"Pictured is Community Grocery at 901 Oberlin Road, 10 August 1972.
This small store building is the longest running and sole remaining retail establishment in the community of Oberlin.

It was built sometime between 1901 and 1906, possibly for cobbler Lewis T. Smith. In 1912 the store was deeded to trustees of the Oberlin Baptist Church and later operated by Harry Ligon and Robert Grant as a soda shop.

In the early 1940s a confectionery operated by Herman Starling occupied the building until James T. Goodson opened it as a community grocery store in 1945. It held this role until 1973 when it became more of a small deli known for its BLTs and chicken salad sandwiches.

At the time of this photo, the Oberlin community was under great threat from a proposed project to widen Oberlin Road to five lanes.

A vehement outcry from residents and environmentalists ultimately quashed the plan. Had the project come to be, this store and many of the other residences along the street would have been demolished.

In 2010, longtime owner Dan McGee sold the store to Robbie Troxler who is committed to preserving its legacy as a local restaurant and meeting place—which is still known for its BLTs."

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Narrative credit: Olde Raleigh - N.C. fb page

Photograph credit: NO.8-10-1972.
From the N&O Negative Collection, State Archives of North Carolina. Photo copyrighted by the News and Observer. Illegal to use without express permission from the N&O.