Brightleaf Square
Encyclopedia
Brightleaf Square is a mixed-use complex of retail, dining, art galleries, and office space in downtown Durham, North Carolina
, United States
. Located at the intersection of West Main and Gregson Streets, Brightleaf Square is the namesake of the Bright Leaf Historic District - a 340 acres (1.4 km²) campus comprising primarily historic tobacco
warehouses
.
Brightleaf Square occupies the former Watts and Yuille tobacco warehouses, which were built from 1900 to 1904 by the American Tobacco Company
. Designed in an Italianate style and constructed with ornate brick
exteriors, these buildings were originally used for storing, aging, and fermenting tobacco for cigarette
manufacture.
In 1911, following the antitrust suit against the American Tobacco Company, and eventual dissolution of the company, the tobacco warehouses were bought by the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company
and continued being used for their intended purpose until 1970.
In 1980, the SEHED Development Corporation bought the buildings and began renovating them in order to accommodate commercial use. The complex underwent further renovations in 2004.
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located at the intersection of West Main and Gregson Streets, Brightleaf Square is the namesake of the Bright Leaf Historic District - a 340 acres (1.4 km²) campus comprising primarily historic tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
warehouses
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
.
Brightleaf Square occupies the former Watts and Yuille tobacco warehouses, which were built from 1900 to 1904 by the American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
. Designed in an Italianate style and constructed with ornate brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
exteriors, these buildings were originally used for storing, aging, and fermenting tobacco for cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
manufacture.
In 1911, following the antitrust suit against the American Tobacco Company, and eventual dissolution of the company, the tobacco warehouses were bought by the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company
Liggett Group
Liggett Group , formerly known as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, is the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, though its manufacturing facility is 30 miles to the west in Mebane, North Carolina...
and continued being used for their intended purpose until 1970.
In 1980, the SEHED Development Corporation bought the buildings and began renovating them in order to accommodate commercial use. The complex underwent further renovations in 2004.