CityView Magazine

Miss YOU much A walk down memory lane By Nomee Landis A h, the good old days. Every single generation cherishes a different ideal of what makes a time and place special and worthy of nostalgia. And while our fondest memories often focus on the people we hold dear, the places where we experienced our best moments Ð that first kiss, favorite birthday party, the greatest vacation Ð hold a special place in our hearts as well. When we recall our favorite days, we also recall where we spent them. Here are a few memorable Fayetteville landmarks, which no longer exist or exist in a changed form, that have played a part in the best days in the lives of so many of our neighbors. The Capitol Ò The Capitol is an icon, the last of the old-fashioned department stores where everyone knew you by name,Ó says local historian Bruce Daws. In the heyday of Hay Street, before the advent of malls, downtown was the place to shop. And from 1912 to 1990, shopping at the Capitol was a treat. ÒI t was the Lord & Taylor or Saks Fifth Avenue of Fayetteville,Ó said Joel Schur, who became general manager in 1960, after marrying Marcia Stein, daughter of the storeÕ s founder, Bernard Stein. The store offered a little bit of everything, from fine furs and jewelry to sportswear, cosmetics, bridal wear, hats, shoes and antiques from around the world. Marcia Stein Schur and Above | A shopping trip to the Capitol department store was not complete without lunch at the Birdcage. Photo courtesy of The Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum other sales folks knew not only their customersÕ names but their preferences and sizes, too. During the holidays, a patron might come into the store to find a gift already chosen and wrapped. ÒI f a man, around Christmas time, didnÕ t have a package from the Capitol, he was in trouble,Ó Schur said. Ò Our salespeople knew what to pick for whom.Ó A trip to the Capitol was never complete without lunch at the Birdcage, the tea room on the third floor. Diners might enjoy chicken chow mein, potpie or a sandwich, followed by a slice of chocolate fudge pie. On the tea roomÕ s final day, everyone was given a sliver of the beloved dessert. ÒI t was a pillar of the community,Ó Schur said, Ò but the malls had taken over. It was best to take a bow out, and we did. We thought it was best.Ó Here or History? The Capitol may have closed in 1990, but it has since been reinvented as DockÕ s at the Capitol, where you can even get a glimpse of the old sign. BreeceÕ s Landing Those who remember Oscar P. Breece say he was the consummate community host. If a celebrity or dignitary visited Fayetteville, chances were Breece would show them a good time, give them a good meal and ferry them up and down the Cape Fear River on his 100-foot yacht, the Florida. ÒH e was the official entertainer of Cumberland County,Ó said Corey R. Breece Sr., OscarÕ s grandson. Oscar Breece was one of the original owners of Rogers & Breece Funeral Home, a business that his grandsons, Corey and Robert Breece Jr., carry on today. Perhaps it was his line of work CityViewNC.com | 43

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