The O. Henry Hotel, as rendered by artist-in-residence Chip Holton.

Morning, gang.

This week we’re bringing you two stories about the city’s history and what it means to us today.

The first is the second entry in our Postmark Greensboro series, inspired by vintage and antique postcards. This story begins in the 1800s, when William Sidney Porter was working at his uncle’s downtown drug store and observing the many characters who came in and out. Those years informed the famous short stories he would later write under the pen name O. Henry—a name that would be carried by not one but two landmark hotels in his hometown.

The second piece is about an often-overlooked aspect of Black history in Greensboro: the neighborhoods important to the Civil Rights Movement here and buildings designed by pioneering Black architects.

Both stories are about more than nostalgia. Look carefully and you’ll see not just our city as it once was, but important lessons for today.

Postmark Greensboro: A Tale of Two O. Henry Hotels

The original O. Henry Hotel opened in 1919 at the corner of Bellemeade and N. Elm Streets.

When this postcard was sent in 1942, the original downtown O. Henry Hotel—opened in 1919—was a city landmark. Long-since demolished, many living here today have no idea it ever existed. Or they wouldn’t, had Dennis Quaintance and Mike Weaver not opened a new hotel carrying on its name and legacy.

This week P.R. Lockhart and I showcase the story of both hotels. Read our full story here.

If you like what you see, please consider telling a friend to sign up.

Uncovering and Expanding Greensboro’s Black History

Residents of the Benbow Park community at a meeting. (Photo courtesy of Eric Woodard) 

Greensboro has long promoted the city’s place in the Civil Rights Movement, often centering around the “Greensboro Four,” N.C. A&T students who helped spark a national sit-in movement when they sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter downtown. 

But the civil rights legacy here goes deeper. For years, the city has worked to identify local sites significant to Black history. This week, it’s taking a key step to get federal recognition for neighborhoods connected to the movement.

“This is part of the process of recognition for the amazing lives lived by these African-American folks in the midst of segregation and redlining and all those kinds of things that they faced,” said Eric Woodard, a board member for Preservation Greensboro. “They managed to succeed and succeed quite well.”

On Wednesday, the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, which reviews applications for historic sites, will hold a public hearing where people can weigh in on three nominations for the National Register of Historic Places. Being on the registry allows property owners to apply for special tax credits for maintenance and rehabilitation. 

After the hearing, the commission will vote on forwarding the nominations to the state, which will decide on final nominations to the federal government later this year. 

Greensboro already has 12 districts and 42 properties on the register, but none specifically highlighting Black history. One of the nominations before the commission this week, a group of over 400 homes known as the South Benbow Road Historic District, could finally change that.

The district, which includes the neighborhood near Bennett College and N.C. A&T, has been in the works for years and builds off of grassroots demand for recognition. The city, historians, Preservation Greensboro, and institutions like UNC-Greensboro, N.C. A&T, and the Greensboro History Museum were also part of the effort.

Supporters say the area has an incredibly rich history that deserves attention. During the Civil Rights Movement, it was home to people like surgeon Dr. Alvin Blount and civil rights attorney J. Kenneth Lee, as well as a meeting place for Thurgood Marshall, Jesse Jackson, and Martin Luther King Jr.  

The district is also home to a significant number of modernist buildings designed by prominent Black architects like W. Edward Jenkins and William Streat, who trained or taught at N.C. A&T and were among the first registered Black architects in the state. 

Many of the state’s earliest Black architects worked with Edward Lowenstein, a Greensboro-based modernist. On Wednesday, the commission will also consider two Lowenstein-designed buildings—the Edward and Frances S. Lowenstein house at 2104 Granville Road and the Tanlea Woods property at 2904 Wynnewood Drive—for inclusion in the national registry.

Greensboro’s current preservation effort has already secured significant federal support. In 2021, the city announced it had received $40,000 in federal grant money to study historic properties for nomination to the national registry. In July, the city was given an additional $75,000 to prepare more nominations focused on local Black and civil rights history. 

And as Greensboro continues to look into these histories, local officials say that this work is vital to telling a more complete story of the city. 

“As some of these neighborhoods reach 50, 60, 70 years old, it’s time to look at them from the lens of historic preservation,” said Mike Cowhig, a Greensboro senior planner responsible for historic district projects. “What we’re learning is how in neighborhoods, especially Benbow Park, some of the leaders who came from Greensboro were really important people.” 

— P.R. Lockhart

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What We’re Reading

Calling Foul: When N.C. Rep. Ashton Clemmons left her state House seat, many Guilford politicians and candidates hoped the district might be represented by a person of color for the first time in its history. But in a swift internal election process, the Democratic Party put another white woman in the seat—triggering a complaint against the party, Triad City Beat reports.

Aging Healthier: The state’s population of adults 65+ is expected to grow by about 50 percent in the next couple of decades. N.C. Health News takes a closer look at what hospitals and hospital systems, including Cone Health here in Greensboro, are doing to become more age-friendly.

Pulling Ahead: This year’s gubernatorial race could be the most watched and most expensive in the nation. A new High Point University Poll has bad news for Greensboro native Mark Robinson, putting his Democratic opponent Josh Stein, leads Stein up by 14 points. The News & Record has the full story.

Read this newsletter online or contact The Thread team with tips and feedback at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

Around the State

The Abandoned Pools of Columbus County

Columbus County no longer has any public and community swimming pools—a reflection of racism, rural decay, and lost opportunity.

Take Me To The Water

In the six years since it was legalized, aquamation—or disposing of bodies through alkaline hydrolysis—has become an increasingly rite.

Feeding An Army

Nearly one out of three Fort Liberty soldiers and their family members are food insecure. Can efforts to address it fill the gap?

The Assembly is a digital magazine covering power and place in North Carolina. Sent this by a friend? Subscribe to The Greensboro Thread or to our statewide newsletter.

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Joe Killian is The Assembly's Greensboro editor. He joined us from NC Newsline, where he was senior investigative reporter. He spent a decade at The News & Record covering cops and courts, higher education, and government.