This is the Erwin Square area, adjacent to Ninth Street. The space is shared by old mill buildings converted to apartments and offices, as well as new construction.
The existing Erwin Square Apartments, converted from the original old mill buildings.
Another view of Erwin Square Apartments.
Erwin Square overlooking what was the site of the original settlement of Pinhook. Did you know?
West Main Street (between 9th and its end at Hillsborough Rd) wasn't paved until 1977!
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Image sequence shows West Main Street getting paved for first time
Looking west on Main Street, about 100 yards west of Ninth Street. The red brick building on
the right in the first photo was the southern end of Erwin Mill No 4.
The dirt road crossing the RR tracks on the left was Oregon Street. This
street ran beside the
Erwin Auditorium, crossed Erwin Road and continued on to Duke University Road. Alexander
Avenue was the next street off West Main (not visible in photo) and also crossed to Duke
University Rd. The Erwin Auditorium was located between Oregon and Alexander
(to the left of this image). Photos courtesy of Wayne Smith.
This was the # 4 Mill Gate located on West Main Street, just west of Alexander Ave.
I went to this location on many occasions waiting for my father Lewis Smith to get off work on the first shift at 2:30 PM. [which had begun at 6:30 AM] I can still visualize all the workers that were getting off duty, standing around near the front door inside the mill. I will never forget the feeling of pride that I had in my dad as he came out the mill gate and welcomed me and my four sisters who were waiting to run to his arms.
The light over the door was there for the waiting employees. It would 'flash off and on' at 2:30 PM and this signaled the employees that their shift was over and they could leave the mill property at that time.
The employees that were reporting to work on the second shift had to be inside the mill and at their job area before these lights flashed. If not, they were considered late to work and had to have special permission to come to work that particular day.
The mill 'watchman' occupied the small white building on the left of mill gate. I guess one of his duties was to make sure no left work before the lights flashed. In addition to his duties, children of the mill workers could carry lunches to their parents and wait beside the gate for them to come out and pick up their lunch.
There were three mill gates (one shown here in photo, one at West Main and what is now Rutherford Street, and one on Bolton Street behind the mill. All mill gates had a light over the door and a small watchman house just like in the photo. All the lights at the mill gates were set to flash at same time." Photo and text are courtesy of Wayne Smith, a good friend of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.
The Gray Building (served as the administrative offices of the Erwin Cotton Mills).
Future site of the Ninth Street Regional Rail station (you can see Erwin Square and
the Gray Building in the background).
"The Company furnished recreation for the people
of West Durham. They had their own movie over there -talking movie -
and like I say, they had their own tennis courts, basketball courts,
baseball field. The only trouble was, you didn't use none of this stuff
on a Sunday."
- -Buck Dean, West Durham merchant whose name the Durham Freeway
bears today
For a look at the history of Erwin Mills, go here.
Mill Village Streets
Long-time West Durham resident Duncan Fisher grew up at 218 Railroad Ave (later renamed Mulberry Street). Mulberry was eventually renamed and the address of his childhood home is now 2612 West Main Street. Fisher delivered produce on his bicycle from the Purity Store #5 to residents in West Durham. Purity #5 was located near Hickstown, at West Pettigrew and Hicks.
218 Railroad Avenue
According to Fisher's 1910 Erwin Mills map of West Durham, there were 15 mill houses on what is now the northwest corner of Duke's East Campus. Mill houses stretched all the way to what is now Duke Gardens.
9th Street was called Main Street. The road in front of East Campus (present-day West Main) was called Erwin Avenue -- which extended under the rail road bridge to present-day Erwin Road and Duke Hospital.
Perry Street was called Hillsboro Ave (not to be confused with Hillsboro Road which ended at Barnes Supply). Markham Avenue was called A Street (and ended at 9th Street where it does today). Several mill houses occupied the 'new' short stretch of Hillsboro Road (behind what is now George's Garage).
The Erwin Mills map shows West Durham Graded School standing where Vin Rouge Restaurant now serves up Sunday brunch and B&W films on the back patio.
If anyone else has pictures of other OWD homes or landmarks, email me and either attach the scans, or arrange to drop off the pictures to me and I'll scan them and put them on the site.
Thanks,
Tom Clark, webmaster