Woolworth Walkway concept unveiled
In creating a civil rights-social justice walkway for downtown Rock Hill, designers Laurel Holtzapple, Lauren Doran and Juan Logan faced the challenge of honoring the past, while not becoming mired in it.
They wanted something that felt both historical and contemporary.
Monday, the trio unveiled their concept: A large, subtle and “soft” artwork with the civil rights protest cry of “equal justice for all” as one of the focal points, combined with a contemporary walkway that features historical allusions.
“The wall doesn’t compete with the landscaping. It’s a great solution from a technical and aesthetic standpoint,” said Winthrop University art professor Tom Stanley. “They let the wall be the wall.”
The trio of designers worked with the Rock Hill Economic Development Corp. to design the walkway between the Piedmont Regional Association of Realtors building and the recently demolished Woolworth store, between East Main Street and a city parking lot with access to East White Street.
Both buildings were the site of civil rights protests in the 1960s.
The Five & Dine restaurant, on the ground floor of the Realtors’ building, is the site of the former McCrory’s store. The lunch counter where students from Friendship Junior College were denied service and arrested is still there.
The designers sought to pay homage to the Friendship Nine, but in subtle ways. There are nine stools, nine boulders and the Friendship Nine crown – designed by Ebinport Elementary fifth-graders Parker Prevette, Zachary Doyle and Mark Ratcliffe – in their proposal. The crown shows shackles breaking, representing the freedom the Friendship Nine stood for.
Other historical aspects of the proposal are the pathway between Main Street and the White Street parking lot. Much of the pathway will be brick pavers set in a basket-weave pattern to symbolize the Catawba River and the region’s Catawba Indian Nation heritage. There also will be representations of river cane reeds, the material the tribe uses to create baskets.
Historical elements that remain on the wall include a faded Coca-Cola sign near Main Street – a symbol many said connects the wall to the lunch counter protests.
The contemporary feel, said Holtzapple of Groundworks Studio of Charlotte, will come from the existing chimney that will be illuminated, “becoming a beacon of light,” and the plantings along the walkway.
The lighting was an initial concern of developer Skip Tuttle, who is partnering with Lat Purser Associates of Charlotte to build a four-story, 37-unit apartment complex at the former Woolworth site. They are expected to invest $3.7 million in the project. Groundbreaking could start in June and construction is expected to take eight months, he said.
After receiving assurances about the lighting, Tuttle said the walkway will be an enhancement to the project. About half of the units will face the walkway.
“They used all the concepts to help tell the story. It’s visually very attractive,” Tuttle said.
Don Worthington • 803-329-4066
This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 11:16 PM with the headline "Woolworth Walkway concept unveiled."