Since we were already downtown yesterday, let’s stay another day, at the railroad tracks just north on Barnhardt Street on Elm. Notice how the tracks flank the Christman building, which was known formerly as the Cascade Saloon. Christman has worked hard to maintain the integrity of the exterior of the building, while completely renovating the interior. There is a lot of history in the buildings south of the railroad tracks; none of them existed prior to the 1890s. The Christman building at 408 South Elm reflects the common look of the brick buildings built at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century.

This building, constructed in 1896, is a three-story Italianate building with granite lintels and and sills. It began life as a saloon and then became Clegg Grocery, and now has been completely structurally reinforced. Let’s hope it lasts well into the next century- and beyond.  If you want to read a very informative history and description of downtown Greensboro, this government document, a National Register of Historic Places Inventory- Nomination Form for the city of Greensboro is well worth bookmarking.