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Physical Expansion (1.5.6)

The physical growth of Elizabeth City during the late nineteenth century was pronounced. On June 15, 1881, just two weeks after the inauguration of scheduled train service, a "Public Sale Without Reserve" was held for 408 lots of land formerly owned by Conrow, Bush, and Lippencott (Deed Book 4, p. 38). Residential construction during the 1880s was primarily within the Conrow, Bush, and Lippencott property, with the city's most fashionable address being Pennsylvania Avenue (now North Poindexter Street), so named because of the many leading citizens in town from that state. Here a number of the city's industrialists and merchants erected large fashionable dwellings, while small shop keepers and businessmen erected less ambitious but stylishly up-to-date dwellings along Pearl, Burgess, and Cypress streets. There was also considerable infill construction in the older neighborhoods along Church, Main, and South Road streets, and in the Race Tract area along Shepard and South Martin streets (Butchko, 1989: 167).

The early 1890s began a period of neighborhood expansion that continued almost without end through the 1920s (see Map 4). In 1892 alone, there were three subdivision plats recorded in the Register of Deeds (see Map 5). The largest was the Improvement Company of Elizabeth City, which was incorporated in January 1892 by businessman Charles H. Robinson, lumberman D. S. Kramer, attorney Edwin F. Aydlett, and merchant Jerome B. Flora, among others (Incorporation Book 1, p. 71; Deed Book 12, p. 299). The Improvement Company developed the residential area between West Main and Elizabeth streets, where handsome examples of the popular national styles were erected, particularly along West Main Street. This area now forms the core of the residential section of the Elizabeth City National Register Historic District.

The Improvement Company's success in developing the western section of the town was aided tremendously by the establishment in 1895 of the Elizabeth City Cotton Mill on its property; many of the mill incorporators were also stockholders in the Improvement Company. The wise location of the mill here resulted in the construction by individual speculators and investors of several dozen modestly scaled rental dwellings for mill workers along Parsonage, Chestnut, Beechwood and Fleetwood streets. While many of the owners of these rental houses had investments in the mill, the mill itself never built or owned dwellings for its workers.

Mack N. Sawyer (1846-1925), one of Elizabeth City's earliest realtors, was responsible for the other two 1892 plats, both located along the western side of North Road Street, one along Bell and Banks streets and the other along Bell, Greenleaf, and Grady streets. He platted adjacent subdivisions in 1895 and 1897 (Deed Book 12, p. 233; Deed Book 16, p. 487; Deed Book 18, p. 572). While stylish residences were built along North Road Street--including Sawyer's personal residence at 701 and eight others for his sons and daughters--modest two-story dwellings were erected in the neighborhood to the west along Banks, Glade, Harney, West Burgess, West Cypress, Greenleaf, York, and Factory streets. This area, previously called "Bush Town," has been known as "Sawyer Town" since the turn of the century ("St. Stephen History" 1992, 4). It was especially convenient for workers in the lumber industries along Knobbs Creek (Butchko, 1989: 168-169).

The establishment of the State Colored Normal School and its location on Shannon Street (now Herrington Road) in the former Race Tract neighborhood was a boon to the consolidation and development of a strong black community there. Among the black leaders who built or purchased in the area were principal, later president, Peter W. Moore at 606 South Martin Street and businessman Isaac Leigh at 703 Herrington Road. Other blacks who moved into the area during the early twentieth century included physicians George W. Cardwell (407 Shepard Street, demolished 1988) and Ernest L. Hoffler (304 Shepard Street) and minister Claudius C. Drew (303 Shepard Street) (Butchko, 1989, 243, 272, 306, 307).

As the commercial and industrial economy prospered, there was a complete rebuilding of the commercial and warehouse district along the riverfront (see Map 6). The ever present threat of fire--despite the existence of a modern steam fire engine as early as 1891--dictated that the frame commercial structures that remained in 1885 were almost entirely replaced by more substantial brick structures by 1902, such as the Lamb-Redmen Building at 204-208 North Poindexter Street and the Lowry-Chesson Building at 514 East Main Street. The local newspapers reported numerous buildings planned, under construction, or completed in the area of Water and Main streets. There were, however, two obstacles to development along Water Street. The Market House (date unknown, perhaps antebellum) was located in the middle of the street just north of the Matthews Street (now Colonial Avenue) intersection. Also, a pair of brick commercial buildings between 1885 and 1891) blocked the street at Fearing Street. These obstructions, which created a semi-enclosed space two blocks long between Matthews and Fearing streets, were removed during the first years of the twentieth century (Sanborn maps 1885, 1891, 1896, 1902).

With the city's revitalized industrial-and commercial activity located near the riverfront, the old antebellum mercantile district at Main and Road streets saw little new construction during the late nineteenth century. While the city's largest hotel operated at this intersection under a succession of names--New Windsor Hotel, Albemarle Hotel, New Albemarle House--several smaller hotels were situated in the waterfront commercial district (Sanborn maps 1885, 1891, 1896; Branson 1897, 478). The two commercial districts remained distinct from each other as late as 1891, and did not join until the turn of the century. Between 1896 and 1914, six major buildings--the Lowry-Chesson Building (1897), the Bradford Building (1898), the United States Post Office and Court House (1906), the Y.M.C.A. Building (ca. 1908, demolished 1970s), the Kramer Building (1909), and the Hinton Building (1912, burned 1967)--were built on East Main Street between Poindexter Street and the Pasquotank County Courthouse. Also during this period flamboyant Queen Anne style residences were added on the southern side of the 200 and 300 blocks of East Main Street by the town's wealthiest and most prominent men, including industrialist Charles Hall Robinson and lumberman Daniel S. Kramer; the last of these houses was demolished in the early 1970s. The adjacent locations of the Pasquotank County Courthouse (1882), the City Hall and Fire House (ca. 1902), and the United States Post Office created a central governmental complex that continues today (Butchko 1989, 162).

The late nineteenth and early twentieth century was a period of rapid transformation in the physical and sanitary comforts of the residents of Elizabeth City. Much of this was due to an ambitious program of street improvements, beginning with oyster shells, a material in use for generations. Busier streets were improved with stone Belgian blocks and brick, and when Poindexter Street was paved in 1900, The Economist declared that it was "almost a marvel what a change can be wrought by a few Belgian blocks," transforming "a hideous bog, where bull frogs bellowed and gutter snipe digged, into a beautiful boulevard and fashionable promenade" (The Economist, March 9, 1900).

Much of the improvement and development in Elizabeth City was made possible by the introduction of modern utilities in the 1890s. The Electric Light Company of Elizabeth City was organized in 1892, and in 1899 the Carolina New Light Company was formed to market lighting equipment for stores, residences, public buildings, and streets. In 1895 Joseph Sanders was operating a private "water works," and five years later the Elizabeth City Water Company was formed. A telephone company was incorporated in 1896. By 1908 the city's water and electric utilities were consolidated into the Elizabeth City Light, Power and Water Company, which had a modern brick plant on Pennsylvania Street (demolished in stages between 1931 and the 1960s) (Incorporation Book 1, p. 107, 141, 176, 178; The Economist, September 22, 1895; Sanborn maps 1891, 1898, 1902, 1908, 1914, 1923).