Bill Agapion
President, Arco/Agapion Realty
Greensboro, NC 27406
Phone (336) 273-3767
Property Types
Retail
Markets
Charlotte, Greensboro/Winston-Salem
Bio
1926 marked the beginning of 2 very interesting and progressive lives. The 1st a 14-story brick structure in downtown Greensboro’s East Market and Davie Streets and the 2nd, a baby boy in Stamford, Connecticut born to Greek parents who moved to the U.S. from modern day Turkey. Although the 1st broke ground in 1926 in Greensboro, that latter wouldn’t arrive to his new hometown until 1939 with his parents.
Agapios Basilios Agapion, a restaurant owner, and wife, Helen Theodore Agapion, a Greek school teacher, brought their oldest son Bill, 13, daughter Katherine, 12, and youngest Stephen, 7 to settle in a nice southern town. It was a breath of fresh air from post-depression, blue collar Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Coincidentally, the textile industry coupled with the railroad and transportation industries were what established Greensboro as a city in 1808. Tobacco was of key importance, but cotton, as true in the rest of the south, was considered “King”, hence the building name. It was the arrival of Benjamin and Caesar Cone who established Greensboro as a textile leader.
As the city grew, so did its resident, Bill Agapion. Educational centers grew and drew tons of famous people to speak, lecture, visit, promote, rally, campaign, work, and eventually even protest. The King Cotton Hotel with decades of management by Haywood Duke, housed thousands of prominent travelers and visitors alike. With its 250 bedrooms, 250 baths, restaurants, themed convention rooms, luxurious ballroom with crystal chandeliers, balconies, columns, and pricey antiques, it was a jewel, and had more than enough space to house almost anyone who came along from 1926 to 1971. By 1952, Agapion had already graduated Greensboro City High School, attended The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., served in the US army during World War II as a highly decorated Lieutenant and received an astounding three purple hearts for injuries sustained in battle in Japan and The Philippines. He had graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and graduated UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law.
That year Bill Agapion and lifelong friend and fellow Greensboro resident, Kenneth Lee made history by being sworn into the N.C. State Bar Association together. The influential Lee, by becoming the 1st African-American to be sworn into the NC Bar and Bill Agapion by being the first Greek-American to be sworn into the NC Bar. Their friendship would prove particularly important in subsequent years. Both young lawyers hung out their shingles and began individual law practices. Kenneth Lee had established American Federal Bank in Greensboro, where he served as president for a number of years. He carved out his niche by lending to investors in the black community. The need was great because of unfair practices, like red-lining, which made it difficult for African-Americans to secure financing for real estate and business.
Bill Agapion by this time had a real estate portfolio that included hundreds of units. Until 1966 most were relatively small apartment properties and single family rental homes. That year the handsome young lawyer took a fancy to the stately King Cotton Hotel. The elegant edifice had hosted athletes, film stars, musicians, writers, scientists, and Nobel Prize winners. Legends like silver screen icon, Charlton Heston (1941), incredible 1st Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1942), and recording sensation Pat Boone (1956), knew it well. The Three Stooges laid their hats there, as well as fellow royal, Elvis Presley and his TCB band. Agapion completes, “Oh, yeah, everybody how was anybody, that came to Greensboro, stayed there.”
By 1966, the grand old place was mostly unoccupied, Agapion recalls, “Nobody wanted to buy it, it had been for sale for a while and I guess most people were afraid to take such a big risk.” Then again, Agapion has never been like most people. A true visionary, he explains, “I always admired it, and it was beautiful.” So the still single investor decided to take the bold chance. That year, he moved his law practice, Agapion & Agapion, along with partner and brother, Steve, from 201 North Cedar Street and Friendly, a few blocks east to the famous hotel.
Still regal, the structure was only being occupied on four floors as an unofficial dormitory for area college students, who were incidentally all white. This gave its new owner, Agapion, a great idea!
He had heard of the nearby North Carolina A&T State University housing shortage and decided to invite the students to come live at The King Cotton. Thus, creating the first racially integrated housing facility of its kind in North Carolina. 1969 resident of the 9th floor, and then A&T student, William Duke proclaimed of its status “… definitely the first racially integrated hosing complex in the state-probably in the entire southeast.” The same year, a young white man by the name of Bob Henderson moved to Greensboro to accept his position
