The former Heilig-Levine furniture store has always caught my attention when in the area around Wilmington and Hargett Streets. This building truly is one of the gems of the downtown area. Visible in Mr. Drie’s famous 1872 aerial map of Raleigh, it dates back to around 1870.

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This is the familiar building on Hargett Street, mentioned in my last post and across the street from Two T’s Rack and Tavern. The Empire web site says that

Constructed in 1914, this building was originally home to the Raleigh Furniture Store and later to Kimbrell’s Furniture. This stand-alone structure retains its original brick façade, featuring an original, painted advertisement on the external west-facing three-story wall. Exposed beams on the third floor, tin ceiling tiles on the second floor and hardwood floors throughout will be retained during the renovation, which will include additional windows for more natural light on the west side of the building. Renovations to this property will retain and revitalize its historic qualities, while adapting it for reuse by new, enterprising businesses that desire to operate in the heart of the city.

A news article on the Empire Web site says that

Instead of buying a building and focusing purely on financial return, he’s willing to take the time to renovate the building to its historical glory, and then wait as long as it takes — despite the cost — until the right tenant comes along.

I’ve gushed about Empire Properties before, when talking about the Odd Fellows Building. Any real estate company that puts historical precedence above a quick profit earns a lot of respect from me. Does anyone have information on the past and/or future of this building?

The Odd Fellows building, or as it says on the column, Commerce Building. It’s 11 stories and was built in 1923 for the Grand Lodge of the IOOF (Independent Order of Odd Fellows).

The IOOF website says that

In 17th century England, it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. Those who belonged to such an organization were called “Odd Fellows”. Odd Fellows are also known as “The Three Link Fraternity” which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.