Hot Listings

At least nine Quonsets, like this triple, still line the Atando corridor.

Among the lot buyers were two energetic, young WWII veterans. I found a bit of their story in a 1947 newspaper article headlined, “New Quonset Hog House Announced.” (That must have been a slow news day.) “When E.H. Newcombe and (K.R.) Shupp got out of the Navy, they decided to go into business together. … In February of this year, they organized Piedmont Steel Buildings Corporation, having secured the Quonset franchise from the Great Lakes Steel Corporation.” Aha! There’s the Navy connection. And these weren’t warsurplus structures, as I’d imagined, but newly manufactured at the Michigan plant that had won the Navy’s wartime contract.

Piedmont Steel Buildings indeed would sell Quonset hog pens to farmers, but their client list ranged far and wide. World War II and the Korean War caused a shortage of building materials during the late ’40s and early ’50s, so lots of local companies bought the pre-fab Quonsets, including Johnson Motor Lines and Interstate Milling. In posh Myers Park, Christ Episcopal Church put up a Quonset for its initial worship services in 1946 (though I’m not sure Newcombe and Shupp sold it to them).

Along Atando, the partners’ workers erected a whiskey warehouse for the ABC board, a so drink bottling works for Nesbitt’s Orange, and another for Nesbitt’s competitor Orange Crush. By 1948, “twelve di erent types” of Quonsets faced Atando, reported The Charlotte News. Great Lakes Steel sent all its regional sales sta to visit, declaring Atando “the most compact and diversi ed” cluster of its kind “along the Eastern seaboard.”

Today, at least nine Quonsets still line the Atando corridor. At Trailer Specialists Inc., which has repaired truck trailers since 1979, owner Rick Gibson says the open-span design allows him to e ciently maneuver vehicles in and out. And it’s sturdy. “When Hurricane Hugo came through, no problem,” he recalls. The 1989 hurricane upended trailers and blew out doors, but, as in the South Paci c, the Quonset hut stayed solid: “Hugo passed right on by.”

BUILDING HISTORY is a monthly series that highlights Charlotte’s historic buildings. Tom Hanchett, a local historian since 1981, is the author of Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte and former sta historian at the Levine Museum of the New South. Follow him on Twitter at @historysouth.

REAL ESTATE Hot Listings

Picturesque properties in Plaza Midwood. —Taylor Bowler

1901 TRUMAN ROAD $970,000 PLAZA MIDWOOD This fully renovated property has the integrity of a 1950s home with the updates of a modern cra sman. The rst oor primary suite has a spa-like bathroom and spacious walk-in closet, and the sleek kitchen overlooks a turf yard with a built-in grill and covered seating area. 4 BD, 4 BA, 3,160 sq. ., Allen Tate, allentate.com

1607 MIMOSA AVE. $849,900 PLAZA MIDWOOD Gorgeous pine hardwoods run throughout the main oor of this two-story bungalow. The kitchen has a massive center island, stainless steel appliances, double wall ovens, and French doors that open to a covered screened porch. 3 BD, 2.5 BA, 2,810 sq. ., Nestlewood Realty, nestlewoodrealty.com

2805 SHAMROCK DRIVE $599,990 PLAZA MIDWOOD This custom-built modern farmhouse has an attached two-car garage and fenced backyard. The chef’s kitchen has an eat-in breakfast area, expansive island, and custom cabinetry. 4 BD, 2.5 BA, 2,830 sq. ., 5 Points Realty, 5pointsrealty.com

2019 CHATHAM AVE. $725,000 PLAZA MIDWOOD Relax on the screenedin porch of this Midwood cottage nestled on a charming tree-lined street. Natural light oods the main living and dining areas, and the owner’s suite has an updated bath with dual vanities, a built-in tub, and spacious walk-in shower. 3 BD, 2 BA, 1,786 sq. ., Helen Adams Realty, helenadamsrealty.com