Mural celebrates Louisburg history

LOUISBURG, NC (WTVD) -- Student Julius Shumpert and his Louisburg College Art Teacher, Will Hinton, created this 12' X 16' mural on the side of a building in downtown Louisburg.[br /][br /]It started with a Minority Artist Grant through the Louisburg Historical District Commission with the help of Louisburg College's president. They started drawing, and then painting in the month of June and unveiled it to the town for July 4.[br /][Ads /][br /][br /][br /][media ID="1452372" /][br /][br /]Louisburg College says the mural is a depiction of The Louisburg Opera House with actual Louisburg residents walking down the sidewalk in 1936.[br /][br /][media ID="1452369" /][br /][br /]Depicted in the mural are Elena Phelps Wheeler who married Mr. I. P. Wheeler , one of three local barbers in Louisburg. Ms. Wheeler worked as a salesperson in Fox's Department Store, which is located on Nash Street.[br /][Ads /][br /][media ID="[br /]1452387" /][br /][br /]Mr. Jesse (Turk) Perry worked at the Louisburg Dry Cleaners which was located in the current Davis, Sturges,& Tomlinson Law Office.[br /][br /]The third person is Mr. Dick Yarborough who worked as a postal clerk and was a rural mail carrier. He was married to Elsa Yarborough, who served as a librarian, both as head librarian in the Franklin County Library and at Louisburg College. Dick Yarborough was also Will Hinton's great uncle.[br /][br /][media ID="1452458" /][br /][Ads /][br /][br /][br /]"Ron Cox owns the Scoggin Drug Store Building which stands at the corner of Nash and Main in the heart of downtown. With the support of many local contractors he has rescued this historic faade from falling bricks and atrocious vinyl siding," explained Hinton. "Driving this restoration has been local masonry contractor Bob Elliot. It turns out that Ron also owns the building adjacent to the north side of this building where the City Barbershop was located. I approached him and he is very positive to our mural being placed on the exterior of his building, the very building I was focused on when I stood in front of the Post Office."[br /][br /][media ID="1452381" /][br /][media ID="1452384" /][br /][br /][br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://bit.ly/1TfmsxL"]Report a Typo[/url][/b]