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May 06, 2023

A look at local book store history

Our History This postcard features the Blue Ridge Inn on Main Street and was

Our History

This postcard features the Blue Ridge Inn on Main Street and was sold at Moore's Book Store. This particular postcard was post marked Sept. 29 of 1908 and was mailed to Lynchburg, Virginia.

Mount Airy Museum of Regional History

This time of year, Main Street here in Mount Airy sees a lot of foot traffic as people are shopping for the holiday. I always add a few books to my Christmas wish list, which made me realize I can't remember a holiday where I wasn't buying or receiving a book as a gift.

Bookstores today often include much more than just books. Some have built-in cafes to get specialty coffees and treats, trinkets and novelty gifts, games and toys, and a wide variety of things. As I walked Main Street this past weekend to start my shopping, I began to wonder what it would have been like to shop in a local bookstore 100 years, 75 years, or even 50 years ago? What types of things would it have sold? Who would have owned the businesses? What role did they serve in the community? Well, after plenty of research, let me paint you a picture.

J.D. Jenkins came to Mount Airy and opened his bookstore in the early 1880s right on Main Street. He experienced several years of success, and by 1892, joined up with another gentleman, L.S. Hadley. He built a two-story brick building next door for him to sell groceries, and even splurged to put down brick pavement in front of the two shops. Jenkins was not only a socialite and business-minded bookseller, but he was also a stationer. A stationer was someone who sold stationary at this time, or paper, ink, and tools used for writing. After gaining access to the train, many shops were expanding inventory options, and Jenkins was no exception. By 1900 he was even selling sewing machines in his bookstore.

As we move into the 1900s, J.D. Jenkins’ Book Store wasn't the only bookstore on Main Street to offer luxury items. Moore's Book Store liked to boast in the newspaper about offering "fancy goods of any kind." In addition to a variety of books, it sold tobacco and cigars, stationery such as high-end writing paper and postcards, and even reading glasses from Hawkes Crystalized Lenses. They even advertised special days where someone would come in to test your eyes and adjust your glasses for you.

As we move into the 1910s to 1930s, a new bookstore, Creed's Book Store (or J.W. Creed Book Store), came onto the scene. This shop was owned by A.E. Creed and would have been located between Franklin and Pine heading south (to the left of Snappy Lunch if you are facing the front of the shop.) The building was also conveniently located next to the Times-Leader newspaper building.

Creed's Book Store carried books and stationery naturally, but also directly sold school books and supplies, as well as a variety of other items. The store burned down in June of 1931, sadly, and many damaged items were auctioned each night at the Marion Music House next door. Thankfully, the owners were able to rebuild, and soon after was able to resume selling the normal stock of magazines, newspapers, books, novelties and gifts, along with cigars and tobacco, guns, ammunition, and sporting goods.

By this time the Mount Airy Times had set up shop on Main Street, and would want to get in on the book selling. The Time's Book Store operated in the front part of the Time's office building on Main Street next to Wolfe's Drug Store. The store was an extension of the paper and sold stationary and office supplies upon its opening in 1934. During their grand opening, they claimed in the paper to offer "…typewriters and filing systems for the business men; legal forms of all description for the attorneys and magistrates; and cardboard in all colors and sizes for the teachers and pupils of the various schools." Many advertisements of the time marketed them as more of an office supply store than any kind of bookstore we would recognize today, but they still experienced years of success through the 1960s.

Hinkle's Book Store followed and was a part of a chain of stores that originated in downtown Winston-Salem in 1925 by founder Sanford Hinkle. The store was the premier book supplier from the early 1960s to the 1980s.

This has in no way been a comprehensive list of all of the bookstores on Main Street throughout history, but hopefully offered insight by looking into some of the most well-known ones. In present-day, we have had a range of booksellers and for most of us today, Pages Books and Coffee comes to mind. In many ways, local bookstores throughout the years provided a way for us to educate and entertain ourselves, stay connected, advance our skills and professions, and even treat ourselves and our loved ones from time to time.

You may not be able to get your eyes checked or buy some ammunition at a local bookstore today, but for most of us, a coffee, a fun trinket, and Wi-Fi are a pretty sweet deal. I hope many of you consider shopping local this year when you can, to not only support your community, but to help continue preserving local traditions and history as well.

Cassandra Johnson is the programs and education director at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and loves to encourage others to find the history in the little day to day aspects of their lives from what roads we drive to work or to shopping.