1815 Patton Avenue
Among the earliest post-World War II houses in McCrorey Heights, this dwelling was built 1950-51 for James C. and Clara B. Brown. They owned the Dark Swan Smoke Shop & Confectionary. The store anchored the corner of Eldridge Street and West Stonewall Street in Charlotte’s black Third Ward neighborhood. Today that intersection no longer exists; the land was redeveloped during construction of Panthers football stadium in the 1980s. Mark Alexander, who grew up nearby, recalls that the Browns “had two children, Joyce Brown and Annette Brown, who helped their parents with the store.”
This was one of at least a dozen houses in McCrorey Heights constructed by African American contractor Mangie McQueen: 801& 1012 Condon; 1703, 1704,1725 & 1800 Madison; 1627, 1712, 1800 & 1815 Patton; 1646 & 1715 Washington. McQueen’s daughter Clotelle and her husband Stanley Fisher lived down the street at 1627 Patton Avenue.
Architecture
Cottage style house, one-story in red brick. Cottage style houses had more compact massing and steeper and/or more complicated roofs than the Ranch style which was also popular in this period. This house has a main gable roof and a smaller projecting front gable. A porch supported by two simple Doric columns shades most of the front of the dwelling. The original owners took out a permit in 1963 to add a den and half bath on the back of the house. They secured another permit in 1975 to construct a freestanding carport, which seems now to be gone.
Building permits
Patton-1815-permit-b
Date issued: July 5, 1950
Owner: James C. & Clara Brown
Contractor: Mangie McQueen
Estimated cost:
Other permit info: to build residence
Patton-1815-permit
Date issued: April 14, 1963
Owner: James C. Brown
Contractor: Wells Construction Co.
Estimated cost: $2,890
Other permit info: Den on rear of house and half bath.
Patton-1815-permit-a
Date issued: August 26, 1975
Owner: James C. & Clara Brown
Contractor: Savrock Development Corp.
Estimated cost: $1,000
Other permit info: add free standing carport
Building permit files, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
First appeared in city directory
1953 – James C. Brown & Clara H.
He: Grocery at 602 Eldridge.
1961 – James C. Brown & Clara B.
Both work at Dark Swan Smoke Shop, confectionery at 602 Eldridge, corner W. Stonewall.
City directory collection, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.