Remembering Raleigh: Remnants of 1950s Piggly Wiggly preserved inside local store

However, if you step inside the modern day store that currently fills the space, you may notice some historic remnants from the building's former life as 'The Pig.'

The quintessential small store "where everybody knows your name" served many of the surrounding neighborhoods from the 1950s until the 1990s when it closed.

Maintaining the store's original character, culture and memory was part of owner Jean Martin's goal when she took over the space and began remodeling in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Above shelves of quirky local art and nostalgic North Carolina trinkets, words like 'Delicatessen' and 'Grocery' mark the previous aisles of the former grocery store.

An old, blue grocery case can still be found along the back wall – complete with faded stickers where Piggly Wiggly barcodes can still be seen. Where old stickers mark 'broccoli' and 'cob corn,' the grocery case is instead overflowing with old-fashioned stuffed animals.

Even the full-service bar in the downstairs restaurant was built using hundreds of faded cans of Piggy Wiggly brand vegetables.

Martin, who remembers shopping at the old neighborhood grocery store for many years, even kept some of the shopping carts to use as planters outdoors. Above the outside deck, she even preserved the clock that once hung on the back wall of The Pig.

The downstairs dining area is decorated with black and white photos of days gone by, including one large image of the store during its heyday. One of the most visible artifacts is a huge, fading sign from the original store.

In a city that's growing and changing constantly, Martin has managed to create a space that feels modern, while still maintaining its roots in the culture of the Historic Five Points neighborhoods. It's a space that allows people to remember the Raleigh they grew up in.

In 1952, Jack Morgan opened the Tip Top grocery in the space. In 1958, he took on the Piggly Wiggly franchise.

"But everyone who lived nearby just called it 'The Pig,'" says Martin.

The mural, which was based on a black and white photograph of the grocery store, features some of the iconic relics still visible in NoFo today – proving how much was rescued during the remodeling.

"You can also see some of the employees in the painting. They look just like four people who used to work there," says Martin. "And right here, there's a pig running from the butcher. Isn't that cute?"

Fitting, for a store so well-known for its incredible ham.

Martin says many in the surrounding community, including herself, were distraught when The Pig closed its doors. It signaled the end of an era, and major changes in downtown Raleigh.

"It just kills me when the city talks about building all these 'mixed-use communities,' says Martin. "We're the original mixed-use community. This little strip of business that supported local neighborhoods. People walked here to do things. This is the main street of the Five Points neighborhood. There were two groceries, a hardware store, dry cleaning, a bank and the post office. It took care of your daily needs. And the Rialto, of course."

Martin says she recalls when grocery shopping meant walking to the nearest store, picking up your items, and not even paying right away.

"You could settle your bill at the end of the month," she says. "Everyone knew you."

Martin especially recalls a man named Richard Walker, whose photo hangs in NoFo, who she calls 'the heart of Piggly Wiggly.'

"He always helped us get our groceries to the car. He knew me, my mother, my children by name. He was amazing," she says.

Like many others, Martin grieved the loss of the Piggly Wiggly and the shift away from the neighborhood main street.

"It was more small-town," she says. "It killed me to see the Piggly Wiggly close. We hated losing it. So we saved as much of it as we could."

Martin says she worries Raleigh's local culture could be lost if local businesses aren't bolstered.

"I think if you look at the businesses that have had trouble, it's the local businesses. It's not the chain restaurants. It's local," she says.

If downtown Raleigh were to become nothing but national chains, she is concerned the city could lose its sense of place. That's part of why she ensured the memories of 'The Pig' stayed alive, even as her newer business took over the space.

"I believe in re-purposing, reusing and recycling -- and not throwing away the past," she says. "It's too important."