deserted.
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A Hidden Courtyard, Minus the Blue

by John Morris
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The rear of The Hudson (Wilmington Street side) houses a posh courtyard area. It’s hidden from view unless you look down from upper levels of the recently constructed parking deck or from one of the high rise buildings around it. Barely visible is the blue illumination which covers the rear but no longer the front of the structure.