Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

March 20, 2008 issue

The Price and the Faces of Progress

Story by Sam Calhoun

Editor’s note: In the coming weeks, High Country Press will feature the stories of the people being displaced by the Highway 421 widening project.

The Graham Building: James B. Graham, DDS, PA

James B. Graham has practiced dentistry in the rock building at 252 East King Street for 21 years, taking over a business that his father James Graham, Sr. started in 1962. James Graham, Sr. still owns the building that was one of the first car dealerships in town when it was built in 1946. The building will be demolished as part of the Highway 421 widening project. Photo by Sam Calhoun“We realize this is progress; it comes with the growth of the town,” said James B. Graham, DDS, PA, speaking about the loss of his practice’s building because of the Highway 421 widening project. “We will move forward.”

Graham’s words are logical and show strength, but don’t completely sum up the loss of property and history that will take place when the North Carolina Department of Transportation buys and demolishes his practice’s building.

Since 1962, The Graham Building at 252 East King Street has provided office space for doctors, dentists and other small businesses. Built in 1946, the building was originally a Dodge and Plymouth car dealership—one of the first in the High Country, according to Graham. The dealership lasted for more than 10 years.

In 1962, James Graham, Sr. bought the building and started a dental practice. In 1987, Graham, Sr.’s son started working at the office and in 2001, Graham, Sr. retired and James B. Graham bought the practice from his father. Graham, Sr. still owns the building and leases space to its tenants.

Over the years, many recognizable names have inhabited the building’s offices. Dr. Smith, a general practitioner, had office space in the building for 25 years and Dr. Daily, another general practitioner, kept office hours there for three years but moved when he found out the road was going to be widened.

Currently, Graham, Sr. leases space to the Skin Studio, a mapping and appraisal company and Winston-Salem Journal.

Graham first learned of the Highway 421 widening project two years ago when NC DOT held an informational meeting for business owners along King Street. Graham, though, did not formally speak to an NC DOT representative about the project until January 2008.

Graham said the most stressful part of the situation is the unknowns.

“It’s a stressful situation. For most of the other business owners I’ve talked to, the biggest unknown is the timing. For the longest time, we’ve been wondering, when is it going to happen? When?” said Graham. “We hate to leave this building, but we realize that progress happens and it’s time to move on. We’re ready to move forward. But for most [King Street business owners] there are, and have been, a lot of ifs ands or buts and timing issues.

“In Boone, we’re kind of landlocked, so when [displaced King Street business owners] start looking at what they can afford, it’s stressed a lot of people out,” added Graham.

Graham is planning to relocate his business and keep his five employees, but he doesn’t know if he will buy or lease his new business space, partly because the NC DOT appraisal process has not started yet. An NC DOT representative told Graham that the appraisal process will take three to four months once it begins.

“I’ve been in a catch 22,” said Graham, who said that he would have liked to upgrade his building with repairs and additions over the past few years, but has partly refrained because of the widening project. “It is a catch 22 because I can’t bring [the building] up to any better level because [NC DOT] is just going to take it.

“I hate to see this building go,” added Graham, who, with his father, has provided dental services to hundreds of residents over the past 46 years. “I’ve seen a lot of kids grow up.”

Graham said his customers are just as upset as he is over the loss of the building. When he sees his customers on the street, Graham said, the first thing they ask is “What’s happening with the building?” and “What’s happening to the business?”  

Graham said he has yet to make an official announcement to his customers about the relocation and impending demolition of the building. Graham will make the announcement when he knows more about the new location.