Today’s view is of Summerfield Town Hall. It was built in the 1870s by Henry Clay Brittain and originally used as a dry goods store. The building was donated to the town in 1996 and opened as the Town Hall in 2000. This photo was taken from Martin’s Mercantile, a pre-Civil War, brick home across the street that opened as a store in 2023.

Martin’s Mercantile, and Town Hall are part of a trio of brick buildings at this corner. The third, 7722 Summerfield Road, is on the southeast corner of the Summerfield/Oak Ridge intersection. The historic Gordon Hardware store sold approximately two years ago and will possibly be an antique store with an apartment above. The building sat empty for years with septic/sewage permits being an issue. Now, there are signs of renovation.

This little chunk of Summerfield used to be a thriving community seemingly far, far north of Greensboro. Again, it is a thriving community, but today, as Greensboro has expanded its borders, a stone’s throw from Greensboro.

In an era where society tends to have an out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new mindset, it is nice to see these historic buildings not only remaining, but being revived, brought up to code, and put to good use, with their facades intact.

Such was our Sunday-drive musing. Happy Monday!