Historic house and former grocery store in Washington Heights asks $143K

Now it and an attached house are up for sale for $142,900.

The 1,016-square-foot property, located at 2515 Booker Avenue, was built around 1920. It sits on .2 acres.

The house and store were bought by Preserve Mecklenburg, Inc., a local real estate preservation group, in June 2020. Whoever buys the Logan-Patterson house now can repair or tear down the house; however, the grocery store is protected by PMI and can’t be torn down.

The idea, listing agent Edwin Wilson said, is for the grocery store to be preserved and restored with a new purpose. It’ll be up to the buyer, but some potential uses of the former grocery store could be an Airbnb, artist’s studio, home office, etc.

History: PMI board member and history professor Dan Morrill says the group bought the property to prevent it from being torn down.

“This building is an artifact,” he said. “It can be used to tell all kinds of stories of what the world was like to live in.”

At the time, Charlotte was still segregated and operating a grocery was one of the few ways Black men could own a business. Neighborhood stores like these were common in streetcar suburbs, like Washington Heights, Morrill says. They were convenient options, and the Logan-Patterson Grocery Store even delivered by bike to those nearby.

“They’re not just cute little places. They were fundamental businesses.”

What’s next: Wilson explained that while the grocery store can’t be torn down, PMI has an architect who will work with the buyer to come up with a design plan. (That cost is covered by PMI.) Any work done to the back house, including demolition, is up to the new owners.

Here’s a look around the property.