You’ll spot the Belk Hudson Lofts right on the corner, with its bold red brickwork and rows of big, black-trimmed windows rising up several stories-just look for a modern building with a historic twist at the intersection.
Let your imagination take you back to the 1930s: crowds of shoppers hurry along Washington Street, their footsteps echoing as they head toward Fowler’s Department Store. This corner was the place to be-bright window displays promised new fashions, and right next door, a farm supply shop kept local growers equipped with all the seeds and feed they could carry. Now, if these stores had store loyalty cards, they’d have been stamped through every era! When Fowler’s went bust, the building didn’t miss a beat. By the 1940s, Belk Hudson moved in, and pretty soon, the place buzzed with everything from hats and suits to bits and bobs each season. They eventually joined both buildings, creating a super-store of sorts. But the story doesn’t stop with shopping sprees: after Belk Hudson left, the vibe shifted to offices, and at one point, the scent of hops and barley wafted out when a brewery set up shop. Then came a fire that might have ended things, but the corner building was lovingly rebuilt. Today, the Belk Hudson Lofts offer modern living while letting those proud brick walls hold on to nearly a century of stories.
