The story below is from our September/October 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
Photo above: Julianne Rainone / Archival image courtesy of the Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
This street is still as busy as it was nearly 100 years ago, though with a bit of a facelift since its early 1900s beginning.
Long before this popular Grandin Village ice cream spot served up sweet treats, it was a haven for bookworms.
That’s right, the cozy Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar shop on Memorial Avenue in Roanoke once was the Raleigh Court Library.
According to historical records, the library, originally the Virginia Heights Branch Library, moved from its original spot at 1324 Grandin Road (the current location of Reid’s Fine Furnishings) into the Memorial Avenue building in 1931. It remained there until 1966, when it relocated to Grandin Road at its current location in front of Patrick Henry High School.
In its early days, the library had 5,000 to 6,000 books, according to Nelson Harris, a pastor and former Roanoke City mayor who has written books about Virginia and Roanoke history. The Raleigh Court Neighborhood Association now owns the approximately 1,168 square foot building.
In 2006, Brandon Davis, a chef, and Anna Robertson, a former baker, gave the site new life when they opened Pop’s. Their shop, with an old-fashioned ice cream parlor vibe, serves all kinds of sweet concoctions, from ice cream sodas to banana splits. Their menu also offers a wide variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s a well-known gathering place for the neighborhood’s young and old, featuring a long diner counter with tall stools, record night events and board games.
Meanwhile, in recent years, the Raleigh Court library has expanded at 2112 Grandin Road. It closed for a year in 2014 for extensive renovations and reopened with numerous new features, including a children’s area, a cafe, a courtyard and a drive-through book return.
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