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19th Century Davidson Buildings

This guide provides an introduction to 19th century Davidson buildings. In addition to a general overview of campus construction, it lists extant and demolished buildings both on the campus and in the town.

Black and white photo of the exterior of the Helper Hotel (right three-quarters view)    Black and white photo of the exterior of the Helper Hotel (front view)   Black and white photo of the interior of the Helper Hotel during a renovation.     

Dates: First constructed as a store in 1848. Purchased in 1855 by Hanson Pinkney Helper and remodeled into a thirteen room hotel. Purchased around 1901 by the Sloan family and operated as a boarding house and weekend rooming house for visiting college girls. Purchased by the college in 1946. Used in the 1950s and 1960s as a Teen Canteen. Renovated in 1971. Designated as a Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Site in 1977.

Quote: In reference to the addition of a widow’s walk on the roof ofthe inn: “We give you a Fresh’s description of what a ‘what-you-may call-em’ lately built by one of our citizens. His philosophy was that ‘Mr. H. had no place for a flower garden in front of his residence, so he put it on top of the dwelling.’ Another Fresh corrected this statement by the assertion that it
was either a ‘cupillary’ or an ‘observery’ he didn’t know which.” 
- Davidson College Monthly, March 1872:40.

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Mailing Address: Davidson College - E.H. Little Library, 209 Ridge Road, Box 5000, Davidson, NC 28035