In 1903, the city opened a municipal performance hall, called the Academy of Music, on the block now occupied by CCB Plaza.

Besides a 1,500-seat second-floor auditorium, the building housed city offices and a ground-floor food market. The original academy building burned in 1909 and was rebuilt, serving until it was razed to make way for the 16-story Washington Duke (later Jack Tar, still later Durham) Hotel in 1924. The market moved to a new location, now the Durham Armory; city offices moved into the former Central High School on Morris Street; the auditorium was replaced with the new Durham Auditorium (Carolina Theatre).