For its 150th anniversary, the City of Conover put 17 places from its past on an interactive map. Most of the downtown buildings on that map are still standing. City Hall started out as a church. A 1940 bank now holds a homebuilder's office. A furniture plant that Broyhill once owned now houses local businesses including Perfect Workout and Fresh Chef. The places that are gone stood out along US 70 and 64 and the boulevards. Downtown Conover replaced uses and kept the buildings.
The map is called A Glimpse Into the Past. The City released it in September 2026 as part of the anniversary marking Conover's founding in 1876. It opens on downtown in 1958 and asks how many of the business landmarks you recognize. Walking or driving the tour stop by stop makes a good short outing this month.
The Town Grew Up Around a Railroad Junction
The town started before any of these buildings. The City's anniversary materials say the settlement that grew around the railroad was first called Wye Town, after the Y-shaped junction near what is now Five Points. Businesses, homes and industry grew outward from that junction. That is why the oldest working blocks sit close together. Most of the map's downtown stops are a short walk apart on 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue NE and the streets near City Hall.
The City's first merchandise release for the anniversary used that history directly. The Wye Town Tee was described as "a nod to Conover's earliest identity."
City Hall Started Out as the "Rock Church"
The City Hall building first belonged to Trinity Church. It was built in 1935, and people called it the "Rock Church." The Town of Conover bought the property and received the deed in 1952. One of the first changes was adding bays for the Fire Department. The map says the building has been renovated several times since, including interior work that was underway in 2025.
The congregation kept its name and moved a short distance. Trinity United Church of Christ now meets at 217 2nd Ave NE, which the map calls the new Trinity Church. So the Trinity name still sits within a few blocks of the stone building the church started in.
The same street has another handoff. The Conover Public Works Department was at 115 2nd Ave NE until 1993, and the Conover Police Department now occupies that site. Downtown civic uses have mostly moved between existing sites instead of leaving the center.
A Bank, a Furniture Plant and a Mill
The clearest example on the map is the bank. It opened on September 3, 1940, as the Citizens Bank. The map says it was one of the first buildings in Catawba County to use fluorescent lighting. Its first board of directors was R. K. Bolick, L. E. Hunsucker, JNO. A. Isenhower, S. S. Rowe, T. W. Saunders, A. L. Shuford and P. E. Yount, names that still appear around the county. The building later housed a Wells Fargo. The City's map lists David Cline Signature Homes there now.
Conover Furniture followed the same pattern. In the 1950s Broyhill owned the plant but kept the Conover Furniture Company name. The map lists Perfect Workout and Fresh Chef among the local businesses in the building today. A building put up to make furniture is now shared by several local businesses.
Yount Cotton Mill opened in the early 1920s and ran until the early 1950s, then served as storage. The map says the building still stands where it was built, and the property once included housing for mill workers.
| Map stop | What it was | What the City's 2026 map lists there |
|---|---|---|
| Conover City Hall | Trinity Church's 1935 "Rock Church," then Town Hall | City Hall |
| 115 2nd Ave NE | Public Works Department until 1993 | Conover Police Department |
| First National Bank | Citizens Bank, opened September 3, 1940; later Wells Fargo | David Cline Signature Homes |
| Conover Furniture | Broyhill-owned plant in the 1950s | Perfect Workout, Fresh Chef and other local businesses |
| Concordia Lutheran Church | Church; once the site of Concordia College | Concordia Christian Day School |
| Conover Elementary School | Served the community from 1917 to 1970 | Conover School |
| Yount Cotton Mill | Mill from the early 1920s to the early 1950s | Original building still standing |
On 1st Avenue South, One Business Never Moved
The fifth stop on the map shows one block of what was then S 1st Ave. Herman Grocery Co. opened at 122 in the early 1940s and sold kerosene, ice cream and groceries. The Conover post office was at 120, with Claude M. Schell as postmaster. Conover Department Store was at 118. Those three addresses held a small-town main street's basic needs.
A short walk away is the one business on the map with no change to report. Drum Funeral Home has been at its 1st Avenue South location since 1926. When the map's photo was taken, it also ran a 24-hour ambulance service. The map labels this stop "Some things in Conover have stayed the same!"
Education sites carried on in the same places too. Concordia College once stood where Concordia Lutheran Church was, and that site now holds Concordia Christian Day School. Conover Elementary served the community from 1917 to 1970, and its site is now Conover School. The 1st Ave N photo, looking north toward where Walmart stands today, shows homes that are still there.
The Vacant Lots Are Out Near the Highways
The tour's last stops show the other half of Conover's history. These businesses served traffic on the highways and boulevards, and most of them are gone.
The Mackie Motel stood on US 70 and 64. An ad from the time listed a restaurant and 38 heated, air-conditioned rooms. The site sits across from what is now Smurfit WestRock and is a vacant lot next to housing. McGee Building Supplies sold hardware and aluminum windows, and its lot is vacant too.
Two more stops tell you how people ate and got fuel in mid-century Conover. The Catawba Dairy Bar at 506 Conover Blvd SW sold fresh local milk, ice cream and other dairy products. Superior Petroleum at 1023 Acme St sold gasoline, heating oils, motor oils and Pennzoil. Until January 1952 it was the only supplier of gasoline, kerosene and lubricating oil for the Town of Conover.
The last photo looks west on Conover Blvd E from what is now S & H Pools near the YMCA. Stand there with the old image on your phone and you can see how much the boulevard has changed compared with the blocks around City Hall.
Taking the Tour This Month
The map numbers its stops in order, and the downtown stops make an easy walk:
- 1st Ave N, looking north
- Conover City Hall
- The former Public Works site at 115 2nd Ave NE
- The former Citizens Bank building
- The 1st Ave S block at 118, 120 and 122
- The former Conover Furniture plant
- Drum Funeral Home
- The Conover Elementary site
The Yount Cotton Mill, Concordia, Trinity and the stops on the highways and boulevards make a short drive after the walk. The map ends with a gallery of extra photos and period ads for several of the businesses on the tour.
The anniversary year is also nearly over. Founders Day was set for September 18 at City Park, 361 5th Avenue SE. The City's program listed The Big 80's Band, local food vendors and drinks from 1877 Pub & Grub, with proceeds going to Sipe's Orchard Home. WHKY reported ahead of the festival that only 150 of the exclusive Founders Day shirts would be printed, priced at $20. The City's Conover 150 Collection plan lists two more drops. "Local Legends" honors businesses that "become part of the memory of a town," and a final Holiday Collection of commemorative keepsakes will close the 150th year. The City announces each drop on its social media and e-newsletter.
The map notes that some locations and dates may not be fully accurate. The City asks anyone with information about these properties, or who spots an error, to call the Planning Department at 828-464-1191.
If you own a home in one of Conover's older neighborhoods and want to know how its history fits into today's market, the principals at Kendall Real Estate can talk it through with you. Book your complimentary buyer or seller consultation.