I visited the State Archives in Raleigh for the first time in a couple of years yesterday. The front desk person asked if I’d been before, and I thought back over the past 41 years and smiled — “yeah, about a million times.” 

I’ve been wanting to examine the photographs taken for the Historic Register nomination report for East Wilson, so I headed over to the State Historic Preservation Office while Archives staff pulled my records requests. A handful of photos were appended to the nomination document, and I knew there were more images available, but not hundreds more! A big shout-out to Renee Gledkill-Earley and Chandrea Burch for going out of their way to accommodate my drop-in visit. Next time, I’ll know to request files in advance. 

Most of the copies I made yesterday will be posted as follow-up to the house or business histories I’ve featured since the blog began, but some will warrant brand-new entries. I grew up seeing these buildings, but not paying any particular attention to them, and so many disappeared in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

——

I’ve posted about Cockrell’s Grocery at the corner of East Green and Pettigrew several times. The building has housed churches for the past 40+ years, and its exterior is now heavily modified. These photos, however, show it when its original windows and recessed double doors were still exposed.

402 East Green Street.

N.87-12-250-252, 402 E. Green Street, East Wilson Historic District, Wilson, Wilson County, Survey and National Register Branch, State Historic Preservation Office.