Old NC 10: Hillsboro Road was once part of the "Central Highway" -- the first route to cross North Carolina. Early road proponents dubbed it "the magnificent state route number 10." Stretching from Beaufort to Murphy, old NC 10 was renamed US 70 when the federal government started designating national highways in the mid-twenties.
An overnight success, the popular Vin Rouge restaurant is located in what was once McKay's filing station. Next door is Blu Seafood, a Durham delight. For many years, the Pizza Palace stood here. Former Mayor Harry Rodenhizer owned the oldest pizza restaurant in Durham -- and helped deliver hand-tossed pizzas to the surrounding neighborhoods.
"One of the South's best alternative newspapers, The Independent Weekly was founded at 2824 Hillsborough Road in 1982. In the early days, Indy's
staff was crammed into a small, almost windowless brick and cinder block
building -- sharing the space with a car radio repair shop before moving
a couple doors down the street. The masthead on each Indy says it all:
"We're out to help build a just community here in our beloved North
Carolina home."
The is the St. Francis Veterinary Hospital on the corner of
Hillsborough and Hicks.
Louis Berini, 2908 Hillsborough Road: The Berini family
was one many Italian families that moved to West Durham to work as stone
cutters and craftsmen during the construction
of Duke Chapel and Duke Hospital. Louis Berini stands in what was the
back yard of his childhood home in OWD. Where the family's chicken coops
once stood is now a parking lot for Tienda Mexicana. The Citrini family
lived behind the Berini's on Georgia Avenue. Anthony Citrini, who married
Louis' sister, was known as the best bricklayer in the Bull City.
RedZ hair salon on Markham Ave.
The Hillsborough Road meat market stood at the corner of Hillsborough
and Ninth. Roy Leo Jacobs is far right (ca. 1930).
Carolina Battery Rewinding Co. (ca. 1924) -- now Wallace Auto Electric.
Wallace's Garage today. Back in the day, this shop was the place to bring your Chevy or Pontiac for a bigger engine. Wallace's used a crane to remove the engine and replace it with a more powerful Cadillac engine. Early customers included several area moonshine runners. These drivers represent the early history of NASCAR -- where stock cars are replaced with more powerful engines.
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