Jump to full article: Greenville (NC) Daily Reflector, 2008-04-20
Intro: For 100 years, the Imperial Tobacco Warehouse cut a striking figure on the Greenville landscape. . . .
The three-story warehouse that once housed the most powerful of the tobacco companies in the city was laid to ruin, declared a total loss in an early estimation. Fire investigators hope that a cause of the fire can be pinpointed, though the effort may be complicated in the ashes that remain.
The loss of that prominent landmark represents an unfortunate moment for the city. The building harkens back to an important era in the community's growth, when tobacco ruled the landscape and its cultivation defined the local economy. At one time, the Imperial Tobacco Company was the leading purchaser of the golden leaf for export in Greenville.
That era faded as the inherent danger of smoking was acknowledged, and Imperial left the city in 1978. And that building, like most area tobacco warehouses, offered only a fading reminder of time consigned to history.
The revitalization effort now under way in Greenville intends to breathe new life into the old Tobacco Town area, and some believed the Imperial warehouse would play a vital role. . . .
While Greenville should balance those decisions with a desire to protect history, this week's fire reminds the community how fragile and fleeting its links to the past can be. And it should encourage work to preserve the rich memories that places like the Imperial warehouse represent.
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