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

Riverwalk/Swiss Bear/Council Bluff Green...improving public spaces

From an economic standpoint, creating new and improved public spaces and development opportunities on the downtown waterfront including a continuous riverfront promenade from Tryon Palace all the way around to Council Bluff Green is a primary component of the original Central Business District Revitalization Plan, developed in 1977 when downtown was at a critical junction in its evolution.

Like many special projects over the past 32 years, Swiss Bear raised money privately to initiate projects by assisting with its funding.  Historically our revitalization program has been based on building partnerships with the private sector to assist with public facility improvements.  This high level of participation and commitment by the private sector is a key component in the success of the revitalization of the downtown historic district and its waterfront redevelopment.  The addition of private sector funds also allows improvement projects and amenities to be a high quality product. Major contributions from community leaders and professionals have been the impetus for undertaking numerous projects. Council Bluff Green is one of those projects.

Improvements to this park was very important as it would complete the northern section of the City's Riverwalk/waterfront promenade and Swiss Bear believed the investment of public and private funds to improve this public space would  serve as a catalyst to promote public access in front of several privately owned commercial developments along the Neuse waterfront.



Council Bluff Green - today



Council Bluff Green is a beautiful two-block riverfront long park on the north side of Broad Street originally developed in the early 1930’s. Over the years, it like the downtown deteriorated and fell into a state of disrepair. This historic site is “ where Native Americans of the Chattawka nation held tribal councils, where early settlers built their homes and where a Post Road was constructed to link New Bern with communities to the west. Baron Christopher deGraffenried purchased from the Native Americans, this fork of land between the Neuse and Trent Rivers for his New Bern settlement”. It was probably at Council Bluff that the land transaction was sealed with an elaborate ceremony described by the baron in his memoirs.





Council Bluff Green - Before



Following on the heels of our successful Put Your Mark on the Park campaign in the mid-1990’s that raised $350,000 to assist the City with improvements to Union Point Park, Swiss Bear, with the City’s approval, embarked on the Help Pave the Way fundraising campaign to improve Council Bluff Green.  The campaign used the same strategy, selling engraved bricks, paver’s, granite panels and benches and raised $168,000. Campaign funds were then transferred to the City for re-development of the park, which included storm sewer improvements a new promenade, streetlights, furniture and trees.

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Executive Director