O.Marks/Coplon Building...a long and interesting story



Coplon Building occupied by
Montgomery Ward until 1964



O. Marks Building Purchased by Belk in 1937



Metal facade uniting the two buildings into one Belk Dept. Store

The O. Marks building at 233 Middle Street has a long and interesting history. The building was originally two separate buildings. The three story portion, adjacent to the First Baptist Church, was constructed in 1915-16 for Oscar Marks & Son to house their expanded dry goods and shoe sales operations. Following Oscar Marks death in 1921, business declined and the firm closed its doors in 1927. The building remained vacant for four years until it was used as a Chrysler dealership. In 1937, Belk Department Store purchased the building and replaced the original storefront with large tin panels to “modernize” the façade and replaced the windows with glass brinks in the 1940’s and 1950’s.  

The two story section on the south side was built in 1927 for the Coplon Investment Company and occupied by Montgomery Ward’s until 1964 when it was leased by the Belk Department Store. The same large metal blocks were added to the façade to unite the two buildings into one, creating a  major anchor building in the central business district.

Belk remained downtown until 1979 when it joined in the exodus to the suburbs and relocated in the new Twin Rivers Mall. The large 57,000 square foot monolithic building added to the growing number of vacant deteriorating buildings, adding to downtown’s decline.

In a future blog, I will relate the challenges/hurdles Swiss Bear overcame that led to the rehabilitation of this major downtown anchor by a partnership of five committed New Bernians.  

Primary source: Historic Architecture of New Bern and Craven County, North Carolina,  Peter B. Sandbeck

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director