Charlotte Happenings is your monthly guide to events and things to do in and around Charlotte, NC.
Issue link: http://charlottehappenings.epubxp.com/i/706014
RETRO charlotte PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBINSON-SPANGLER CAROLINA ROOM – CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY Ratcliffe's Flowers The neon green and white sign for Ratcliffe's Flowers, which now stands proudly atop The Green on South Tryon Street in Uptown, has a long and interesting history. Virginia native Louis G. Ratcliffe (1893-1961) moved to Charlotte and opened his first flower shop in 1917 at the still-standing and now busting Latta Arcade. One year later, he was fighting with the 323rd Infantry in France during World War I. After the war, Ratcliffe returned to Charlotte, where he delved into civic involvement and leadership throughout the city. Throughout the 1920s, business at Ratcliffe's Flowers blossomed, and Ratcliffe decided it was time for a larger locale. He entrusted William H. Peeps (1868-1950), the architect of Latta Arcade, to design the plans for a new shop. Peeps, a native of London, England, settled in Charlotte in 1905, where he became one of the city's most popular architects for both commercial and residential buildings. Peeps chose to design the new florist shop in the Mediterranean Revival style. He finished the plans in 1929, and construction of the new Ratcliffe's Flowers began soon thereafter at 431 S. Tryon St. The uniqueness of the building's architecture, which included Tiffany stained glass, arched ceilings and its infamous neon sign, has always been popular with Charlotteans, even long after Ratcliffe's Flowers closed. It remains an iconic Charlotte landmark. The popularity of Peep's design saved the little shop from being torn down in the late 1990s, when developers decided to preserve it. It's now home to Bernardin's Fine Dining. Meanwhile, the original Ratcliffe's Flowers sign sits less than 100 feet away. By Abby Blanton 24 AUGUST 2016