Trip Photos: Albemarle, NC

This weekend I am in Albemarle, NC, where my grandparents live and where my Dad grew up. Dad is giving a presentation to the Stanly County Historical Society about Kingville, the historic African American area of Albemarle.

While here this weekend, I wanted to photograph parts of downtown. Some of my favorite photos can be found in the galleries below. Each gallery is arranged by topic.

Unlike my usual posts, this one is light on building histories. Because Dad does more about Stanly County’s history, I felt that area is best left in his hands (You can follow his work at the Facebook page of the Stanly County History Center). Instead, I tried to focus on photography when choosing how to present these images.

Albemarle Opera House

The Albemarle Opera House was built from 1907 to 1908 by F. E. Starnes Sr., my great-great-grandfather. The lower floor was his jewelry store, and the upper floors had offices and an auditorium. The auditorium has seen very little use since World War II and sits abandoned today. On a future trip, I plan to get photos of the interior.

The building on the ground floor, Starnes Bramlett Jewelers, has been in the family since 1898 and is now owned by my grandparents.

Theaters

In addition to the Opera House, two historic theater buildings are unused in Albemarle. The first is the Alameda Theatre, built in 1916, while the second is the art deco Stanly Theatre, opened in 1930.

Churches

These photographs are from four of the largest church buildings in downtown: Central United Methodist, First Lutheran Church, First Baptist, and First Presbyterian.

Albemarle Hotel

The Albemarle Hotel was built in 1923, was derelict for many years, and was restored and reopened as apartments in 2022. It is one of the largest structures in the downtown area.

Advertising

Jack and Eli Williams, the sons of local realtor and historic preservationist John Williams, have repainted many historic advertising signs across downtown. In addition, they have painted several murals in the area. Below is just a small selection of their work.

Hollow Building

In 2020, this former bakery building turned law office was destroyed in a fire that started in a house across the street. Since then, the building has been left standing as an empty shell.

Interestingly, the wooden front door is still attached, and as we passed by was slowly moving and creaking in the wind.

Storefronts

While walking downtown, I tried to capture photos of the fronts of as many historic facades as possible. My best results are below.

Streetscapes

Along somewhat similar lines, I tried to capture streetscapes. Because I was taking photos early on a Sunday morning, there were almost no cars parked in front of the businesses downtown.

Architectural Details

Last but not least, I tried to capture any architectural details that caught my eye. These range from terracotta tiles to brickwork to cast iron facades to rusty fans.