Pope Terminal Inn
The Pope Terminal Inn was listed in every edition of the Green Book. It appeared in the Hotels section as “Pope Terminal Inn — Washington Ave.” in Weldon from 1938-1941 and 1946-1955 and as “Pope Terminal Inn Hotel — Washington Ave.” in Weldon from 1956-1957 and 1959-1967. The name “Pope” was not used locally but was likely included in the Green Book to differentiate it from the white-owned Terminal Hotel in Weldon; the other Terminal Hotel changed its name in 1938.1
The Pope Terminal Inn Hotel was located at the intersection of Washington and First streets in Weldon, North Carolina. The hotel building was constructed in 1898 by Jake A. Alston, an African American businessman who operated J.A. Alston Fine Family Groceries there until his death in 1913. Alston’s Widow, Olivia Alston, sold the property to John H. and Julia Ann Pope in September 1927.2
John and Julia Pope converted the space into the Terminal Inn, advertised in 1931 as offering comfortable rooms at reasonable rates. The advertisement went on to state: “A HOME AWAY FROM HOME / Home Cooking a Specialty / When in Weldom come to see us and we know you will be back. / Quick Service / 3 minutes from Station.” The hotel, which included the Terminal Inn Cafe, was close to the train station and convenient to travelers. The hotel also hosted meetings and gatherings, such as a 1933 dinner for the Old North State Medical Society.3
John Pope died in 1933, leaving everything to Julia. Julia continued to operate the hotel and cafe until her death in 1942. In addition to running the hotel she was known by locals as an exceptional cook and seamstress.4
The building that stands at this site today was built in 1960 and housed the Terminal Inn restaurant, a sandwich shop, until the 1980s. It is adjacent to Weldon Town Hall and the Weldon Police Department.5
Essay by Brandie K. Ragghianti, 2022
Notes
1. Victor Green, 1938 Green Book, 14; Green, 1939 Green Book, 33; Green, 1940 Green Book, 36; Green, 1941 Green Book, 36; Green, 1947 Green Book, 65; Green, 1948 Green Book, 63; Green, 1949 Green Book, 57; Green, 1950 Green Book, 63; Green, 1951 Green Book, 55; Green, 1952 Green Book, 55; Green, 1953 Green Book, 54; Green, 1954 Green Book, 54; Green, 1955 Green Book, 54; Victor Green, 1956 Green Book, 46; Green, 1957 Green Book, 47; Green, 1959 Green Book, 52; Green, 1960 Green Book, 73; Green, 1961 Green Book, 72; Green, 1962 Green Book, 75; Green, 1963-1964 Green Book, 59; Green, 1966-1967 Green Book, 59; “Terminal Hotel Here Under New Mgr.,” The Roanoke News (Weldon, NC), September 15, 1938, p. 1, accessed from https://newspapers.digitalnc.org.
2. “We invite the colored” (ad), The Roanoke News (Weldon, NC), January 23, 1941, p. 8, accessed from https://newspapers.digitalnc.org; “J.A. Alston Fine Family Groceries” (ad), The Roanoke News (Weldon, NC), October 26, 1899, digital p. 2, accessed from www.newspapers.com; Jake A. Alston died in 1913 and had amassed a lot of property at the time of his death: “J.A. Alston Dead,” The Roanoke News, September 4, 1913, digital p. 3, accessed from www.newspapers.com; “Real Estate Sale,” The Roanoke News (Weldon, NC), June 2, 1898, digital p. 3 accessed from www.newspapers.com; Olivia Alston to Jake and Julia Pope, September 1927, Book 377, p. 504, Halifax County Register of Deeds, accessed from https://cotthosting.com/NCHALIFAXEXTERNAL/User/Login.aspx; John H. Pope and Julia Ann Melton, January 21, 1906, Northampton, North Carolina, U.S. Marriage Records, 1741 - 2011, accessed from www.ancestry.com.
3. “Terminal Inn, John Pope, Prop.” (ad), The Roanoke News (Weldon, NC), September 17, 1931, p. 2, accessed from https://newspapers.digitalnc.org; “Completes Survey of Hotels, Cafes,” The Roanoke News (Weldon, NC), March 26, 1936, 1, accessed from https://newspapers.digitalnc.org; “Colored Physicians Hold District Meeting,” The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), May 9, 1933, digital p. 4, accessed from www.newspapers.com.
4. Weldon Historic District, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, accessed from https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/HX1401.pdf. Our research has not revealed who owned the Terminal Inn Restaurant from 1960 to the 1980s, nor have we discovered who owned the hotel property from 1942-1960. Please contact the NC African American Heritage Commission if you have information about these businesses.
Did you know?
- This entry was listed for the state of North Carolina in every digitally available edition of the Green Book from 1938-1967. Each listing did not include an address.