Heading west on Route 64 from Manteo, North Carolina, the road takes you through miles of mostly unpopulated, low lying swamp. Gradually, the land begins to rise and farmland emerges. The first town we came to was Columbia, on the banks of the Scuppernong River. It was time for lunch and Mike's Kitchen was a welcome sight. The restaurant is located in town, and occupies a building which, according to our waitress, used to be a grocery store. The grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans was good on a rainy Saturday afternoon in December.
Our time in Columbia was brief, and the rain discouraged photography, so I took very few pictures. The Jesse N. Cooper house, pictured above, is one of many fine examples of residential architecture in Columbia dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Columbia website has pictures of 20 significant buildings, presented as a walking tour of the town. I plan to go back and spend some time photographing in Columbia.
As a reminder of how easily old buildings can be lost in the rush to "modernize," take a look at this post on Mike Johnston's The Online Photographer about a lovingly restored bungalow style house that has been "remuddled." The before and after pictures are not for the faint of heart. Small towns like Columbia are important repositories of our architectural history. May they be spared the ravages of money, poor taste and pretentiousness.
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