E.F. Spencer Wants Lawn Seats, Gravel Walks on Courthouse Square, July 20, 1923

Would Put Benches on Courthouse Square. . . Merchants Association Head Starts Something in That Direction

Indestructible metal lawn seats and gravel walks on the courthouse square is the latest dream of E.F. Spencer, head of the Retail Merchants Association. Mr. Spencer has talked it over with Chairman Noah Burfoot of the County Commissioners, and while Mr. Burfoot is too cautious and respectful to speak for his fellow commissioners, he is himself favorable to a suggestion that the county provide the gravel walks if some one else will pay for the benches or lawn seats.

Mr. Spencer has already started out to solicit donations of lawn seats. He thinks there should be 50 of them, but probably will try for a dozen or 15 to start, to see how the public takes to them.

We haven’t an inviting place anywhere in town for our own folks, say nothing of visitors, to get out on the grass and under the trees and sit down,” says Mr. Spencer. “It’s notorious too that there isn’t a decent spooning place in town for young couples who want to get out of the house in the evening. About the only places they have to spoon is Hollywood Cemetery and the Camden bridge, unless they take to the country in an automobile.”

From the front page of The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Friday, July 20, 1923