Continuing our series of mysteries/questions we have about historic buildings in Vanceboro, here’s another, involving two of Vanceboro’s most prominent early 20th century citizens, Aubrey Tague and Stillman Armstrong.

Aub Tague is well-known as the proprietor of Aubrey W. Tague’s Store, built on the lot occupied by the Exchange Hotel, which was deeded to Aub and his sister Bertha upon their father James’ death in 1914. The hotel burned in 1916 and Aub built his store on eastern half of the lot; Bertha and her husband, Ralph Keef, built a house on the western half. That house, on the corner of High and First, still stands.

Both the Keef house and Aub Tague’s store can be seen in this photo. The store operated until the 1950s (Aub Tague died in 1971).

Stillman Armstrong was a man of many talents. He was a taxidermist, a shoe manufacturer, an inventor, the co-owner of Vanceboro’s silent movie house, a fire insurance agent, the owner of a lumber mill, and the proprietor of the town’s first electrical plant. Our question is about his taxidermy shop.

We posted the below photo on the VHS website, identifying it as “S. Armstrong Taxidermist advertisement on the side of Aub Tague’s store on First Street.”

However, we have recently received a photo that suggests this building was never Aub Tague’s store. Note, in particular, the sign above the awning in the photo below identifying the building as “S. Armstrong Taxidermist.”

We believe now that these are two different establishments, though the buildings look remarkably similar.

Placed side by side, some noticeable differences emerge.

Aub Tague’s store….

The front attic window in Tague’s store (first photo) is square; in Armstrong’s it’s rectangular. Above the awning, the Armstrong shop front has side-to-side decorative molding, absent from Tague’s. Armstrong’s building is slightly set back from the road, while Tague’s appears to be nearly flush. In addition, the Armstrong photo has a utility pole, indicating this photo was taken after the town had electricity in 1926. Tague’s store was established by then, built between 1916 and 1919 according to deeds, and the car in front of the store looks to be of that era.

If Armstong’s taxidermy shop was not an earlier version of Aub Tague’s store on First Street, the building that ultimately became the Legion Hall, where was it located?.

We know that Armstrong purchased property along the north side of Railroad Street in 1904. We also know that he built a house (he and his family are listed as living on Railroad Street in the 1910 census) and that his factory, Armstrong Shoe Co, which later housed Armstrong Picture House, was located on the corner of Railroad Street and Water Street. Perhaps the taxidermy shop building preceeded the factory or was a building next door. 

If anyone has information, let us know!