Brevard Jewelry Stores also Sold Eye Glasses

Frank Clement and Thelma Ashworth inside Clement Jewelry.

Brevard has been the home of a number of jewelry shops since the early 1900s.  The earliest mention of a jewelry shop in the Sylvan Valley News was for Hawkin's Jewelry Store in 1903.  The 1900 Federal Census lists David Hawkins, 30 years old, as a watch repairer in Brevard.  By 1910 Hawkins was operating a jewelry store in McKinney, TX.  He would return to the southeast and spend the rest of his career in Toccoa, GA.

The 1900 census also listed 20-year-old C.B. "Charley" McFee as a watch repairer in Brevard.  McFee ran a jewelry store for many years.  His obituary states that he was "a jeweler and leading merchant of Brevard from 1898 until the early 1940s when he retired."

MeFee's Jewlers, 1953.

According the Sylvan Valley News and census information P.R. "Pennie" Ayres also operated a jewelry and watch repair shop in Brevard in 1910.  Ayres sold his business to Frank D. Clement of Elizabeth City, NC in 1913.

Clement soon built a new 2-story brick shop that included a movie theater on the corner of Main and Caldwell.  In addition to the jewelry business, Clement also had a photo shop.  His sons, Verne and Ted, ran the Clemson Theater.  Frank Clement retired from the jewelry business in 1936.  He and Verne built and operated the Co-Ed Theater beside Clemson Theater.  They sold both theaters in 1942.

Brevard Jewelers, 1956.

During the mid-1900s there were three jewelry stores in Brevard--Baker's Jewelers, Brevard Jewelers, and Parson's Jewelry.  Austin Baker owned and operated his store on Jordan St. for 30 years.  Alma Cox operated Brevard Jewelers & Gift Shop in the Aethelwold building from 1953 until 1991.

Parson’s Jewelry was located in the Aethelwold prior to Brevard Jewelers.  They moved to W. Main St. for a few years before Jack Parson's built a new store on E. Main St. beside the courthouse and library in the late 1950s.  Arthur and Pamela Love purchased Parson's Jewelry in August 1972.  

In addition to selling and repairing jewelry and watches early jewelers were sometimes a town's optometrist and sold eye glasses.  Jewelry stores often carry fine china, crystal, cut glass, sterling, pewter, copper, and bridal and baby gifts as well.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Rice Furniture Has Been here the Longest

Rice Furniture opened on June 1, 1968 making it the longest running current retail business in downtown Brevard.  Edwin Rice began in the business as a delivery man for Pearlman's Furniture in Asheville in the late 1940s.   After serving in the Army and working in other businesses he went back to work at Pearlman's Canton store in 1961.  In 1962 he took over as manager of their Brevard store.

Pearlman's Furniture store opened on the corner of
E. Main and Gaston streets on August 25, 1950.

Pearlman’s had opened their Brevard store in 1950.  In 1956 they renovated the former Wheeler Hosiery building on the corner of W. Main St. and Caldwell.  They also used the building behind them on Caldwell St. as a warehouse.

When Rice purchased Pearlman’s he continued to use all three floors for displaying and selling living room and bedroom furniture.  The Caldwell St. buildings behind the main building carried dining and kitchen furniture, as well as appliances.  In addition they carried children’s furniture, televisions and stereos, carpeting and vinyl flooring, and home accessories.

Prizes displayed in Houston Furniture's window for their Formal Opening
included a range, a kitchen cabinet, a chifforobe, and more.

Houston Furniture Company was one of the earliest furniture businesses in Brevard.  A.M. Houston opened his first furniture store in 1906.  His first Brevard store was located on S. Broad St. and opened in 1926, fifteen years later they relocated to E. Main Street.  Although fire nearly destroyed the business in 1953 they recovered and continued to grow.  After Mr. Houston's death his nephew, Herman Turner who had long been a partner in the business took over.  Larry Turner followed in his father's footsteps, operating the store until it closed in 1990.

DeWitt Abercrombie ran a furniture store downtown beginning in 1938.  In 1949 he build a large four-story building on N. Broad St. just below the present day Transylvania Times.  Apartments were on the top floor and the basement was used for storage, leaving the other two floors for the retail business.  In 1969 Ed Mims and Charlie Lyday purchased the store.  Mims bought Lyday out in 1971 and operated the store until 1978.

The mezzanine level of Houston Furniture was added in the early 1960s.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Brevard Department Stores Were Popular

This week Picturing the Past will look inside a few of Brevard’s former department stores.  General stores had been popular in most communities in the 1800s.  They were normally small structures and carried a wide array of goods.  Department stores developed as consumerism grew.  These larger retail stores also carrying a variety of items but were organized by department.

Trantham’s was one of Brevard’s earliest department stores.  T.E. England opened it as a general store in 1885.  In 1915 his son-in-law, B.W. Trantham, became a partner in the business and soon transformed it into a department store.  Beverly English Trantham had begun working with her father as a teenager.  Their sons, Tony and Jack followed in the family business.  They sold toys, notions, piece goods, clothing, and shoes.  Later they would specialize in men’s clothing and shoes.  In 1939 the store relocated from W. Main to the corner of E. Main and Gaston streets, beside the new Belk’s.  Tony retired in 1970 and Jack closed the store when he retired in 1976.

S.F. Allison was the manage of Plummer's Annex.

Another early department store in Brevard was Plummer’s on W. Main St.  Henry Plummer opened the store as Johnson and Plummer, later it became Plummer and Cobble, and then The Plummer Company.  In 1932 his son, Robert took over the business.  It operated until 1970.

Alex and Bessie Patterson had worked in various department stores before opening their own store in 1940.  Mrs. Patterson was from Brevard and they thought the growth of the town with the opening of Ecusta would provide their business plenty of customers.  When Alex died in 1952 the Patterson’s son, Ben took over management.  Over the years the store expanded until it consisted of about 7500 square feet.  They had separate entrances for the men’s department (on S. Broad St.) and the women’s department (on W. Main St.) but it was all one store.  Patterson’s closed in 1989.



The women's department at Belk offered chairs
and even an ashtray for customers.

Brevard’s first Belk Department Store was located on W. Main St. in what would become Patterson’s.  After just a couple of years they built and opened a new store on E. Main St.  The new store had a mezzanine level in both the front and the back.  The women’s department was located on the upper level in the back and Ruth’s Beauty Shop was on the upper level in the front.  There were two sets of double doors to enter on the front of the building.  On the interior, wide open stairs went up from the center in both the back and front.  In 1993 Belk’s moved out of downtown to the new Walmart plaza at the intersection of highways 64, 276, and 280 in Pisgah Forest. 

Next week Picturing the Past will reveal the downtown Brevard store that currently has the longest run in the same location.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Beauty Shops focused on More Than Hair

Last week’s Picturing the Past mentioned that Smith’s Barber Shop also had a women’s department.  According to Smith’s obituary, Dock Ramsey’s wife managed that part of the shop and “did the first hair bobbing in Brevard, clipping tresses in the style made popular by Irene Castle.”  Holland Talley also operated a women’s beauty parlor in conjunction with his barber shop for several years in the 1950s.

Mrs. Lodema Robertson operated a beauty parlor on W. Jordan St. in Brevard in the 1930s.  Originally known as the Nobby Shoppe Beauty Parlor the name changed to Harper Method Beauty Shop in May 1932.  In addition to haircuts and permanent waves the shop carried cosmetics.  Mrs. Robertson and her assistants blended powder specifically for individual complexions and instructed ladies on how to apply make-up.

Edith Mull and Marie Davis, East Main Beauty Shop, 1933.

Edith Mull York worked as a beautician in Brevard for several years before opening her own shop, Modern Beauty Salon, on W. Jordan St. around 1943.  Ladies typically had a standing appointment each week to have their hair fixed.  York’s daughter said her mother always enjoyed her work and became good friends with her weekly customers.  Mrs. York continued to work until retiring at the age of 82 ½ in the late 1990s.

By 1972 the Brevard Beauty Nook was the largest beauty shop in town with eight beauticians, six shampoo booths, and eleven driers.  They offered permanents, frosting, styling, cutting, wig care, and manicures.  Mrs. Ruth Sams and Mrs. Edna Fullbright, who had both worked at Anne’s Beauty Bar previously, opened it in 1954.  The Beauty Nook was originally located on the 2^nd floor, above Osborne-Simpson Funeral Home on E. Main.  In 1958 they moved downstairs after the funeral home relocated.

Anne's Beauty Bar on East Jordan Street operated in the 1940s.

Over the years there have been many other beauty shops and salons in Brevard and throughout the county. 

During the next few weeks Picturing the Past will continue to look inside some of Transylvania’s other past businesses.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.