Hillsboro Street, Raleigh, N.C. (Redux)
A few weeks ago we published on Flashback Friday an early 20th century postcard view of Hillsboro St. as seen from the Capitol building. This week, we’re in the same time period, but the view is now looking up the street toward the Capitol itself.
This card dates from the ‘undivided back’ era, so the message was written on the front.
How are you these days?
Suppose this scene looks familiar to you.
Love from Blanche
A nice sentiment. But what strikes me most about this postcard view is that it reveals that Hillsboro was primarily a residential street in the early 20th century.
On the left can be seen the community grocery store, which in 1907 was operated by E.H. King. The two-story frame building itself had been on the site at least since 1872. In the mid-1920s it was replaced by a modern brick store front, which continued to serve the community as a grocery for many years. That building was demolished in the 1970s.
Any Goodnight Raleigh readers care to guess what occupies the site today?
Our postcard this week was published by the Rotograph Co. of New York.
The Rotograph Co. 1904-1911
684 Broadway, New York, NYA major printer and publisher of postcards. They took over the National Art View Company in 1904 and republished many of their images under their own name. A wide variety of card types were issued in 19 letter series plus many other miscellaneous cards and printed items, but they are best known for their view-cards in color rotogravure. Many postcards were printed in the Rotograph style without their logo on them. These early cards may have been private contracts made with the Rotograph Company or from orders placed directly with their printers in Germany. Rotograph produced about 60,000 postcards that were printed in Hamburg, Germany, by Stengel of Dresden, by Knackstedt & Nather of Nancy, France, and possibly by Reinike & Rubin of Magdeburg. While Rotograph produced large amounts cards in clearly defined lettered designated sets, they also produced unique small card sets. Rather than assign small sets a new designation, they were often given a taken letter prefix that corresponded to their subject.
“Flashback Friday†is a weekly feature of Goodnight, Raleigh! in which we showcase vintage postcards depicting our historic capital city. We hope you enjoy this week-end treat!
02/03/2012
Hillsboro?
02/03/2012
At the time, that’s how it was spelled.
02/03/2012
I can’t answer the question, but there are some interesting facets to the address side of this postcard, too.
– The rule “Address only on this side†ended in March 1907, but correspondents like Blanche continued to write in a photo’s sky or road months later.
– The upside-down stamp may have been a mistake or may have been intended to mean “I love you.â€
– Winston and Salem didn’t merge officially until 1913, but it was apparently okay to use the name in an address five years earlier.
– And the oval cancelation may have meant that the postcard was processed on a train.
02/03/2012
Is the site occupied by Char Grill now?
02/04/2012
Snoopy’s?
02/04/2012
Michael might be right. After I posted I found out Char Grill was there in the 60’s which conflicts with the decade when the building was demolished. Snoopy’s was actually my first guess but then I changed it. Always go with your gut, I suppose.
02/04/2012
I think it’s being “occupied” right now.
02/06/2012
NCSU beat me to it! Nice hint, RB. #Occupyraleigh is now occupying that spot.
02/06/2012
Hah! Goodnight Raleigh readers are too good! Yes, the Occupy Raleigh group has “occupied” the site since Thanksgiving. The 1920s era buildings on the site were demolished in the mid ’70s when the Edenton/Hillsboro connector was run through the 500 block. (That project also took out the old CP&L streetcar barn, which was located at the foot of Edenton.)
Curt — Thanks for that bit of postcard history. The possibility of a cancellation aboard a train is fascinating.
02/07/2012
My grandfather worked for the Raleigh streetcar company in 1910 and lived, at that tiem, in the new Boylan Heights neighborhood. He must have seen this view fairly frequently.
03/27/2015
Originally it was Hillsborough St, as laid out on
on William Christmas’ 1792 plan. It was named after
the town of Hillsborough. While it may have
been referred to as Hillsboro St., it is now
officially Hillsborough St.
Read through the Christmas plan:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newnation/4352