Durham 2008 Official Visitors Guide - Where Good Things Happen - (Page 9) American Aerial Photography/DCVB The Triangle: A Family of Communities The term “Triangle” is confusing to many visitors, because it has several meanings to people who live in this part of North Carolina: • The term was first used in the name of Durham-based Research Triangle Park (now the world’s largest university-related research park) symbolizing the then-three research universities in the area. In time, Triangle carried over to three surrounding communities, Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, where these three universities are located. • Today, it also refers to two adjacent metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)—one four-county metro, centered around the core city of Durham, and another three-county metro, centered around Raleigh and Cary—or a nine-county local government planning collaborative, a 13-county state economic development partnership, or the 23-county television viewing area. Opinion polls over a 15-year span confirm that 70-75% of the residents in what locals call the Triangle prefer to characterize where they live by the name of a specific town, city, or county. Next in popularity are specific neighborhoods, followed by those who think of the Triangle as one big place. To help residents deepen their shared sense of region and work together on issues like air quality and transportation, the convention and visitor bureaus in the area have joined with chambers of commerce, cities, towns, and counties to refer to this diverse, polycentric region as a “Family of Communities,” celebrating each community’s distinct identity as well as its relationship to the “family.” For more information, log on to www.familyofcommunities.com. THINGS TO SEE & DO Duke University’s campuses arc around Downtown Durham’s dining, shopping, and entertainment districts. North Carolina Collection at F Durham County Library Black Wall Street / Historic Parrish Street F Parrish St, Downtown Durham, 956-8889, www.ncimed.com/aboutus/keyinfo.cfm?ArticleID=60 In the early 1900s, African-American business prospered here, and the street became known as America’s “Black Wall Street.” In the 1960s, the street again attracted national attention as a place where Civil Rights pioneers staged sit-ins and received a memorable visit from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Currently being revitalized and proposed as a National Heritage Area. 9 300 N Roxboro Rd, Durham County Library, Downtown Durham, 560-0171, www.durhamcountylibrary.org/ncc/ Collection of stories of Durham’s and North Carolina’s past through historical documents, maps, records, and photographic archives. North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company �F 411 W Chapel Hill St, Downtown Durham, 682-9201, www.ncmutuallife.com The nation’s oldest (1898) and largest African-Americanowned financial institution, founded by John Merrick and Aaron Moore. The Heritage Room, located on the top floor, explores the company’s first 100 years through a 33-panel visual display. Call for guided tours in advance. Bullington Warehouse F 500 N Duke St, Downtown Durham, www.historicdistricts.com/NC/Durham/vacant.html Built in 1927, last of the brick tobacco warehouses to be built in Downtown Durham in 1927. On National Register of Historic Places. Selena Warren Wheeler Collection at F Stanford L. Warren Library Duke Memorial United Methodist Church F 1201 Fayetteville St, at Umstead St, 560-0270, www.durhamcountylibrary.org/locations/slw.php Collection of African-American culture, history, and literature named for Warren’s daughter. The second African-American library established in North Carolina, originally in the basement of the old White Rock Baptist Church, in 1913. Open M-Th, 9am-9pm; Fri, 2pm-6; Sa, 9:30am-6pm. 504 W Chapel Hill St, Downtown Durham, 683-3467, www.dukememorial.org Built in 1907, twin-towered, Gothic Revival-style church, named for Washington Duke. Features 10-bell, manually-operated carillon (performances nightly) and Holtkamp organ. Durham Hosiery Mill (Mill #1) F The Eddy Collection of Music Instruments F Lobby, Mary Duke Biddle Music Building, Duke East Campus, 660-3320, music.duke.edu/resources/eddypurpose.php Unique collection of over 500 rare musical instruments found nowhere else in the Southeast, dating from the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries with particular depth in woodwinds, brass, and early pianos. 803 Angier Ave Built in 1901, nerve center of the world’s largest hosiery mill complex and largest producer of silk stockings. Only mill in the country staffed entirely by African-Americans. Today it provides housing for seniors. On National Register of Historic Places. Ephphatha Church F The Tuba Exchange, Inc. 1825 Chapel Hill Rd, 493-2200(800) 869-8822, www.tubaexchange.com Nation’s only store dealing exclusively in tubas, euphoniums, and sousaphones. Includes 200-plus piece historic low brass musical instrument collection. Open MF, 9am-5pm; Sa-Su, by appointment. �F 220 W Geer St, www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ nc/Durham/state.html Constructed in 1930, Neo-Gothic Revival-style church, one of only four churches in the nation to be built for the Deaf. Now on the National Register of Historic Places. Erwin Mills F HISTORIC LANDMARKS American Tobacco Campus 318 Blackwell St, Downtown Durham, 433-1560, www.americantobaccocampus.com Former Lucky Strike cigarette factory transformed into a one-million-sq.-ft. retail/residential/office campus including restaurants, shops, amphitheatre, and on-site parking garages. 713 - 731 Ninth St, Ninth Street District, 682-9229, www.owdna.org/mill.htm Built in 1893, originally produced tobacco bags and later became nation’s largest producer of denim. Remaining buildings serve as office space and apartment homes. www.durham-nc.com �F Golden Belt (available for occupancy May 2008) F 807 E Main St (Corner of E Main and Fayetteville), 967-7700, www.goldenbeltarts.com Once a seven-acre textile mill campus, now hosts arts, commerce, and living with 35 sky-lit artist studios open to the public, 37 modern live/work loft apartments, retail and restaurants, office space, and live music venue. http://www.ncimed.com/aboutus/keyinfo.cfm?ArticleID=60 http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/ncc/ http://www.ncmutuallife.com http://www.historicdistricts.com/NC/Durham/vacant.html http://www.dukememorial.org http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/locations/slw.php http://music.duke.edu/resources/eddypurpose.php http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/nc/Durham/state.html http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/nc/Durham/state.html http://www.tubaexchange.com http://www.owdna.org/mill.htm http://www.durham-nc.com http://www.americantobaccocampus.com http://www.goldenbeltarts.com http://www.familyofcommunities.com
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