Uncle Harry's Recognized for Historical Renovations

Already known for having one of the top-five campus stores in the country with the Bryan Center's University Store, Duke Stores has recently garnered more recognition.Last month, the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) awarded Duke's Uncle Harry's General Store with an honorable mention in the 2010 "Best in the Business" Campus C-Store contest for excellence in the "New Store Design" category. Duke's Facilities Management Department completed a renovation on Uncle Harry's last spring as part of the store's move to a new location among Duke's Mill Village on Central Campus.Catering to Duke's student population in the Central Campus apartments, Uncle Harry's sells a variety of goods like food, health and beauty products, school supplies and more. The store received its name from "Uncle" Harry Rainey, who served as director of Duke Stores until 1993. "I'm very pleased with the recognition that the renovated Uncle Harry's has received," said Jim Wilkerson, director of Duke Stores. "I think the design strikes just the right balance between preserving the historic and traditional image, while incorporating modern conveniences for Duke students on Central Campus."In his application letter to NACUFS, Wilkerson highlighted the efforts to preserve the historical nature of the buildings of Mill Village, including Uncle Harry's. At the turn of the 20th century, the village was used as housing for Durham residents who worked in mills near what is now Central Campus. John Pearce, university architect, said that after the land was acquired by Duke in the 1960s, the Mill Village buildings were used as storage, including one 1,700-square feet building that was most likely previously used as a general store."Our goal during renovations was to make it once again look like the general store with its squared-off front, over-hanging roof and all the windows in the same location," Pearce said. "We wanted to maintain the scale and color that were important to give a sense of being in a historical village area."

Pearce said that the Office of the University Architect used photographs from the 1960s to plan exterior renovations, but because of aging and insect damage on the interior, the building was deconstructed down to its foundation. The new version of the store was built using the exact footprint of the original building. Walk-in coolers were added inside the rear of the store, in addition to a bathroom. The main section of the store was filled with modern shelving and additional freezer space."The store is now one of the most unique operations on campus and contributes tremendously to Duke's commitment to sustainability and reuse," Wilkerson said. "I'm glad that others appreciate it as well."