1890s JOHN & NANNIE KILBY -  High Point, North Carolina

From: The National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form 1979-1984.

 The couple was very careful with their money, which led them to invest in real estate. In 1913, the Kilbys purchased land on the corner of Hobson Street and East Washington Street, and on this site, they built the Kilby Arcade and Kilby Hotel and Amusement Center.The hotel was built by the extended family, with no outside help. In addition to the hotel, the Kilbys also owned about 30 houses in nearby East Washington Street and Leonard Street area. 

The Kilby Hotel was built in downtown High Point around 1913 by John and Nannie Kilby, two of the leaders of that city's black community. For well over half a century the Kilby Hotel has been run by descendants of its builders, and it remains an economic cornerstone of High Point's Washington Street area.

John Kilby was born in Alamance County in 1873. In 1890 he married Nannie Pennix, who was born in 1877.1  Sometime in the middle 1890s the Kilby's moved to High Point, a city which proved attractive to area blacks in the latter part of the nineteenth century.2  John Kilby worked for Southern Railroad for twentyfive years. His wife was a nurse, a hairdresser, and even sold fish from a horse drawn wagon. From these modest beginnings the Kilby's became business leaders in the community.

"By strict economy, he, John Kilby.7 saved his earnings and with his wife invested it in real estate. 3  In 1913 they purchased a 9,690 square foot lot from Lone and Rosa Seachrest for $1,100. 4 

Nannie Kilby made numerous other purchases in the area. She acquired approximately thirty dwelling houses in the Washington and Leonard Street areas.

Part of the Kilby Hotel was used during its early period as an Amusement Center, serving as the neighborhood's social center.  It has been said that "Mrs. Kilby bore the name of being the hardest working woman in the city during this period. Figuratively speaking, everything she touched turned to money."6

Nannie Kilby died April 24,1921. The High Point Review described her as "well-todo" and "one of the city's best known Negroes."1  She and her husband had only one child, a daughter, Ora, who married an influential physician Joseph Alfred Martin. 8 

Although John Kilby lived until 1940, Mrs. Martin took over the operation of the hotel shortly after her mother's death. She maintained the Kilby Hotel's status as one of the social and economic centers of the black community.

Mrs. Martin was a civic leader of note. "She received notable awards, pins, and letters of appreciation for activities in groups and organizations from the City of High Point and surrounding cities. "9 

 Ora Martin died in 1972. She and Dr. Martin had two children, Mrs. Josephine Ingrmn Harris Smith and Mrs. Marion McElrath.  Mrs. McElrath inherited the hotel from her mother. She is the present owner and operates the hotel along with her children. Mrs. McElrath has remodeled the hotel in recent years, adding new wiring; electrical heating, and new tile. 10

With the McElrath children assisting in the running of the hotel, it is now in its fourth generation of family operation. Throughout its history it has served a number of functions. The hotel's guests have been both permanent residents and also guests serving High Point's black business community. 

The hotel has also served as a social center for the Washington Street area. It is the cornerstone for the proposed Washington Street renovation project and is one of High Point's most important black owned businesses.11

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From The NC African American Heritage Commision - NC Green Book Entries

Kilby Hotel

Green Book Entry/Entries

Kilby’s---627 ½ E. Washington St.

Kilby Hotel---627 E. Washington Street

Green Book Category

Hotel

Years Listed

1947-1955, 1961-1967

Region

Piedmont North

County

Guilford

Kilby Hotel was listed in the Green Book as “Kilby’s—627 ½  E. Washington St.” under “Hotels” in High Point from 1947-1954 and as “Kilby Hotel—627 E. Washington Street, Comfort, Convenience and Cleanliness” from 1961-1967.1

The Hotel

The Kilby Hotel was built on East Washington, High Point’s newly developed Black business district, between 1910 and 1913. The three-story brick building had 21 rooms with shared bathrooms. The hotel was heated by coal and wood in its early years and was switched to electric heat in the 1970s. The hotel offered rooms to travelers as well as boarding house-style lodging. In later years, the hotel became a residential hotel. The hotel building included space for retail businesses on the first floor, which were rented out to other African American businesses.2

In 1927, two members of the Kilby family - Marion Burnie Martin McElrath and Walter McElrath) opened “Club Kilby” next to the hotel. The entertainment center held concerts and shows and served drinks. As part of the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” Club Kilby hosted regional and national touring acts. The club also hosted parties, events, and fundraisers for African American clubs and organizations.3

Founders
John and Nannie Kilby purchased and constructed the Kilby Hotel with the help of Nannie’s extended family. Nannie took out several building permits in the 1910s and early 1920s to expand the hotel.4

Nannie Pennix, born in Alamance County in 1877, married John Kilby around 1893. The couple moved to High Point in the mid-1890s. 

A brilliant businesswoman, High Point locals described her as someone who could turn anything she touched into something valuable. In addition to establishing the hotel she was a practical nurse, hairdress, fish vendor, and firewood seller. She owned more than 30 local properties in the area of East Washington and Leonard Streets, including the hotel. She and her husband, John, were founding members of the American Methodist Episcopal Church on Leonard Street. They were also active in many civic and philanthropic organizations. Nannie Kilby died of cancer in 1921. John Kilby died in 1940.5

Second Generation
Ora Kilby Martin became the second generation to run the hotel. She came on as a co-owner, alongside her father, in the 1920s and took over ownership after her mother’s death. Ora married  Dr. Joseph Alfred Martin, Jr., a physician, in 1914. In addition to owning the hotel, Ora was an active club woman. She was a member of numerous organizations, including the Women’s Society of Christian Service, the Pinochle Social Club, the YWCA, the NC Federation of Negro Women’s Clubs, the Shaw University Alumni Association, and the Old North State Medical Society women’s auxiliary. She also served on the board of St. Mark Methodist Episcopal Church, a position not typically held by women in the 1940s. Ora owned a significant amount of property and was a leader in  the community.6

The Martins were both supportive of the civil rights movement. Ora leveraged her wealth to bail people out of the High Point jail after civil rights protests.7

Third Generation

The third member of the family to own the hotel was Marion Burnie Martin. A graduate of Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, she operated the hotel until the mid-1980s. Marion and her husband, Walter McElrath, also opened “Club Kilby.” During this era, Marion rented rooms to individuals who needed a place to stay but had difficulty affording housing. The second floor was housing for families and the third floor served as housing for individual tenants. The hotel rarely hosted travelers during this era. Marion Martin passed away in 1991.8

Fourth Generation

Marion McElrath’s children, William Joseph, Walter Alfred, and Burnie Marzella, took ownership of the hotel in 1985. The building became destabilized due to age at the end of the last century. Efforts were made to raise funds to stabilize and restore the building and it continued to be used for residential apartments and rental space for business. The building was torn down in 2014.9

The Kilby Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.10

Essay by Brandie K. Ragghianti, 2024