Thompson's Esso Service Center

The Thompson Esso Service was an auto service shop advertised in The Green Book 1961. The service station was located at 2425 Fayetteville street in Durham, NC.¹

Thompson Esso Service was owned and managed by Kenneth Thompson. Thompson went to North Carolina College at Durham, currently North Carolina Central University, where he majored in General Business and graduated in 1956.Along with his major, Kenneth was very much involved in school, participating in the Commercial Club and the N.A.A.C.P. After college, Kenneth created Thompson Esso Service Station. The service station originally located at 2243 Fayetteville St., was built in 1957. The grand opening was October 7 to 14, 1957. In giving back to his school, a percentage of the proceeds that the station had during the grand opening was donated to NCC's band. Using Central as his customer base, Thompson took out various ads in the school's newspaper, The Campus Echo from 1957-1961. He also advertised in the service station in The Carolinian Newspaper. In 1960, the streets were renumbered and the station now sits in the current address, 2425 Fayetteville St. Kenneth married to Cedell Thompson, resided at 600 Cecil St. in Durham, NC.²

Over the years, there have been many attendants who have worked at Thompson’s Esso Service. Robert E .Medlyn, Preston M. Grantham, P. Marvin Grantham, David A. Crump, John Gerrin, Jacob C. Hill, Johnnie T. Jordan, James R. Johnson were some of the employees who operated the station.³

The building is currently still up and operating, now under the ownership of Michael Tedder, and goes by the name Tedder’s Same Day Automotive Services.⁴

Essay by Miranda Clinton, 2019

Notes 

1. Alma D. Green, 1961 Green Book, 68.
2. The Eagle (1956) Yearbook, 32, https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/28517; Hill’s 1958 Durham City Directory, 198 (classified business directory), 627 (alphabetical listing), 97 (street guide); Hill’s 1959 Durham City Directory, 249 (classified business directory), 612 (alphabetical listing), 96 (street guide); Durham County Tax Administration. https://property.spatialest.com/nc/durham/#/property/116963; The Campus Echo (Oct. 31, 1957), 4, https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2015236599/1957-10-31/ed-1/; The Carolina Times (Dec. 25, 1965); Hill’s 1960 Durham City Directory, 639 (alphabetical listing), 101 (street guide); Hill’s 1960 Durham City Directory, 637 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1961 Durham City Directory, 677 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1962 Durham City Directory, 687 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1963 Durham City Directory, 673 (alphabetical listing).
3. Hill’s 1959 Durham City Directory, 420 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1959 Durham City Directory, 242 (alphabetical listing);  Hill’s 1960 Durham City Directory, 254 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1961 Durham City Directory, 159 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1961 Durham City Directory, 253 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1961 Durham City Directory, 316 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1962 Durham City Directory, 320 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1962 Durham City Directory, 380 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1963 Durham City Directory, 358 (alphabetical listing).
4. Durham North Carolina Polk City Directory 2019 ,vol. 1, (alphabetical listing), 733.

Did you know?

• This entry was listed in the 1961 Green Book as “Thompson’s Esso Service Center---2425 Fayetteville Street, Complete Car Service--Stop With Us!” with two lines, bold, and bigger font.