Tag Archives: Georgia Department Stores

Doyle Street, Toccoa

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Sometimes called Toccoa’s Main Street, Doyle Street was once closed to vehicular traffic and covered with concrete canopies. The removal of these monstrosities was the beginning of a long-time revitalization plan which culminated in Toccoa being named one of the top 10 “Main Streets” in the nation. It’s an ongoing process and is very inspiring. [Travel Note: If you’re in Toccoa, don’t miss a breakfast or lunch at BJ’s Family Restaurant, seen on the far right above. I had the best breakfast I’ve ever eaten there, and the staff treats everyone like they’re locals].

This large block is best remembered as the Belk-Gallant Department Store, which was the 10th Belk franchise to open in the region, in 1937. It remained at this downtown location until 1995. It was a bank before it was Belk-Gallant.

The building at far left, bearing the sign of a bookseller, was built circa 1920. It served as Grooh’s Department Store for many years, and later, as the Gem Jewelry Company and Mullinax Jewelers.

The large building in this photo was built circa 1910. It is best remembered as home to Harper’s 5 & 10 Cent Store. It is now used as office space and a great example of commercial restoration.

Toccoa’s downtown really is amazingly busy, and if you’d like more information about its historic commercial architecture, they’ve produced a wonderful booklet, available here as a PDF. I’ve used it for research, and my apologies if I’ve misidentified anything.

Downtown Toccoa Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

 

Knights of Pythias Lodge, Louisville

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The two-story brick building was once home to the Knights of Pythias; today it serves as the Museum and Archives of the Jefferson County Historical Society.

Sheldon Daitch writes: A little more history on the building which now houses the Jefferson County Historical Society. My earliest recollections of that building (early 1950s) is that the ground floor was Goldfarb’s Department Store, owned by Leon and Zelda Goldfarb. At some point, they move out of Louisville and my father moved his clothing store, Daitch Department Store, from the one story dark green fronted building to the two story building, pretty much doubling the floor space for the store.

After the old Daitch location was emptied, Sam Clark opened a hardware store, run first by Sam, senior, and then Sam junior ran it for a number of years.

The Historical Society took over the building at some point after my father retired and closed up the store. I do not know if there was any occupant in the ground floor between Dad’s store closure and the Historical Society’s occupancy.

Also note the brick wall between the two sets of display windows. When my Dad had the property, that brick wall was actually an entrance to the stairway for the second floor occupants. I believe the Historical Society closed up that outside entrance and then made an entryway to the stairs from inside the building.

Louisville Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Friedlander’s Department Store, 1936, Moultrie

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At the age of 16, in 1907, Louis Friedlander (1891-1975) came to Colquitt County and began a business of peddling sundries to local farmers, first on foot and later with a mule and wagon. He opened a small store at this location in 1908, known originally as the Bargain Store but soon thereafter changed to Friedlander’s. He built this structure in 1936, even though the community was suffering immensely from the ravages of the Great Depression, and it became one of the most successful retailers in South Georgia. A recent restoration reinforces the importance of this local landmark, a fine example of Art Deco architecture.

Many Moultrie folks have great memories of Friedlander’s. Fay Brock writes: I worked in the office at Friedlander’s from November 1967 until August 1970. I loved my time spent there, I really learned a lot working for this family owned and operated business. The books from all of the stores were kept in this main location. There were about 6 or 7 stores in Georgia and two in Daytona Beach, Florida. They gave me my first real job, and I will be forever grateful that they had enough faith in me to give me the opportunity. Judy Plymel recalls: wow..if this store could talk.. bought so many cool clothes here.. my first prom dress.. when I was a little girl.. my Easter shoes.. Easter dress on occasion.. it was 3 stories.. and the only one in town with an elevator for many years.. such a cool store at the time.. I can add that my hometown of Fitzgerald also had a Friedlander’s store when I was a boy. My great aunt, Gladys Brown, worked there for many years and visiting her was always a treat.

Moultrie Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

 

The Fair Store, Sylvester

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The Fair stores were a small chain in Southwest Georgia.

Sylvester Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Hand Trading Company, 1916, Pelham

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Tile entry mosaic, Hand Trading Company

A retail establishment of this size would have been considered enormous in a larger city, but for one to have been located in the little farm town of Pelham was nothing short of amazing. Judson Larrabee Hand modeled his store on Marshall Field’s in Chicago and when it opened in 1916, dubbed it “The Largest Rural Department Store in the World”. Perhaps its most impressive architectural feature, besides its sheer size, is a central open rotunda highlighted by a dome (not visible from street level). Over the years the Hand Trading Company helped establish Pelham as both an agricultural and retail center for the region, but changing times led to its inevitable closure by 1984. A long-term renovation of the building into apartments  is nearly complete as of 2019.

An interesting side note: Hand’s daughter, Virginia, was the wife of Cason Callaway, famous for Callaway Gardens; his daughter Alice was married to Fuller Callaway, Jr.

Here’s a great memory of Pelham and the Hand Trading Company from C. T. Cain: From 1939 through 1945 my family share cropped a farm owned by Mr.Fred Hand. At least twice a month we would hitch up our mules and wagon for a trip to Pelham(est 4-5 miles). After parking our wagon behind Hand Trading Company,our parents would shop at HTC and I would take in a movie at the Pine Theater. Then I took what was left of the .25 cents and buy a comic book and cherry soda at Hand’s soda fountain. My fondest memories of HTC were the bathroom upstairs since it was indoors and very clean. Also the elevator (which was operated by a man with Dwarfism and always had a smile) to take us to the upper floors. I grew up all around Pelham: 1st in the Cotton/Harmony area, then west of Pelham close to the Hawthorne Trail. Worked in many areas to support my parents. Mostly hiring my labor out to farmers such as Jim Curles, Preacher Thomas, and Mr. Brim in the Cotton area. Even worked for Harris’s dairy for a spell. But each weekend led me back to Pelham and HTC.

In 1951 I joined the US Army and enjoyed 22 years of serving my country. But during all those years, my thoughts were of Pelham and HTC. When I was asked where I was from I would always say “FROM A SMALL SOUTHWESTERN TOWN WHICH HAS A LARGE BUILDING COVERING A CITY BLOCK CALLED THE HAND TRADING COMPANY”. There’s not enough space here to list all the memories I have of Pelham and the Hand Trading Co building. I’ve traveled the world , but there’s no place like home. C.T.(Buddy) Cain US Army Logistical Officer(Retired) PS: I’ve worn many shirts to school with a big hand symbol on the back from a fertilizer sack. Oh those were the days.

The Hand Trading Company was restored in the 2010s and is now used as apartments.

Pelham Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

A. S. Harris Department Store, 1953, Ocilla

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The byline on the front awning said it all. A. S. Harris Department Store was “Irwin County’s Trading Center” for much of the twentieth century. Many of my Irwin County friends remember buying school clothes here, but more than that, this was a “cradle to the grave” sort of store, where everything from baby clothes to funeral attire could be found. Martha Jo Felson Katz shared this history: My grandfather, A.S. Harris opened the store in 1907. For 93 years, it was the cornerstone of our little town. He married my grandmother Ida Bank Harris from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1910 and she moved to Ocilla where she loved, lived and died there. We grew up working in the store. My grandfather started the First State Bank, built the Community House, and owned several other buildings on the main street. He helped my mother and father open Felson’s next door to A.S.Harris’s. Abe died in 1947 and in 1952, the old store was torn down, and the new one built in the same location. We built a red brick building on Cherry Street as a temporary building while the new one was being constructed. It seems like the end of an era now with all of our family there gone.

I never shopped here, but I knew Mr. Harris from meals shared at the Fitzgerald Elks Lodge with my parents. He and his wife, Esther, were two of the nicest people around. I have good memories of them.