101-103 E. FRANKLIN ST. / BROCKWELL BUILDING

Samuel Weldon Andrews was the first tenant and occupied both storefronts on the ground floor, where he sold groceries and dry goods; he closed his shops when elected sheriff in 1904. Brockwell then turned the first floor into a skating rink.

View northeast, circa 1904

1911 Sanborn map excerpt

Circa 1912, Brockwell moved his Pickwick Theatre into the right section of the downstairs of this structure. He moved the theater again in 1916, to a newer building across Franklin Street; the space was replaced with a store.

1915 Sanborn map excerpt

1925 Sanborn map excerpt

The structure started out as a two-story building but a third floor was added at some point (prior to 1911), to be later removed at some point (in the 1930s most likely) when the building was found to be unstable.

View northeast, circa 1932

Circa 1947 (photo by Bayard Wootten, via UNC)

Pender Groceries operated in this space until 1948.

From 1948 to 1977 the downstairs left side of the building was the home of the popular Sloan Drugs, owned and operated by William Sloan. It was replaced by Spanky's restaurant. Spanky's closed March 31, 2018.

It is currently (2020) Lula's Restaurant.

View northeast, 1963 (via Chapel Hill Historical Society)

From 1923 to 1959, Charles Shields operated his Home Owned Grocery Store in the downstairs right side of the building (#103). Afterwards it became The Hub, a clothing store operated by Robert Rosenbacher; it closed in 1996, to be replaced by a Starbucks coffee shop.

Circa 1958

Interior of The Hub, 1962

1972

Circa 1980 (via Chapel Hill Historical Society)

Circa 1978 (via Chapel Hill Historical Society)

Circa 1978 (via Chapel Hill Historical Society)

View Google streeview, August 2019