I was a transplanted southerner. The US Army dropped me off here in 1983. I loved the warmth and openly polite nature of the southern folks and being in the heart of such an historic part of the country, I knew I had found my new home. I been proud to call myself a southerner ever since. I found my way into construction during my new life as a southern boy. Directly in the heart of the city was the old confederate printing plant and it looked much like the photo below when I arrived here. Being an important historic building this was the state of the building since the close of the war between the states. Needless to say it was quite the eyesore and was shelter to many of the seedier sides of downtown life. Then the city decided to do a major downtown overhaul... By the luck of the draw, I became intimately involved in the renovation of this old building into a Publix grocery store in the early 2000's. I had hoped that during the demolition phase of the project that maybe some historic relics would turn up... Alas, that was not to be. Now the confederate printing building looks like this post renovation Since that time, I have had a fascination with confederate notes that came from this building. And thanks to @Evan Saltis I have added one of the finer specimens to my humble confederate note collection. Thanks, Evan. And an enlargement showing this bill was printed in this building.
Nice write up, Randy, and excellent history local to you! Nice bill that you snagged with @Evan Saltis 's help, too!
Thanks for sharing this, Randy. The Confederate Government insisted upon having their money printing operations moved from Richmond because of the danger that their capital would be captured during the war.
Keatinge & Ball made their first Confederate notes in August 1861. According to Pierre Fricke, this was their first note, from when they were in Richmond, the T-16. The records show that 425,944 of these notes were issued. According to Fricke, the company had moved to Columbia, South Carolina when it made the T-21 note. The records show that 164,248 of these notes were issued.
I love, love, love that they found a commercial tenant willing to move into an historic structure. Around here, everybody wants to knock down a bunch of trees and/or houses and build an all-new structure (with acres of parking, can't forget the acres of parking), and leave the previous building (and parking) across the street or up the road to rot. From my house, I drive about a quarter-mile to get to a state highway. If I turn left onto that highway, Harris-Teeter is on the left after about half a mile. If I turn right, another H-T is on the left about three-quarters of a mile away. The first one's across the street from Sprouts, the second is across the street from Food Lion. (There are plenty of food deserts in our region; I'm in the center of the Food Swamp.) And don't even get me started on the car dealerships. (They're the main reason I can't see stars at night any more.)
I have seen the sort of thing you are talking about.... When I got here in the early 1980's you didn't want to go downtown. The entire city center was run down. I was proud when the city took on an entire renovation of the city center. Now it is the "in" place. All the historic structures still stand, but are all mostly eateries and watering holes. Now I don't avoid downtown because it is scary... I avoid it because it makes me feel old!
Very nice write up @Randy Abercrombie. I love collecting the CSA Notes and I have several that were printed in that building. This is one of the later printings from Columbia SC by Keatinge and Ball. I bought this note because of the serial number, which is stamped in black ink rather than hand written in red ink. The number is also unique as its 55555. Only 72 notes were printed by the Confederate States. I have just over a third of them. I find them rich in history but they are a very difficult set to assemble. I have some with radar numbers and others with writing on the back side. Tracing the writing and/or signatures is amazing. You have a very nice note that’s graded. Almost 10 million were printed so it’s common but better condition notes are harder to find. Many thanks to @Evan Saltis for getting this note to you.
Same here (Durham, NC) -- I passed through with my parents in the late 1970s when it was still a tobacco hub, and we toured a cigarette factory. In the 1980s, all the factories closed, and downtown was badly blighted. They started renovating the factories into office and living space in the 1990s, built a MLB stadium, and now it's a thriving hub. (Where, of course, the former residents can't afford to live... )
Cool note. I hadn't realized the building was so close to you. That is extra special!! Very cool that Publix was willing to convert the building instead of demolishing and building anew. I am glad you like it
After a bit of Googling, I figured out this is the Publix at Gervais Place in Columbia, SC. And it looks like Publix did an extensive build-out from the original building. Still, it's fascinating to learn more about Keatinge & Ball, which I believe was one of only two companies in the South capable of intaglio security printing during the Civil War. Here's the 1864 $500.
