Black Bottom District Walking Tour

Please enjoy this walking tour celebrating Black History in downtown Burlington. This walking tour uses information from the African American Cultural Arts & History Center in collaboration with the Elon University Department of History & Geography. Please check out these organizations below to support their research endeavors!  

African American Cultural Arts & History Center: https://www.aacahcenter.org/ 

Elon University Department of History & Geography: https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/arts-and-sciences/history-geography/  

There is also a more thorough online exhibit of this information created by these organizations which can be found here: https://arcg.is/1Lee1u2

1) Downtown Depot / Company Shops

This walking tour celebrates the black history in downtown Burlington and begins at the Downtown Depot, an important historical site for the city. Burlington was originally known as Company Shops until 1886. Born out of the railroad, a community formed around the railroad repair shops in the area.  

The Black history of Burlington begins here. Twelve enslaved African Americans and one Black freedman worked at the shops. Following emancipation, all non-white worked at the shops were fired by 1867.  

The first known Black-owned business was opened around this time in the company shops. Thomas Duck (or possibly John Duck) opened a grocery store in downtown selling “cornmeal, fat-back meat, and molasses.” The store operated out of Front Street until this burned in 1884. The exact location of the grocery store is unknown. 

Here at the Downtown Depot, take in the atmosphere of the nearby railroad and consider the history of Company Shops. Read some of the signs and plaques commemorating the city’s railroad history. Black history and entrepreneurship are deeply entwined with the beginnings of Downtown Burlington. 

The next stop on the tour is the parking lot right behind Zack’s hot dogs, the first known location of a Black-owned business after 1886. To get there, follow Front street towards S Worth street, then take a left. Walk down the street half a block until you see a parking lot on your right.  

2) Thomas & Sons: the first known site of a Black-owned Business  

To your right, in what is today a just parking lot, rests the site of the first known Black-owned business. In 1888, just a few years after Burlington was incorporated, freed former slave Spencer Thomas, who had previously worked at the Company Shops, opened a tinsmith shop in this location. Spencer Thomas was also a Reverend, cofounding the Company Shops Baptist Church. This location is significant, as it is the first known location of a Black-owned business in Burlington. S Worth Street would soon become the site of the Black Bottom district, a Black business district in downtown Burlington.  

In this site, reflect on this unique history, imagining how different this site would have looked like back then. A photo of this tinsmith shop is shown below. Compare this to how the town looks today. 

The next site on the tour is just down the street. Follow S Worth Street until it intersects with Maple Avenue. This area was the core of the Black Bottom district in downtown Burlington. 

3) Black Bottom District: Intersection of Maple Ave and S Worth Street 

By the 1930s, Black-owned businesses were concentrated in the 500 block area of S Worth Street between Maple Avenue and W Morehead Street. Historical records suggest that this business district was most active between the 1930s and 1960s. In the 1940s, 13 separate Black-owned businesses operated simultaneously. 

Below, an image is attached of some of the businesses active during this period. Today, observe the area and reflect on the vibrant collection of Black businesses that once stood in this site.  

The next site on the tour is just half a block down S Worth Street, on your right. It is across from the Wells Fargo bank building. 

4) Final Black-Owned Business of Black Bottom District 

In the 1960s, the municipal government formed an “Urban Renewal Committee" that completed several projects meant to improve downtown. Several buildings were torn down, and Morehead Street was extended, cutting through the Black Bottom business District. In the 70s, further federal funding was used to “modernize” the downtown, tearing down multiple buildings, adding parking, and rerouting roads. One consequence of these updates was the displacement of the remaining businesses of the Black Bottom District. 

In this site, just across S Worth Street from the Wells Fargo building, rests the location of the final Black Bottom business, which closed in 1979. In this location, the Rex Billiard Parlor operated on S Worth Street for over 30 years, managed by several different Black owners. After closing in 1979, the building was torn down in 1980 and replaced with the building and parking lot present today. 

When visiting this site, reflect on the difficult history of Black-owned businesses in downtown Burlington. In the past, efforts to improve downtowns have not always been as beneficial for Black communities. Keep this in mind while visiting the final site of this tour. 

5) Current and Future Black-Owned Businesses 

Today, Burlington is in the midst of revitalizing its downtown. We have a handful of Black-owned businesses present in our Municipal Service District today! We would love to keep growing this presence in our downtown, as Black individuals continue to be an important part of our community. 

Thank you very much for participating in this walking tour. Many thanks to the African American Cultural Arts & History Center and the Elon University Department of History & Geography for their research on our downtown area.  

Here is the online exhibit created from their research: https://arcg.is/1Lee1u2