For renovation of the Blount-Harvey Building in uptown Greenville. Their work revealed the former department store’s original elegant façade, long hidden beneath a 1960s-era veneer, and replaced many original architectural elements, including a prismatic glass transom and terra cotta embellishments.

TMK Properties’ purchase of the 1916 Blount-Harvey Building in uptown Greenville was seen by many as a risky business decision.

The Blount-Harvey Department Store was Greenville’s largest retailer. But by 2005, the glory days of the three-story department store were long gone, as were many of its architectural details. The original south and east facades had been covered in the 1960s with a pale brick veneer, and the upper-level windows had been removed and filled in with masonry.

But Edward and Michael Glenn saw potential in the building. If the restoration were successful, it would allow them to return their 60-year-old floral business to downtown, where it first began, while also rescuing one of Greenville’s largest and oldest commercial buildings.

Over the course of two years, substantial exterior and interior rehabilitation revealed the building’s original attractive appearance. The Glenns went to great lengths to replace missing elements, including the glass transoms, the mezzanine balustrade, and the terra cotta ornamentation. In order to make the historic rehabilitation tax credits available for the project, the State Historic Preservation Office assisted the owners in getting the building included in Greenville’s downtown historic district as a contributing resource, a status that formerly had been denied because of the 1960s alterations.

The dramatic “before and after” has created much interest in the restoration of other abandoned and deteriorated properties in uptown Greenville. But most importantly for the Glenns, the renovation resulted in an ideal spot for their business, Johnson’s Florist, as well as for several other tenants, including a fine dining restaurant and a wine shop and bar.

Preservation North Carolina is pleased to present this Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit to TMK Properties for its inspiring work in rehabilitation of the Blount-Harvey Building in downtown Greenville.