Historic Pictures

Aerial view, circa 1920s.
Source: Raleigh,N.C.
News & Observer.

 

Hayes Barton Baptist Church
Rebuilt afer 50's fire.
Source: N, W, Pope.

 

Home Place
1817 White Oak Rd.
Source: N, W, Pope.

 

Hayes Barton Pharmacy.
Source: N, W, Pope.

Why Five Points?

Five Points' Glenwood Avenue - Source: Raleigh,N.C. News & Observer.

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... the pharmacy or lean against the brick wall of Stomper’s soda shop.

Five Points was the assigned domain of an elderly night watchman we called ‘Sherlock’, whom we irritated routinely with a wide variety of pranks. We sat on the curb in front of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in our pre-teens, and watched trucks in Army convoys take WWII German POWs captured in North Africa to Camp Butner near Durham. Many looked no older than we were.

The Scouts met at the church.  Hayes Barton Pharmacy, opened in 1927, was where you bought comic books and ice cream cones and were treated by Mr. Gattis for about everything short of brain surgery. Morgan’s barber shop was in the windowed basement.. There was the Colony Theatre, opened in 1942 in a former A&P store.  The Hayes Barton school grounds were where  guys gathered to play pick up football and baseball games.  We stood in front of the Esso station to thumb rides to high school or catch the bus to the downtown business district.

The Raleigh Times was dropped off in bundles at the Atlantic service station for us carriers. Moring's Florist, for whom I worked as a delivery ‘jumper’ at Christmas and Easter for several years, was located in a building behind the pharmacy.

 I grew up in the l930’s and ‘40’s,  just five houses ‘down’ White Oak Road from that center for both killing time and gaining a questionable education  into many of life’s mysteries. The younger ones learned at the feet of their idols and passed the lore to those who followed. The latest gossip and jokes were shared and about 9:30 you walked home.

It was at Five Points that guys from white, blue and ‘gray’ collar familes converged , where lifetime friendships developed and lasting memories were formed.       
  
 Life was safe, life was simple, life was good and life as we knew it pretty much revolved around, and happened in, Five Points.

I chose to immortalize that glorious geographical landmark and remind myself and perhaps some others how really good we had it, by establishing Five Points Publishing.

And one night, stealthily, someone is going to scatter my ashes in that place, so Sherlock, you had best be on guard! "Red” Pope May 2007

The Colony Theater 1940. Source: Raleigh,N.C. News & Observer.