Is this where E. L. Moore's S. Tryon photography studio was located?

Image sourced from The Vault at The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

A few weeks ago when I was trying to figure out what Gemini knew about E. L. Moore at one point I asked it for suggestions for 'new' E. L. Moore model buildings. All were variations on previous projects except for one: a model of his photography studio on S. Tryon in Charlotte, North Carolina. I liked that suggestion.

You may recall that a few years back I tried to find all the locations of his photography studios in Charlotte from 1933 to 1963. This was a detailed follow-on to some half-hearted investigations I started in 2017 and 2020. From 1937 to 1946 (or 1947, the historical record isn't clear on the exact date) his studio was located at 114 1/2 S. Tryon, Charlotte, North Carolina. 

I knew of that location in 2017, but didn't know how long Mr. Moore was located there. I even found a building at 114 S. Tryon with Google Street Views that looked promising as it had an old look to it. I could have stopped there and simply went with the idea that his studio was a unit in that building; however, Gemini gave me some suggestions of where to look for historical photographs so I could dig further. I looked through those suggestions, and although I couldn't find a specific photo for 114 1/2 S. Tryon, I did find what seemed like an older version of the building that was standing at 114 where today's incarnation is located.

Let me back up a bit.

Ok, according to Google Street Views, here's what's at 114 S. Tryon today:

114 S. Tryon from Google Street Views

Here's the building to the right of 114, 112:

112 S. Tryon (First National Bank Building) from Google Street Views

Apparently the building is rather famous in Charlotte. This is the First National Bank Building that opened in 1927 (two years before the beginning of The Great Depression). For many years it was the tallest building in Charlotte at 22 storeys. Over the years it has had several names and owners: First National Bank Building, Liberty Life Building, The Baugh Buildings, and Tryon Plaza. It has a fantastic and unmistakeable facade. So, if you take another look at the image that began this post you can see that tall building is the First National Bank Building. I don't know when that photo was taken, but from the look of the automobiles I'd guess the late 1920s or early 1930s.

Ok, so it seems E. L. Moore's studio was more-or-less right beside this Charlotte landmark. I went looking for historic photos of that bank building hoping I'd catch a glimpse of 114 or 114 1/2 S. Tryon. Findings so far have been sparse. Other than this post's lead photo I found this tinted postcard image:

A postcard of the First National Bank Building sourced from Hip Postcard

I'll assume the image is an accurate representation of nearby buildings, but keep in mind that maybe artistic license has been generously applied. The website from which this image was sourced states the date on the postcard is 1936. Whether or not the image was created then is unclear, but let's say it represents the building from the late 1920s to the early to mid 1930s, just before E. L. Moore's studio opened on S. Tryon.

Although we only see a sliver of 114 in the opening photo, what we can make out does generally correspond to the postcard representation: there are 3 columns of windows, a lone centre window at the top (maybe flanked by two thinner ones, it's not quite clear), and an awning over the street.

Was 114 1/2 a unit in that building? Or maybe 114 1/2 was a separate building squeezed between 114 and a neighbouring building? Of maybe 114 1/2 was a building behind 114? Or maybe something else? I can't say which is correct. My money is on it being rentable space in 114, although I have no supporting evidence.

Also, I think the current version we see on Google Street Views is a renovation of the original 3 columns of windows structure. Instead of those columns of discrete windows, the building has been modified so that the far left and right window columns are each just very tall, undivided windows. The middle column has been replaced by a grand entrance with a small top window to cap it. So, the three window columns built into the original structure are still there, but have been stylistically modified. There's another difference: the new building is shorter than the one in the historical images. The old building appears to rise to the top of the bank building's facade, but the new one is a bit shorter. Maybe the upper floor was lopped off during a renovation? I'd have to dig into the architectural history of the street to know for sure.

What about to the left of 114?

Google Street View image of 128 S. Tryon on left and 114 S. Tryon on right.

That restaurant named MOA is at 128 S. Tryon in the First Citizens Plaza Complex. So, if there was a separate building at 114 1/2, it's long gone.

After this extended journey I still don't have an answer to what 114 1/2 S. Tryon looked like, or where exactly it was located, but I think I'm closer, and I think I have a little bit more information about the scene at the time E. L. Moore was there. 

I'm wondering if Mr. Moore ever built a model based on the building he worked in on Tryon much like he did with the Clarabel Hotel. I don't see any similarities in his known models. 

To close, I asked Gemini to make as realistic an image as it could of the glimpse of 114 S. Tyron shown in the postcard. This is what it produced:

It's a bit underwhelming, and needs considerable work, but maybe after some Moorian refinement it could be that 'new' E. L. Moore model I asked Gemini about earlier in the month.

Two churches

The E. L. Moore schoolhouse build reminded me of this church I photographed in the late 1990's. It's a Free Methodist church that, according to the sign, was founded in 1895. I can't recall exactly where it's located other than I think it was in the township of Marmora and Lake in Hastings County, Ontario. In the same bundle of photos was the one shown below of the Eldorado Church of the Nazarene in Eldorado, Oklahoma. Debra shot the picture sometime in the late 1990's. It has a distinctiveness that might make for a good model.

Relentless change

{The Hotel Kaladar two years ago}

We were away this weekend and I didn't get any work done on the new layout. But, we did drive by the closed down Hotel Kaladar that I mentioned awhile ago as being a candidate for an E. L. Moore-esque building project. Much to my surprise the old hotel had been converted to a 'chip truck'. All the windows had been boarded over. The siding was repainted in Harley-Davidson logo style colours and a chip stand had been set-up out front.

{The Hotel Kaladar today}

Hastings’ “Feed & Seed” circa the 1970’s

I’ve got a thing for feed and seed type buildings. Don’t know why. I just like the way these buildings look. While working on the Barrel & Marble Works I thought I’d look up some photos I took of a feed and seed building back in the 70’s. It was located in Hastings, Ontario, nearby the Trent river, just off of highway 45. I had the photos in one of those old ‘magnetic’ photo albums that seals the pictures between a sticky cardboard sheet and a piece of thin, clear plastic. Unfortunately the photos can’t be removed from their flat tombs without damaging them, so they were scanned as is.

I’ve visited Hastings a few times every summer for the last few years, but there was a long period between taking these photos and my first return visit. By then this building was long gone and a new tourist oriented building was there. I don’t lament the loss because the new building has helped revitalize the area. Hastings is a nice town and I’d recommend dropping by.

Barrel & Marble Works: An E.L. Moore style building in HO

When Debra and I were traveling through Prince Edward County in the summer we made a stop at the Armstrong Glassworks in Wellington. We’d never been there before, and I was surprised to see a relatively large old mill complex standing directly behind the shop. While Debra did some browsing, I did some photographing.

It’s visually quite an interesting complex, and it immediately struck me as something that might have sprung from the pages of an old E.L. Moore building article. It looks like it was originally some sort of mill – we were making a quick stop and I didn’t have time to hunt someone down to ask questions and take photos at the same time – that now houses businesses for making new household objects, like chairs, from barrels, a marble works and a recycling facility.

I’ve always wanted to do an original building in an E.L. Moore style, and this one struck me as the perfect candidate.

For purposes of getting started, you can think of this complex as having two major parts: the barrel and marble works on the right, and the recyclery on the left. The barrel works is that 2 or 3 storey tall structure in the centre, and the marble works is to the right of it in the smaller, appended annex.

So, here is a photo walk-around of the first part.

And here is a photo walk-around of the recyclery on the left.

One could take a variety of approaches when turning this into an HO-scale building for a model railroad. It could be ‘restored’ to its original use for railroads set in an earlier time-period. Or, one could just chose to model the centre section since it’s very distinctive on its own. I chose to model it in its present-day, 2010 form, but selectively shrunk it to fit on a smallish model railroad, and with the back wall remodeled a little to accommodate a simple rail siding. I’ll probably make other changes as I proceed, but those seem like a good starting place.

I started by making a rough sketch of what I thought the building looked like from the photos, with various dimensions downsized. You could use a drawing tool like Sketch-Up, but I’m happy with pencil-and-paper. At this stage, I’m just trying to understand how all the major parts will fit together, and the tactile immediacy of a pencil seems to help me.

Next, I decided to draw a little more accurately the outlines of the walls for the first part of the structure. I just used an HO-scale rule, a square and a pencil for this task. In sizing the complex, I have assumed that the plans must fit on 2 or 3, 8 ½ x 11 pages, in HO-scale, as if it were an old-school E.L. Moore article. At this stage I’m not concerned about all the details you’d find on finished plans, I’m just trying to work out the major dimensions and get it to look pleasing.

For windows and doors, I’m again going to forego using the classic techniques that Mr. Moore applied and use plastic moldings. I bought a window and door selection from Tichy Train Group last year, and I laid out some on the plans to see what might fit. Once I’ve cut out the walls, I’ll draw in and cut out the window and door openings directly in the wall material. At present I’m just checking rough fit, and to see if I’ve got suitable parts for this project.

I set the scaled drawing aside for awhile. Something wasn’t quite right. I think I drew the front and back walls of the marble works a little too short. I think it should be about the same length as the barrel works: 24 feet, instead of the 20 on the drawing. I’ll also make the recyclery 24 feet long so that everything looks balanced. Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see what it looks like in plastic.

Ideas for a 'New' E.L.Moore style building

As I mentioned in the Bunn’s Feed & Seed Plant posts, I was an avid reader of just about all the E.L. Moore building construction articles that were published by Model Railroader magazine throughout the ‘70s. My education started with Bunn’s and ended with The Button Works, which was probably his last MR article before his passing in 1979. I must admit that I was more interested in the early ones; my interest was waning near the end of ‘70s: many of the earlier ones I tried to build one way or another, and the later ones I was happy just to read about.

I love lists, so this wouldn’t be complete without a list of all of Mr. Moore’s MR building construction articles beginning with Bunn’s.

Bunn’s Feed & Seed Plant, Aug ‘73
Jones’ Chemical Company, Mar ‘74
A Three-Tower Station, Nov ‘74
Mr. Pottle’s Pot Works, Sept ‘75
Ceresota Flour Mill, Nov ‘76
Cannonball & Safety Powder Works, Apr ‘77
Stuckum Glue Works, Oct ‘77
Village Store, Jan ‘78
Butz Milling & Feed Company, Mar ‘78
Bott’s Cotton Gin, Sept ‘78
The Button Works, Sept ’79.

Mr. Moore was very prolific and published building construction articles in other model railroad journals. As best as I can tell, these are the ‘other’ articles he published during that same time period.

Clarabel Hotel, Railroad Modeler (RM), Feb ‘74
RMC Paper Company, Railroad Model Craftsman (RMC), Apr ‘74
Rhube’s Rhubarb Plant, RMC, July ‘74
Uncle Sim’s Snuffery, RM, Dec ‘75
Figet’s Cheese Factory, RMC, Aug ‘76
Kelley’s Folly, RMC, Jan ‘79
A Firecracker Factory, RMC, July ‘80

I plan on constructing a ‘new’ E.L. Moore style building, and I’ve given some thought to what makes a Moore a Moore. So, here’s another list. This one is of what I think are the characteristics of an E. L. Moore building from the ‘70s (in no particular order and based on my biased and admittedly limited reading):

1. HO scale
2. More-or-less completely scratchbuilt. Some commercial detail parts can be used – windows and doors come to mind – if they are handy, might speed up construction, are relatively cheap, or the builder is in particularly lazy mood.
3. Simple construction materials for the main forms and structures. Balsa gets used a lot.
4. Full-size HO scale plans that will fit within the 8 ½ x 11 confines of 2 or 3 pages of a magazine.
5. Oriented to beginners, not craftsmen.
6. Allegedly buildable in 2 weeks – beware, the 2 week Bunn’s project took me 6!
7. Low cost, $2US is frequently quoted as the total cost of a project. These days, that’s roughly equivalent to about $12CDN.
8. Small-scale industries, more biased to ‘mom-and-pop’ than corporate or franchise operations.
9. Most harken back to a ‘simpler’ time.
10. Different sized, interlocking forms are common and give the projects visual interest.
11. Outrageous back stories and funny company names are the norm – the Cannonball & Safety Powder Company takes the cake.
12. Frequently have interesting roof detail – makes sense, most model railroads are observed from above, so might as well make the roof interesting.
13. Many have windows that are open.
14. Most take up on the order of no more that 1 square foot of layout space

So, here are a couple of candidates that might lend themselves to be built in a Moore-esque fashion.

When I saw this one while speeding down Highway 7 I was immediately reminded of Bunn’s Feed & Seed, Jones’ Chemical Company, and the Butz Milling & Feed Company.

Shortening the long warehouse portion and tower might produce something interesting. Also, although it has green metal siding on its end-walls, nearby buildings have red siding and that seems to make for something with more visual impact.

And then there is the closed-down Kaladar Hotel located, naturally enough, right in Kaladar, on Highway 7. I’ve never stayed there, but Debra and I have eaten in the restaurant when it was still open. It reminds me of Mr. Moore’s Clarabel Hotel project. Restored to its former glory and supplemented with interesting figures, it could be a centrepiece item.

Maybe this metal garage could also qualify.

It doesn’t match any of the significant Moore criteria discussed above, but it would make use of a lot of the Moore style of metal siding, and maybe more importantly, I could see adding a gapping, ragged hole in the roof where a backyard rocketeer had something get away from him one night ala the Cannonball & Safety Powder Company. There’s certainly an outrageous back story in there somewhere in the finest Moore tradition.