Brightleaf Square

Brightleaf Square occupies the former Watts and Yuille tobacco warehouses, named for George W. Watts and Thomas B. Yuille, members of the Duke family. The warehouses were built between 1900 and 1904 as part of an aggressive building campaign by the American Tobacco Company for storing, aging, and fermenting tobacco for cigarette manufacture. The twin brick structures punctuated the Durham skyline and announced the company’s new, bold corporate image, which reflected the fair of its founder, the entrepreneur Washington Duke. Furthermore, the warehouses stood as economic and cultural symbols of the growing importance of cigarette smoking and the industrial revolution’s impact on turn-of-the-century America. In 2004, Brightleaf Square embarked on an incredible transformation of the courtyard and made significant improvements to the North and South Buildings to promote better traffic flow. Restaurants and Retailers now face the courtyard providing visitors easy entrance and the ability to window shop while strolling between the buildings. The renovations were completed in Fall 2004 and Brightleaf Square has welcomed several new tenants in addition to the businesses who have flourished in the district for many years.