- Title
- Our State
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-
- Date
- November 2000
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-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
Our State
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architectural tour of North Carolina
Restoration
Hardware
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BY Tow Rl KVY
Willi its l.imoii.' brie k-and-iron facade jutting skyward, the
Briggs Building in downtown Raleigh enjoyed a reputation
as the tallest building in eastern North Carolina when it was
constructed in 1874. As an expansion to Thomas II. Briggs
and James Dodd's growing business, the building housed
the successful Briggs Hardware from 1874 until 1995.
Generations ol Raleigh residents remember Briggs
Hardware as the prototype of a Southern hardware store: a
crowded, long and narrow gallery’ that sold items ranging
Iwm whetstones to stovepipes, popcorn to toys. Today, the
business survives in a new location on Raleigh's Atlantic
\venuc. but the historic Briggs Building has attracted new
tenants to its landmark spot on Fayetteville Street.
Restored during 1997 and 1998, the building is now home
to the Raleigh City Museum and three North Carolina non¬
profit groups: the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, Preservation
North Carolina, and Special Olympics North Carolina.
Moving in
The $3.2 million restoration, spearheaded by the A.J.
Fletcher Foundation, preserved an important link to Raleigh's
past. "Fayetteville Street Mall is the heart of Raleigh," says
Tom McGuire. A.J. Fletcher Foundation vice president and
executive director . “For a hundred years, this was the main
street of eastern North Carolina. And yet the mall remains the
one area of downtown Raleigh whose redevelopment is lag¬
ging. We felt that bringing people into the Briggs Building
could Ik- the Ix'ginning of a turnaround for the area."
134 Our State November 2000