WMN13 - Highland Books,
Smokey Sunrise

Formerly known as the Erwin Building, Plummer Building, and (still today) the Carrier Building

History

MUST EDIT TO ADD MORE FACTUAL DETAIL AND MAKE CORRECTIONS. THIS WAS AI-GENERATED FROM THE RESEARCH TIMELINE

Pre-construction

Located at 36 West Main Street in Brevard, North Carolina, the building commonly referred to as the Plummer Building — identified in this book as WMN13 — has played a critical role in the town's commercial and civic history for over a century. Built in 1911, this three-story brick structure was built on the site of the McMinn family home and store by a partnership between W.E. Shipman, John W. McMinn, and F.A. Weilt. It replaced the boarding house formerly operated by the McMinns and, before that, was their home. This building was another one of Brevard’s early structures that featured fire-resistant masonry commercial architecture.

The McMinn house, built and owned by Nathan McMinn, was a large home with eleven bedrooms, a parlor, an office, and rooms where traveling salesmen could display their wares for local store owners. It was built before 1898, at which time they were taking in seasonal boarders. That year, it was closed because of the death of Nathan's wife, Lizzie. It reopened later, with room rates going for $1 to $1.50 per room in 1905. In December 1906 it was sold to Nathan's brother John, who also owned the Aethelwold Hotel down the street. 

Advertisements to stay in the McMinn Hotel were plentiful, which often hosted local events like oyster or chicken suppers. The Hotel's "Big Chicken Dinners" were very popular.

On December 12, 1906, McMinn and his wife Mary sold the property to his son, J.W. McMinn and Ethel McMinn Zachary.  Although no records could be found showing an interest in the property by T.H. Shipman, there is a deed record showing that J.W. McMinn and Shipman sold the property to W.P. Weilt on November 11, 1910.

In November 1910, the Sylvan Valley News reported that J.M. Kilpatrick, a local builder, would soon tear the house down. By late December, all that remained was the lumber that McMinn, Shipman and Weilt would later use to build a few cottages in another location.

Construction and Early Use (1911–1920s)

Construction of the building was underway by 1911, as noted in that year's Sanborn Maps. It was built by E.F. Moffit for the McMinn, Shipman & Weilt Company. Its defining architectural features included a symmetrical façade with two storefronts (described here as WMN13a and WMN13b), a center stairwell leading to the upper floors, and decorative brickwork consistent with early 20th-century commercial style. The second floor housed what was known as The New Auditorium, a 40’ x 20’ performance space equipped with orchestra pit, dressing rooms, and a stage. It was promoted as hosting “first-class shows” and, notably, first-class moving pictures beginning in 1912.

No records could be located that showed J.W. McMinn and T.H. Shipman re-acquired an interest in the property after it was sold to W.P. Weilt in 1910, but it must have happened. On February 24, 1915, McMinn, his wife Ethel, Shipman, and his wife Elizabeth sold the "lot formerly known as the 'McMinn Hotel' property and now known as the 'Auditorium property” to J.A. Miller, Jr. And Henry N. Carrier. 

J.A. Miller kept his interest in the property until June 1, 1916, when he sold it to Henry N. Carrier.  Carrier now owned the entire lot and building.

Plummer and other Tenants (1919-1970)

By April 1920, Carrier had sold the building to O.L. Erwin for $20,000.  The Carrier building now became known as the Erwin building, although many continued to refer to it for decades as the Carrier Building.

The building’s commercial life was initially tied to Henry Plummer, who had operated a dry goods store under various partnerships beginning in 1911. Originally titled Johnson & Plummer (when they bought out T.D. England’s store), the business became Plummer & Trantham in 1918.  

Plummer & Trantham apparently operated somewhere else on Main Street before moving into this building, which they announced on May 2, 1919. Since they bought England’s stock, it would seem logical that they took over England’s operation. But where was the T.D. England store? All indications are that it was somewhere in the WMN1 (West Main Street, first block) area, probably to the left of WMN13.  The Sanborn Maps show the property across North Alley, to the west of this building, was a framed structure housing a millinery in 1911 and 1916. Given that, it seems unlikely that England’s store could have been in there at the same time. Also, J.B. Pickelsimer “re-established” the Brevard Pharmacy “in the store formerly occupied by Plummer and Thrantham.”  That would mean that the drug store occupied the frame building beginning in August 1919.  The frame building (WMN14) was gone - apparently demolished - by the time the 1924 Sanborn Map was published.

Plummer and Trantham ran the store together in this building until August 1922, when Henry Plummer’s job as a traveling salesman took too much of his time and he sold his interest to Trantham.  That same month, Trantham had a huge “Dissolution Sale”, announcing that “H.A. Plummer has to be paid and paid at once.”

B.W. Trantham kept the store open, although he sold it back to Plummer and a Mr. Cobble from Knoxville, Tennessee only two months later, in October 1922. The store was then renamed to Plummer-Cobble. Advertisements from the early 1920s confirm that the store was operating out of what was then called the Auditorium Building. At some point, Plummer’s moved across the street into the Weilt building (WMS14), but relocated back to this building in January 1929.  When they were in the Weilt building, they had opened Plummer’s Bargain Annex “one door above” their store (probably in WMS13).  When they moved back across the street, the Bargain Annex moved into their vacated place in the Weilt building.

The only basement in the building is under Unit 1, which is where Plummer & Trantham’s had their store in 1921.  In June of that year, the Bee Hive Barber Shop opened in the basement. Today, the basement is used for storage by the tenants on the first floor (WMN13a).

Plummer-Cobble continued to operate, with the last newspaper ad under that name appearing in the Transylvania Times on February 24, 1927. On March 10, the store’s advertisement said only “Plummer’s”, and underneath it were the words “Formerly Plummer-Cobble Co.”  

By the late 1920s, the business was simply known as Plummer’s Department Store. See below for more about the auditorium.

The Virginia Trust Company had held a loan by O.L Erwin, on which he defaulted in 1937. On September 29, 1937, they took the property and sold it to Investors Service Corporation.  The corporation was the highest bidder at a price of $10,000.  In March 1938, they sold the property to R.H. Plummer, a pivotal transaction that enabled the Plummer family to fully occupy and customize the space. This purchase marked the beginning of the building's local identity as the Plummer Building.

From 1938 through 1970, Plummer’s Department Store occupied space on the ground floor. The store was widely known for its diverse inventory of dry goods, clothing, and footwear.

The basement under Plummer’s was at some point used to sell items that were on sale. This was confirmed by a long-time resident.

Other tenants of the building during this period included:

• Bee Hive Barber Shop, in the basement under the left storefront (1921)

• Charlton & Sheldon, civil engineers (1926)

• Eagle Engineering Co. (1926) on the third floor

• The Brevard Band (1926), in third floor space donated by O.L. Erwin

• The Canteen Cafe (1928) opened in the summer by W.E. Shipman

• Whiteway Dry Cleaners (1928), who operated in the basement under WMN13a before moving to the first floor of the Tinsley Building (WMS18)

• Plummer's (1929), having moved across the street to the Weilt Building (WMS14) and now moving back

• A.C. Glazener, Inc. (1930)

• Dr. R.L. Stokes, who opened a second-floor medical office in 1931

• The Powder Puff beauty shop, located with Plummers

• Blue Moon Waffle and Sandwich Shop (1931)

• City Gym (1934) in the auditorium

• B.F. Beasley Jewelry Repair (1937)

• Bowling Alley (before 1938), in WMN13b

• Canteen Cafe (1938) The cafe had moved across the street into the Weilt Building in 1931. New owner Clyde Hamilton remodeled the bowling alley and move the cafe back to the right storefront (WMN13b) of this building.

• Plummer's Department Store (1941), formal opening on May 15th

• McCrary Home & Auto Supply (1945-1958), in WMN13b

Decline and New Tenancy (1970–1990s)

After Robert Plummer’s death in February 1969, the store closed in 1970. Over the following years, the building passed out of Plummer family ownership. While records of the precise ownership succession are incomplete, it is clear that during this period the building began transitioning from a department store to a mixed-use structure with independent retail and office tenants.

Other businesses in this era:

• Ragland Electric Supply (1973), likely in WMN13a - later moving to WMN13b

• Healy & Wilson Realty Co (1973), likely on the second floor

• Mountain Creek Realty (1974), likely on the second floor

William R. Ragland, owner of Ragland Electric Supply, purchased the building from Plummer’s widow Lois on March 15, 1977. 

Present-Day Use and Preservation (2000–2024)

On seventh of June, 2000. William R. Ragland and his wife Lucille sold the building to Timothy Thomas Dillen. Ragland must have held a note on the property because a deed of trust was executed the same day by Dillen with Ragland and his wife as the beneficiaries.

In March 2001, Dillen divided the building into individually owned units (condos).  Units 1 & 2 were (and still are) the first floor units, with Unit 1 being the left storefront and Unit 2 being the one on the right. The establishment document submitted by Dillen also mentions a basement under Unit 1, and that is confirmed via plat files.  Units 3 & 4 are on the second floor, with Unit 3 encompassing all of the lobby and office areas in front of Unit 4, which is the auditorium. Unit 3 fronts West Main street.  Unit 5 is on the third floor and includes a space in the southeast corner. Unit 6 is a larger condo area in the southwest corner.  Both third floor units (5 & 6) face West Main street. The Unit 4 auditorium is entered from the second floor lobby and extends all the way to the ceiling of the third floor, where there is a balcony that is accessible from the third floor landing.

Larry F. Cannady and his wife Elizabeth purchased the Unit 1 (the left storefront) from Dillen on January 17, 2005. Three weeks later, the Cannady’s bought Unit 3.

Ragland, who previously owned the entire building, bought Unit 2 (the right storefront and location of his business) from Dillen on May 11, 2009.  That same month, Dillen sold Units 5 & 6 (third floor spaces) to Kenneth W. Kuhn and Bonnie Ziegler.

Ragland sold Unit 2 on June 25, 2009 to W.Steve Owen and his wife Martha. Almost a year later, Owen (a realtor) conveyed it to Forever Owen, LLC.

Kenneth Kuhn and Bonnie Ziegler sold Units 5 and 6 to Robert and Dany Ray in February 2014. The Ray’s sold it to Michael Filipczak and Laurianne Brickner (husband and wife) in September 2015. They sold it to Luna Loft, LLC in December 2021, and Luna sold it to Tania and Antoine Issa in February 2024.  The Issa’s still own the units today.

A kitchen utensil and accessories business called The Proper Pot occupied the left storefront for many years, having moved there from a location further down West Main street.  

In the summer of 2006, Steve Owen and Associates Realtors were on the second floor, and a new concept called “The Metro” was initiated on that floor with offices in the auditorium area (see the auditorium section below).

When the Proper Pot vacated in 2019, Highland Books moved in and remains there in 2025. Mayberry’s, a locally beloved soup and sandwich café, operated in the right storefront until 2024, when it was succeeded by Smokey Sunrise, another restaurant. The second floor continues to serve as office space, preserving the original layout of hallways and rooms originally used for doctors, attorneys, and other professionals.

The below images show the second floor of the Carrier Building. The first is the wide stairway leading from West Main street.  The remainder show the second floor lobby with law offices surrounding it. The stairway off to the right as you come up the main stairway leads to third floor residences, and the locked double doors lead to the old Auditorium. The Auditorium hasn’t been open to the public for more than 20 years.

The building is part of the National Register-eligible Main Street Historic District and retains a high degree of historical integrity. Architectural details such as the corbelled cornice, pressed-metal ceilings, and original window configurations remain visible. The central stair to the upper floors, flanked by the two storefronts, is original to the building’s 1911 design.

The Auditorium

Many people are surprised to learn that there was an auditorium in this building. It formally opened in April 1912, with an announcement in the Sylvan Valley News that the “Upstairs room of the new Shipman-McMinn-Weilt building has been leased to a company of Brevard men, and will be finished up for use as an auditorium.” It was said that the space would be known as the “New Auditorium.”  

The auditorium occupied (as it still does today), a large portion of both the second and third floors of the building. It has double doors at the second floor entrance, a ticket booth inside, and a balcony accessible from the third floor. In its early days, movies were shown there by Frank Clements. There were also many shows, boxing matches, and events held in the popular space. 

The auditorium had a 40’x20’ stage, space for a small orchestra, a property room and two dressing rooms. During the summers, shows or movies were shown. Civic groups and others often rented the space to hold meetings, performances and special events.

The first show in the new auditorium was on April 17, 1912. It was called “An Evening In Dixie” and was a fundraiser sponsored by the Daughters of the Confederacy to aid the town’s library. For adults, the admission was 35 cents; it was only 25 cents for children. 

The above images show an advertisement in the Sylvan Valley News on April 12, 1912.  The playbill for the performance is on the right.

One early movie presented in the auditorium was a March 1913 showing of “Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show.” On Tuesday, February 1, 1916, the Mary Pickford five-act photoplay called “A Good Little Devil”, was shown.

At the end of 1934, the auditorium began its run as the City Gym, with square dances being held there between boxing and basketball games.

In 2006, owner Tim Dillen created a new concept in the auditorium that was called “The Metro.” It consisted of what was referred to as a “village”, with eleven modern offices. The Heart of Brevard moved its offices into the space. Part of the 4500 square foot area was to be used for presentations, and an art gallery was to initially feature the work of Amy Seidel, an Asheville artist. The planned opening date was September 22nd, during Brevard’s Art Walk. 

The auditorium has had several owners and quit claim deeds over the years.  In May 2009, Tim Dillen had a deed of trust with Carolina First Bank for this space (Unit 4).  TD Bank NA had merged with Carolina bank - making TD Bank the beneficiary. Their trustee, Stephen Wilkie, put the auditorium up for auction in March 2011. TD Bank was the highest bidder and they assumed ownership.  They sold it to Main Street, LLC in August 2012, who purchased it for $180,000.  Main Street, LLC executed a Quit Claim deed to Liza B. Naumann as trustee of a trust in her name in February 2017. Less than one month later, she pulled it out of the trust and returned it to Main Street, LLC.

Naumann still owns the auditorum today. She is a bright, pleasant woman who has good ideas for the future use of the space, but will keep it closed until she is ready to implement them.  The auditorium has been closed to the public for about 20 years.