A Ghost of the Warehouse District [UPDATED]
Capital Coca Cola Bottling Company, 1941. From the Albert Barden Collection, North Carolina State Archives.
Right past the Morgan Street Bridge lies the foundation and structural artifacts of a long gone building. Looking much like the rest of the Warehouse District, the utilitarian building in the photo above was home to the Capital Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The space is now home to Men at Work Care Care Center.
Unfortunately, the only structural remains of this building are the steel support beams in the secret underground lair in the photo above.
A Small and Dark Place
These days, the only use that this hidden space sees is to provide refuge for passing travelers or the homeless.
The only object in the room was a perfectly flat and unrolled sleeping bag. I was surprised to see it in cleaner condition than when I visited it a few years ago. I’m not sure who would have spent the time to clean it up, but I’m glad they did.
The entrance to this underground lair is a small window on a briar-infested hill leading to the rail lines that cut through the Warehouse District.
the tracks that are visible from the hidden lair
Access is easy enough, but exercise caution if exploring for yourself. This is an area out of view and is likely sought out for that very purpose, in addition to its proximity to the tracks.
Coca-cola Bottling Co. on S. Wilmington Street. Date/copyright holder unknown
A Look at Coca-Cola in Raleigh
One early reference to Coca-Cola in Raleigh that I found is the undated photo above of a bottling plant located on 115 South Wilmington Street. This address is now the entrance to a parking garage and is between the Prairie Building and the block with Gravy and Sitti.
A 1916 Raleigh City Directory lists the address of 216 S. West Street for the Raleigh Coca-Cola Bottling Works. It is unknown to me what relation any of these three Coca-Cola affiliates may have had with one another.
Today, you can see a vintage painted Coca-Cola ad on the Berkeley Cafe building on Nash Square.
The area where the bottling plant was once located
So What Happened to the Building?
Raleigh Firefighting historian Mike Legeros lists a fire at this plant in 1948 as one of Raleigh’s largest, and I can’t find any record of activity here after that date. The Capital Coca-Cola Bottling Company has operated out of a location at 2200 South Wilmington Street since 1956. It’s a safe bet that a catastrophic fire spelled the end of this structure, although I’d like to know where the company was operating from in the intervening 8 years.
There are some remnants of the building, including a few brick walls, imprints in the concrete flooring, and electrical boxes such as the one in the photo above.
a medianera
You can see the outline of the building in the form of a medianera on an adjacent building left standing. You can also discern outlines in the concrete that indicate an industrial past.
These days, there is no industrial use of the area and it’s pretty quiet. During the day, you can get your car detailed by the Men at Work guys. At night, you can work out at a secret weightlifting bench next to the small cinderblock building. The large open space is now home to a couple of benches and a bird bath.
Occasionally, passing drifters catch some sleep in the hidden lair underneath this picturesque space.
Related Articles
- Echoes of an Era Past
- Like a Phoenix from the Ashes: Raleigh’s Downtown Warehouse District
- The Warehouse District From Above
UPDATE March 29
Image courtesy News & Observer Publishing Company
The Raleigh Fire Department Historical Society has this breathtaking photo of the Coca-Cola plant fire in 1948. Interestingly, you can see the building where Men at Work Car Care Center is today (lower left).
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03/23/2011
You and I have a lot in common, always looking at what was once there and wondering what happened. You’ve probably already thought of this, but I wonder if the main company, Coca Cola Bottling Consolidated in Charlotte, might have some idea of what happened between the fire in 48 and the building you found in 1956. I found their number (there wasn’t an email contact) 800-777-2683. I’ve always found that going to the main co. if its still around, is usually the best source. After that I go to the papers (or the directories but you’ve obviously done that) for an article about a new building. Of course I can get pretty crazed and have been known to search through a couple of years worth of newspapers microfilm. If there’s a yearly index for the paper it might be listed in there under the company name. Anyhow, I apologize if these are already things you’ve looked into. I just love trying to find answers to things! Good luck and I’ll check in to see if you’ve found an answer!
03/23/2011
Back in the days when FLEX was an alternative music venue called The Fallout Shelter, there used to be regular after hours party in the underground section of this building. I think it was referred to as “The Grotto”. There was an extension cord running to it, some Christmas lights and a boombox. Very goth.
03/23/2011
A found an aerial photo from 1959 that shows that building still intact, but there is one from 1971 that shows what appears to be part of the roof missing. Here’s the link:
http://www.lib.unc.edu/reference/gis/USDA/wake.html
You have to play around a bit with the coordinate dropdown tabs to download the higher resolution sections, but you can clearly make out the buildings. Hope this helps!
03/24/2011
Catherine and Pineview,
I did a little research through a decade’s worth of Raleigh city directories yesterday, and found that from 1948 to 1954 Capital Coca Cola Bottling Co. was listed at 511 W. Morgan St., and its truck garage was listed at 507 W. Morgan — these are the two buildings depicted in the archival photo. From 1954 to 1956 Capital Coca Cola Bottling Co. was listed at 511 W. Morgan, but the truck garage had moved to 117 S. West St. From 1957 on, Capital Coca Cola Bottling Co. is listed at the 2200 S. Wilmington St. address. So… they apparently rebuilt the Morgan St. facility after the 1948 fire. As the business expanded during the 1950s, it outgrew 511 W. Morgan, so they erected the modern facility on S. Wilmington.
Pineview notes in his comment the building itself was apparently still standing in 1971. I lived nearby from 1970-1974 and don’t remember it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. However, by the time I explored the secret lair myself in 1972-73 the superstructure was definitely gone, although there was twice as much underground area at that time to explore than remains today.