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Old supermarkets of Elizabeth City
Old supermarkets of Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City has always been a wonderful place rich in all kinds of history. I am already acquainted with many details of that history. A few years ago, I stumbled across a website called Groceteria.net that featured the history of different supermarket chains. Groceteria focused mostly on West Coast chains, but had a rather large section on Colonial Stores, a chain that originated practically in our backyard. It was started in the late 1800s in Tarboro, NC, eventually settling its headquarters in Norfolk, VA. Colonial persisted for many years and was prevalent in this region and through most of the southeast. Before I discovered Groceteria.net, I had read through a recently published book about the History of Elizabeth City and just took note of a replicated lithograph - a grand opening flier for Colonial about the city's 'first modern supermarket'. The ad did not give a location nor were there any discernable landmarks in the background of the picture. This year, in 2005, I finally found the store. Judging from pictures of other Colonial stores from the 1950s, I figured out the store was where Coastal Office Equipment was on Church Street. To confirm this, I asked some of the old-timers around town, and it turns out that my theory was right. Other stores that I identified long before this are two 70s-era Colonials, a possible 50s-era Winn-Dixie and an A&P.
70s-era Colonials
400 S. McMorrine Street/ 1515 West Ehringhaus Street (unpictured)
I believe that this store was a 70s-era Colonial despite half the people that I've talked to insisting that it was built as a Piggly Wiggly. Colonial definitely had a store further down Ehringhaus Street where the oldest Food Lion in town still is. If the Food Lion at 1515 West Ehringhaus was a Colonial, the other one had to have been, since both stores were similar in size, depth, building material and facade. Also supporting my theory was that many of the Colonials still in operation in NENC and SEVA were sold to Food Town, the predecessor of Food Lion in 1988. Coincedentally, Food Town made its first appearance in the region shortly thereafter. Interesting....
Another picture of the McMorrine Street store.
Another picture of the McMorrine Street store.
An archive shot of 400 S. McMorrine Colonial from 1974. (From waterfront.)
A possible 50s-era Winn-Dixie
500 West Ehringhaus Street
For all I know, this building on Ehringhaus Street could have been built for the local independent chain S&R, but I have other suspicions. I believe that this might have been originally a 50s-era Winn-Dixie location, being that it has a slight resemblance to several of the same era on the exterior. Winn-Dixie often occupied some of the better locations in a given community, being that they were often among the first wave of chain retailers, especially in smaller communities. This store occupies a prime location along the main business cooridor in the pre-bypass 17 days, close enough to the bustle of downtown, as well as well as the residential districts. What I am really interested in was the interior decor. S&R didn't seem to have modified the original decor, meaning that the store has always looked like it has from the day that it opened. An interesting motif over the meat section reads "The Albemarle Beef People". Now I don't know whether S&R was trying to compete with a nearby Winn-Dixie, or if "The Beef People" was left on the wall when Winn-Dixie vacated, giving S&R the opportunity to modify the slogan as their own. S&R closed in 2000 or 2001, so I never thought of taking interior shots before...what a shame.
Another picture.
Another picture.
Another picture.
Another picture.
A 50s or 60s-era A&P
511 West Ehringhaus Street
An A&P once occupied the current Ace Hardware building on Ehringhaus Street, less than a block down from S&R. Many of the old-timers remember this store quite vividly. As far as my observations go, this building does not have a gable, which was distinct characteristic of most A&Ps, but it is definitely wider than it is deep, which most A&Ps were. I think that this design trait had to do with having more space to display their goods over their competitors to increase interest and therefore, more business. The extra light from the windows also resulted in brighter, cleaner-looking and more cheery stores than others.
Another picture.
Another picture.
Groceteria.net
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