We’ve published many postcard views of Fayetteville Street on Flashback Friday over the past three and a half years; so how about we mix it up a bit this week. Here we are at the busiest intersection on Raleigh’s main street, looking west down Martin Street, flanked by the US Post Office on the left and the Tucker Building on the right.

This week’s card was postmarked on September 16, 1912.

Monday night.
Every thing working beautifully.
“Cherry Smash” is a winner — on the train and off.
King.

I think I get the gist of this message — Looks like ‘King’ was a traveling salesman pushing a product called “Cherry Smash,” and was writing to his boss back in Richmond that his sales pitch was “working beautifully.”

At first I thought it was some kind of concoction similar to the famous late 18th century Raleigh beverage, “Cherry Bounce,” but as North Carolina was a dry state in 1912, Cherry Smash must have been pretty tame in that regard, “on the train and off.”

Probably, though, Cherry Smash was some kind of popular soda fountain beverage that may have very well been served at the Tucker Building Pharmacy.

The Tucker Building — Raleigh’s First Modern Office Building

The Tucker Building was erected on the prominent northwest corner of Fayetteville and Martin Streets in 1899 by Florence Tucker, the widow of the wealthy Raleigh merchant, Rufus S. Tucker. Sheathed in buff-colored brick and encrusted with terra cotta ornament, the Tucker Building was a fine example of the Sullivanesque style  of architecture — the only building of this type ever erected in Raleigh.

Heated by steam, illuminated by electric lights, and serviced by elevators, it offered retail storefronts at street level and office suites on the upper floors. The Tucker Building was Raleigh’s tallest office building until 1907, when the Masonic Temple was built a block away at Fayetteville and Hargett Streets.

State Archives of North Carolina photo

The Tucker Building dominates the corner of Fayetteville and Martin Streets in this ca 1915 photo.

In 1927 Wachovia Bank bought the the Tucker Building and occupied it until the mid-1960s, when the bank built a new modernist office building across the street.

Sadly, the Tucker Building, an irreplaceable Raleigh architectural landmark, was demolished in 1966; it was replaced with the rather banal and uninspired box that occupies the site today.

Our Flashback Friday tinted halftone postcard this week was published by the Office Stationery Co. of Raleigh, and printed by Leighton & Valentine of New York, NY.

Leighton & Valentine  1910-1914 
New York, NY

Formed by the merger of the Hugh C. Leighton Company with Valentine & Sons, and Sackett & Wilhelms. Their cards were printed in the tinted halftone style of Valentine & Sons. Some of their white border cards were printed in continuous tone lithography. All these cards were printed in the United States.

 

“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!