George C. Davis Photograph Collection of Frank Ewald
Dublin Core
Title
George C. Davis Photograph Collection of Frank Ewald
Description
George C. Davis Photographs in this collection are digital copies of owned and acquired by Frank Ewald. All Davis images can be dated circa 1904-1968. There are images with Davis' signature that predate 1904, but they are believed to have been taken by Chandler Studio, the photography firm bought out by Davis in 1904. Although the majority of Davis' images are marked with his signature in the lower right corner, it is important to note that not all of the images are marked. Davis rarely recorded identifying information on the images. For this reason, many of his images are unidentifiable. The majority of images from the Davis Collection seen on this database are street scenes, businesses and points of interest in Roanoke and its vicinity where it was possible to at least minimally identify them.
Creator
George C. Davis Photography
Source
Frank Ewald
Publisher
Roanoke Public Libraries
Contributor
Frank Ewald
Rights
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073 for permission to use.
Format
Digital Image
Type
Still Photograph
Collection Items
FE001 First Auto
Roanoke's first automobile parked in front of a bicycle shop at 109-111 Church Avenue SW. The first auto was believed to have been owned by T.T. Fishburn. In two years, in 1906, this building would become Roanoke Automobile Company selling Rambler…
FE005 Carolina Cotton Mills
Carolina Cotton and Woolen Mills, formerly located at 505 6th Street SW.
FE006 JE Bernards
J.E. Bernard's Machine Shop, formerly located at 109-111 Church Avenue SW. Roanoke Automobile Company is located next door, specializing in the sale of Ramblers.
FE007 Armistice Day Parade
A contingent of veterans march in the Armistice Day Parade on Campbell Avenue.
FE010 Campbell Avenue
Looking east on Campbell Avenue toward the Market Building from the roof of the Colonial American National Bank building.
FE011 McGuire Building
The McGuire Building, located at 1 Market Square, was built in 1914 and housed W. E. McGuire’s Farmers’ Supply Co. that sold buggies, wagons, fertilizer, seed, and other farm-related equipment and supplies.
FE012 Alleghany Institute Students
Group portrait of Alleghany Institute students. Individuals unidentifed.
FE013 McGuire Building
The McGuire Building, located at 1 Market Square, was built in 1914 and housed W. E. McGuire’s Farmers’ Supply Co. that sold buggies, wagons, fertilizer, seed, and other farm-related equipment and supplies. Tenants in this photo include A&P…
FE017 Mountain Trust
Mountain Trust Bank was located in the Strickland Building at 302 S. Jefferson Street.
FE019 Lakeside
Lakeside Amusement Park was built in 1920 on Mason's Creek. The "lake" seen here was the area's first public swimming pool, complete with sand beach. Also visible is the "Thriller" rollercoaster and the bumper car pavilion.
FE022 Church and Jefferson
Intersection showing the Williamson Building on the northwest corner of Church Avenue and Jefferson Street. At the time of this photo, the building housed T.L. Deyerle Company. It would later be home to the Sportsman. The building was razed in…
FE023 Big Lick Hotel
Formerly located on the southwest corner of Williamson Road and Salem Avenue, the Big Lick Hotel would go through several iterations, including a portion of the Shenandoah Hotel, the Lee Hotel and Hotel Earle. The building was gutted by fire in 1991…
FE027 Title Guarantee
Title Guarantee Trust and Savings Bank, formerly located at 34 Church Avenue SW.
FE028 Fire Ladder
Firemen pose on a ladder pulled by horses. The building in the background was on the corner of 1st Street and Church Avenue.
FE032 Post Office
Roanoke's second federally funded post office was constructed on the same site as the first, the corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street. It was built in 1914 and replaced in 1933.
FE033 Big Lick Livery
In 1898, the Big Lick Livery Stable stood on Henry Street (1st Street SW) just north of Roanoke's first federally funded post office (located on the NE corner of Henry (1st) Street and Church Avenue) which can be seen in the background. In 1890 this…
FE034 Horton Livery
Horton and Roberts Livery Stable stood on Henry Street (now 1st Street SW) just north of the northeast corner of Henry Street and Church Avenue.
FE041 Almshouse
The Almshouse or "poor house" was built in 1925. The building is now part of Virginia Western Community College.
FE047 Market Building
Roanoke's first Market Building. Built in 1886, it was replaced by the current Market Building in 1922.
FE052 Mill Mountain
A view of Mill Mountain. Roanoke Hospital, the Mill Mountain Incline, and the observation tower are all visible.
FE054 Dog Mouth Fountain
Th Dog Mouth Fountain stands on the northwest corner of Salem Avenue and Market Street. Legend has it that those who drink from the fountain will always return to Roanoke.
FE055 Lewis-Gale
Lewis-Gale Hospital was built in 1909 as a partnership between Dr. Sparrell Gale and Dr. J.N. Lewis. The original hospital stood at the northwest corner of 3rd Street and Luck Avenue.
FE061 UCT Carnival
Spectators watch the highwire act, part of the Order of United Commercial Travelers of American carnival.
FE062 Natural Bridge Hotel
The original Natural Bridge Hotel. The hotel burned in 1963 and was replaced by the current hotel in 1964.
FE064 View from Mill Mountain
A view of Roanoke from Mill Mountain with the Riverland neighborhood in the foreground.
FE066 Observation Tower
The second observation tower once atop Mill Mountain. The first observation tower was destroyed in a wind storm in 1914. This tower replaced it until 1936, when it was destroyed by fire. George Davis at left.
FE068 Greene Memorial
Greene Memorial United Methodist Church at the corner of Church Avenue and 2nd Street. In this photograph, a crowd is gathered to watch as the new La France Fire Engine was hauled to the corner to see if it could throw water as high as the steeple…
FE069 Ponce de Leon Hotel
The original Ponce de Leon Hotel located at 131 Campbell Avenue SW. The elegant verandas are gone by the time this photograph was taken. In December 1930, the building was totally destroyed by fire, killing one resident and injuring others. It was…
FE072 Jefferson Hospital
Jefferson Hospital, founded in 1907 by Dr. Hugh Trout, was the predecessor of Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital. Formerly located at 1313 Franklin Road SW, the hospital closed in 1967 and was later razed. The two-story porches no longer exist…
FE075 Alleghany Institute Students
Group portrait of students and faculty of the Alleghany Institute. Front row, left ot right: Ott Coleman, Jack Airheart, William ?; back row, left to right: B.S. Brooke, Eugene Turner, Ernest B. Fishburn, Billy Malone, D. Thomas Taylor, Romeo…
FE079 RHS Gymnasts
Roanoke High School gymnasts. Caption reads, "Winners Intermediate Gym Contest, '07-'08".
FE082 Almshouse
The Almshouse or "poor house" was built in 1925. The building is now part of Virginia Western Community College.
FE083 Natural Bridge Hotel
The original Natural Bridge Hotel. The hotel burned in 1963 and was replaced by the current hotel in 1964.
FE084 Muse Family
Calvin and Harriet Muse stand with their sons, George and Willie, after the family is reunited in 1927. George and Willie's story is detailed in 'Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest' by Beth Macy.
FE086 Old 97
The wreck of the "Old 97" was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, on September 27, 1903. Due to excessive speed in…
FE088 Machine Works Band
Led by the Roanoke Machine Works band, the funeral procession of William Nolty winds slowly past "Brick Row" on E. Campbell Avenue. "Brick Row" was built as a low-rent housing area for mostly less skilled workers at Roanoke Machine Works. The…
FE089 Old 97
The wreck of the "Old 97" was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, on September 27, 1903. Due to excessive speed in…
FE092 Neal Tavern
Armistead Neal tavern and boarding house was located on Shenandoah Avenue. For many years, it served the town of Big Lick as a hotel.
FE093 Mill Mountain
A view of Mill Mountain. Building in foreground was the Adams, Payne, Gleaves, Livery Stable No. 2. Abandoned by the time of this photograph, it is used to promote the purchase of war bonds.
FE094 Old 97
The wreck of the "Old 97" was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, on September 27, 1903. Due to excessive speed in…
FE098 Pythian Castle
Groundbreaking for Pythian Castle Hall, Osceola Lodge No. 47 on Franklin Road. Shown are George Davis, Stuart A. Barbour, Frank N. Smith, and Charles D. Keffer.
FE103 Natural Tunnel
Natural Tunnel in Scott County. The massive naturally formed cave is so large, it is used as a railroad tunnel.
FE109 Spanish-American Vets
Spanish-American War United States Veterans, Company G, 2nd Virginia Volunteers, Dewey Mess. Pictured are : H.H. Zink, E.M. Carr, Pat Sullivan, A.T. Day, F.M. Moore, C.W. Rolen, J.T. Donnelly, G.D. Black, J.L. Bonavita, G.W. Misel, R.L. Tremain,…
FE111 Hancock-Clay
In the Coulter Building, the Hancock-Clay Company opened a department store in 1926. This interior view shows some of the dry goods and notions sold by Hancock-Clay. The firm became bankrupt in the early 1930s.
FE116 Roanoke Country Club
Roanoke Country Club, located at 3360 Old Country Club Road NW, shortly after completion of the clubhouse.
FE120 N&W General Offices
Norfolk & Western General Offices, located at 8 N. Jefferson Street, replaced the old General Offices after they were destroyed by fire in 1896. This building would be used in this capacity until 1932 when the new office building was completed.
FE121 Belmont School
Belmont Elementary School was located on Dale Avenue in southeast Roanoke. The school was built in 1891 and remained in operation until 1974 when Fallon Park Elementary School was completed.
FE124 Commerce Street School
Commerce Street School, also called First Ward School, was located at the corner of Church Avenue and 2nd (Commerce) Street. Built in 1890, it was razed in 1929 to make room for the post office.
FE126 Harrison School
The Harrison School was completed in 1916. Two years later, the first high school classes for African American students began at Harrison School. Three students graduated in 1924, due largely to the persistence of Harrison's principal, Lucy…
FE128 Sherwood Forest
Entrance to Sherwood Forest subdivision, located at Yellow Mountain Road and Nottingham Road.
FE130 Morice Twine Mills
The Morice (formerly Roanoke) Twine Mill in Norwich. Built to house the Norwich Lock Company in 1891, the lock company was a short-lived enterprise. In 1901, the Roanoke Cotton Mill moved into the abandoned building.
FE131 Boggs & Havnaer
Boggs & Havnaer Laundry and Dry Cleaning supplies and equipment, formerly located at 912 3 1/2 Street SE.
FE137 Stonewall Jackson Middle
Stonewall Jackson Middle School located at 1004 Montrose Avenue SE shortly after completion. The school's name was changed to John P. Fishwick Middle School in 2018.
FE138 Jamison School
Jamison Elementary School was located on the southwest corner of Jamison Avenue and 14th Street SE. The school was built in 1916 and razed in 1975.
FE139 Lucy Addison High
Lucy Addison High School opened in 1928. Located at 40 Douglass Avenue NW, the building now houses Roanoke City Public Schools Administrative Offices.
FE140 Stonewall Jackson Middle
Stonewall Jackson Middle School located at 1004 Montrose Avenue SE. The school's name was changed to John P. Fishwick Middle School in 2018.
FE142 Roanoke Printing Company
Roanoke Printing Company occupies the Bolling Building, formerly located on the southwest corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street SW.
FE144 Highland Park Elementary
Built in 1920, Highland Park Elementary School is located at 1212 5th Street SW.
FE146 Roanoke Hospital
Roanoke Hospital was built in 1893 with the aid of Norfolk & Western and the Roanoke Gas and Water Company. Carilion Roanoke Memorial now occupies the site of the old hospital.
FE147 State & City Bank
Built in 1905, the building located at 116 Campbell Avenue SW was home to two banks in its early years, State & City Bank in this photograph and Day & Night Bank.
FE150 Jefferson High School
Originally constructed in 1922, Jefferson High School was Roanoke's largest high school for half a century.
FE157 Ole Monterey
Built in 1920, Ole Monterey Golf Course is the second oldest golf course in the City of Roanoke.
FE159 Mountain View
Mountain View, a 40 room elegant turn-of-the-century mansion, was built in 1907 by Junius B. Fishburn. Mr. Fishburn donated Mountain View to the City in 1955 with the stipulation that it be used solely and exclusively for public recreation purposes.…
FE162 N&W General Offices
Completed in 1883 by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, the general office building housed the offices for Norfolk & Western after they were moved from Lynchburg. The building was located on the northwest corner of Jefferson Street and Shenandoah…
FE171 Roanoke Photo Finishing
An interior view of Roanoke Photo Finishing Company with George Davis behind counter.
FE175 Roanoke High School
Roanoke High School was built in 1898 on the northeast corner of Church Avenue and 3rd Street SW. It became the school administration building in 1924 after Jefferson High School opened. It was razed in 1968 for construction of the Municipal…
FE188 Burrell Memorial
Roanoke's first African American hospital, Burrell Memorial, was founded in 1915 in a small cottage on Henry Street. It soon outgrew the Henry Street location and moved into the former Alleghany Institute, a school for boys located at 611 McDowell…
FE195 Campbell Avenue
Lyle's Drugstore occupied the right half of this building, located at 101 Campbell Avenue SW.
FE196 Roanoke Baseball
Roanoke Baseball Team. Front row, left to right: Dusty Coons, ? Wrigley, ? Lynch; middle row, L to R: unidentfied, unidentfied, Pop Tate (manager), G. McGann, ? Hill; back row, L to R: Ed McGinnis, unidentified, unidentified, and ? Williams.
FE198 Mountain Trust Bank
The temporary quarters of Mountain Trust Bank, formerly located at 34 W. Church Avenue.
FE200 WDBJ Radio
Virginia's second commercial radio station, WDBJ-AM, had been broadcasting for twelve and a half years when it moved to its new quarters at 124 Kirk Avenue SW in January 1937.
FE202 Blue Ridge Springs
Blue Ridge Springs was one of a number of summer resorts in Southwestern Virginia. It boasted the healing powers of dyspepsia in its natural spring. Like many resorts of its kind, Blue Ridge Springs fell into disrepair during the Great Depression. …
FE203 Virginia College
The Virginia College for Young Women was located in the South Roanoke neighborhood at the end of Rosalind Avenue. The college closed in 1933.
FE205 Police Switchboard
Switchboard at Police headquarters. Sargeant Dick Arnold uses the phone as motorcycle officer John Lemon looks on.
FE206 Mountain Lake
Canoers on Mountain Lake. The second Mountain Lake Lodge, built in 1875, can be seen in the distance. The current stone lodge replaced this structure in 1936.
FE208 Crockett Springs
Crockett Springs Resort, near Shawsville, was one of a number of summer resorts in Southwestern Virginia that boasted the healing powers of its spring waters. The resort opened in 1889 and closed shortly before 1940. The hotel was razed in 1966.
FE211 Witten-Martin Furniture
Located at 213 1st Street SW, the Masonic temple was constructed in 1911. For many years, the first floor was occupied by various retail establishments, as evidenced in this photograph when Witten-Martin Furniture Company occupied the space.
FE222 Primitive Dentistry
Onlookers in Ballyhack watch as the seated gentleman in this photograph is having a tooth extracted by the lady in front of him, while the one behind him holds his head still.
FE225a Westover Avenue
Looking east on the 2000 block of Westover Avenue SW. The neighborhood is still under development at the time of this photograph.
FE225b Maiden Lane
Looking east on the 2000 block of Maiden Lane SW. The neighborhood is still under development at the time this photograph was taken.
FE226 Maiden Lane
Looking west from the 1900 block of Maiden Lane. The neighborhood is still under development at the time of this photograph.
FE241 Blue Ridge Springs
Blue Ridge Springs was one of a number of summer resorts in Southwestern Virginia. It boasted the healing powers of dyspepsia in its natural spring. Like many resorts of its kind, Blue Ridge Springs fell into disrepair during the Great Depression. …
FE250 Police Car
Parked in front of the city jail, is this blue and white, fifty horsepower Cadillac patrol wagon. It could carry as many as eight prisoners in its enclosed compartment, while the policeman had to ride exposed to the elements.
FE255 Jefferson Hospital
Jefferson Hospital, founded in 1907 by Dr. Hugh Trout, was the predecessor of Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital. Formerly located at 1313 Franklin Road SW, the hospital closed in 1967 and was later razed.
FE256 Stone Printing
Stone Printing Company began doing business at this location in 1891. The stone veneer was added to the building, located at 116 N. Jefferson Street, in 1907.
FE257 Lee Junior High
Lee Junior High School was built in 1912 at the intersection of Franklin Road and 2nd Street SW. It was razed in 1973 to clear the site for construction of the Richard H. Poff Federal Building.
FE263 Day & Night Bank
Built in 1905, the building located at 116 Campbell Avenue SW was home to two banks in its early years, Day & Night Bank in this photograph and State & City Bank.
FE266 Lorraine Apartments
Shown under construction are the Lorraine Apartments, located at 1221 S. Jefferson Street.
FE267 Williamson Building
Intersection showing the Williamson Building on the northwest corner of Church Avenue and Jefferson Street. At the time of this photo it was occupied by the Sportsman, Deb Fashions, Thom McCann Shoes. The building was razed in 1977.
FE268 Lorraine Apartments
Shown under construction are the Lorraine Apartments, located at 1221 S. Jefferson Street. This view shows the rear of the building from Maple Avenue SW.
FE269 Roanoke Knitting Mills
Roanoke Knitting Mills began operations in 1903 at 306 Elm Avenue SE. It closed by 1909.
FE270 Main Street
Aerial viewing showing Main Street in Salem near the intersection with Union Street and Academy Street.
FE272 Ponce de Leon Hotel
The original Ponce de Leon Hotel located at 131 Campbell Avenue SW. The elegant verandas are gone by the time this photograph was taken. In December 1930, the building was totally destroyed by fire, killing one resident and injuring others. It was…
FE273 Market Building
The Market Building appears largely unchanged today from when it was built in 1922.
FE274 Victory Stadium
Athletic field and grandstands at Victory Stadium. The stadium was built in 1942 and razed in 2006.
FE275 Victory Stadium
Athletic field and grandstands at Victory Stadium. The stadium was built in 1942 and razed in 2006.
FE278 Prospect Road
Mill Mountain’s Prospect Road, commonly called the Loop Road or Old Toll Road, still has the same basic design when it originated as a graded carriage road in 1891. Today, the road is part of the Roanoke Valley’s greenway system within Mill Mountain…
FE280 Hammond Printing
Hammond's Printing and Litho Works, formerly located on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Luck Avenue,
FE281 Phelps & Armistead
Phelps & Armistead Furniture, formerly located at 312 2nd Street SW. The building would later be occupied by Grand Piano.
FE283 Post Office
Roanoke's second federally funded post office was constructed on the same site as the first, the corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street. It was built in 1914 and replaced in 1933.
FE284 Roanoke Lodge #197
Roanoke Lodge #197 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The lodge stood on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Franklin Road
FE286 Roanoke Auditorium
Roanoke Auditorium was located along Wells Avenue NE, between Williamson Road and 2nd Street. Built in 1916, it was purchased in 1947 by the American Legion and thence called the American Legion Auditorium. It served the city well as an all-purpose…
FE287 Roanoke High School
Roanoke High School was built in 1898 on the northeast corner of Church Avenue and 3rd Street SW. It became the school administration building in 1924 after Jefferson High School opened. It was razed in 1968 for construction of the Municipal…
FE289 Medical Arts Building
Located at 30 Franklin Road, the Professional (or Medical) Arts Building was built in 1929.
FE290 City Hotel
City Hotel was built in 1886 on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Salem Avenue.
FE291 School Administration
Roanoke High School was built in 1898 on the northeast corner of Church Avenue and 3rd Street SW. It became the school administration building in 1924 after Jefferson High School opened. It was razed in 1968 for construction of the Municipal…
FE292 Crystal Spring
A view of Crystal Spring Park, pump house, and reservoir. Crystal Spring was one of the city's earliest landscaped parks. It was designed and managed by Roanoke Gas and Water Works.
FE293 Jefferson Apartments
The Jefferson Apartments, formerly located at 820 S. Jefferson Street. This view looks west on Mountain Avenue.
FE297 Jackson Ferry Shot Tower
Jackson Ferry Shot Tower in Wythe County. The tower is 75 feet tall and was used for manufacturing lead shot. Construction began shortly after the American Revolution and was completed in 1802. The shot tower is now Shot Tower State Park.
FE300 Roanoke Auditorium
Roanoke Auditorium was located along Wells Avenue NE, between Williamson Road and 2nd Street. Built in 1916, it was purchased in 1947 by the American Legion and thence called the American Legion Auditorium. It served the city well as an all-purpose…
FE301 Market Square
In the days before trucks were ubiquitous, farmers brought their goods to the City Market in buckboards, carts, and Conestoga wagons.
FE303 Prospect Road
Mill Mountain’s Prospect Road, commonly called the Loop Road or Old Toll Road, still has the same basic design when it originated as a graded carriage road in 1891. Today, the road is part of the Roanoke Valley’s greenway system within Mill Mountain…
FE304 Observation Tower
The first observation tower on Mill Mountain was constructed in 1910 and destroyed by a violent wind storm in 1914. It was replaced shortly thereafter by another observation tower, which burned in 1936.
FE305 Roanoke Country Club
Greens and fairways at Roanoke Country Club. The clubhouse is just visible in the background.