Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Because 1928 Rosewood Drive was the site of Chippendolls, which is one of the more popular posts here, I always notice the buliding when I drive by.

The other day, it seemed to me that something was different, and it finally hit me that I was pretty sure that Gamecock Stop had occupied the whole building at one point. Looking back at my photos for Chippendolls (like the first one above) I confirmed that, as does this Loopnet posting.

Google also turned up an entry for S & S Art Supply in the "B" part of the building. Apparently that came and moved before I even noticed Gamecock Stop vacating that part of the building. This blog post says they opened on 8 Aug 2009, and apparently sometime this year they moved to 1633 Main Street.

I have to admit I never made it to Gotham Bagel Cafe. Originally, Manhatten Bagel / Holey Dough was much closer than what was then Rising High on Main. After Holey Dough closed, Brueggers was still closer, and has a worthwhile bottomless coffee card deal. Then, even if I happened to be downtown, parking would have figured into the equation. All that's to say I kinda, sorta, figured I would get around to it some day, but -- too late!

I remember two interesting stories about this place from The State. The first was interesting and quirky: It seemed that the owner had no experience with bagels at all, and was opening a bagel shop almost on a lark, and learning as she went along. Apparently she was a good learner, as the comments people have left here so far about the place have been positive.

The second story was interesting and scary. It seems that someone (I believe it was the owner, but I could be wrong) had gotten his or her clothes hooked on an industrial kneader and was in danger of being pulled into the machine and being chopped and kneaded to death, but was in the event saved by someone who had no idea how to work the machine, but found the cut-off in time.

The closing sign implies that something is in the works for this space. I certainly hope so, as the old Kress building is a downtown treasure. As of 17 September 2010, the Gotham web site is still up, but it gives no indication that the store is closed, or what might happen next.

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I made a bit of a road-trip on Labor Day, and noticed this place between Camden and Hartsville. Beaver Dam Trading Post sat just up the hill from an old mill pond. While the mill was never in operation (that I can recall) while I was growing up, it sat there idle for years and years as the pond water rushed over the spillway. In general my parents didn't want us going near it for fear that something would collapse, but I recall getting up to the windows at least once, and seeing all the works and millstone still inside the place. Of course, despite driving past the mill at least a dozen times every year, and despite fancying myself as a shutterbug with my 35mm constantly at the ready on these family trips, I never thought to take a single picture of it until after it was gone.

Also at the side of the lake by the mill was an unlabelled upside-down "L" shaped pipe which was the outlet for an artesian well. This flowed 24/7/365, and we would always make our parents stop there so we could drink from this marvel. Once our dog got into the spirit as well, and jumped out the car window to join us at the pipe, managing to break her leg.

The small spurt of development that brought the Trading Post seemed to have put paid to the old mill and well. This is complete speculation but I suspect that people locating around the lake were distrustful of the old spillway, and that increased septic usage made a potable well somewhat iffy. At any rate, the mill went first, and the well a few years later.

After the route from I-20 through Bishopville to Hartsville developed, we travelled this stretch of road much less often, and in my case usually at night. To me it seemed that Beaver Dam Trading Post was doing neither better nor worse than you would expect for a convienience store in what was still a pretty sparse and rural area. It wasn't packed, but there were always a few cars there. This Administrative Court decision shows that they were apparently owned by a former Lee County Magistrate and got a permit to sell beer & wine to go in 1999. This set of game-day driving directions shows that they were closed by 2009. Judging from the growth of the tree around the gas island, I would say maybe 2007 or 2008, but given that the interior is still intact, probably not much earlier than that.

UPDATE 21 Sep 2010: I should probably note that although most google searches list this spot as "Hartsville", it is actually well outside the town limits and is much closer to the unincorporated little community of Kellytown.

Commenter O'Reilly first mentioned that the Bull Market( in the old Seaboard Station on Gervais street) was closed back on 10 July 2010.

I snapped the two pictures above on 11 July when I went to take a look. At the time, I took the note at face value and concluded that nothing was going on. In retrospect though, as is often the case, the note was rather optimistic.

By the time I got back to take the rest of these pictures on 4 Sept 2010, the place was long gone. You can see that even the lamps flanking the door were taken down.

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Paul's Philadelphia Eatery was on Senate Street in the Vista, in the same building as 5 Guys and The Flying Saucer, right next to the former Alan Ray's Salon, and on the same block as the former Damon's.

Once you get past "Philly Chese-steak", my knowledge of Philly cuisine is a bit thin, and although I do get to Very's on Two Notch once or twice a month, I never managed to make it to Paul's.

I suspect the environment for restaurants in this part of the Vista is a bit mixed. It's not Gervais Street, so you're not going to get the casual passers-by. 5 Guys does well, because people specifically go looking for a 5 Guys.

(Hat tip to commenter Badger)

I'm not much of a fabric guy. I think I have written before about how my mother used to frequent fabric stores at Forest Lake Shopping Center and Trenholm Plaza, and how the dye in the air would always make me stuffy and my eyes tear up. Furthermore, I never learned to sew -- so I never visited Jo-Ann Fabrics in Landmark Square on Garners Ferry Road at I-77.

They seem to be doing pretty well though, as they have just moved to a much larger location, the old Goody's building on Two Notch Road by Wal Mart.

The move does something to recoup the Goody's bankruptcy blow to the Two Notch plaza, but certainly doesn't help Landmark Square any. At one time (when Woolco was the anchor) the place was doing pretty well, and I would have thought that having I-77 come through would have helped, but apparently not. (And, I'll admit it is a bit of a pain to get onto Garners Ferry when you're headed towards the airport on 77).

UPDATE 22 March 2011 -- here's the Garners Ferry facade work mentioned in the comments:

UPDATE 20 May 2011 -- It's to be It's Fashion Metro:

Curiously enough, I wrote about this building just a few weeks ago in a post about Bill DuBose 66 Service Station.

At the time I used a number of pictures, including the first one above, of the current tenant, Keith's K & A Automotive to represent this stylish old building. Apparently almost immediately after I returned to town from my vacation, they experienced a fire and have had to shut down temporarily. I drive by there at least every other day, and from the level of activity I have seen there, they are working to make repairs sooner rather than later.

UPDATE 19 Jan 2011 -- open again:

Interesting item in The State yesterday. There will be a series of Forest Acres history lectures in Town Hall over the next month, given by local historian Warner Montgomery, who has written the forthcoming book Forest Acres:

Then:

Now:

I was hitting Moe's at University Corner on Main the other night (in the old Big Bird slot) and parked down on Devine Street, between Main & Assembly.

I couldn't help but notice that Varsity Billiards is closed. The lighted sign has always been a retro treat, and it's a shame to see it dark. (The first two,lighted, pictures are from February 2010).

The phone does not seem to have been disconnected, and the building permit is for "repairs", so perhaps they will be back. I'm not a pool player, but it would be a shame to see Varsity behind the eight-ball.

UPDATE 20 July 2017 -- Well, this is unexpected: The Free Times says Varsity is open again.

Burger Time opened late last year, or early this year in the old Annabelle's space in Dutch Square, behind a very nice new entranceway. I never got around to trying it out as what I had heard from commenters here was not encouraging. It was never entirely off my list of places to try, but it was pretty far down, and I see from these pictures that had I gone, I would only have gotten as far as the door as I don't eat at "B" places. (Heavens knows that "A" places can be dodgy enough!).

At any rate it's not an option anymore. After taking the Intersection Center pictures in the previous post, I hopped over to Dutch Square in time to see the Burger Time fixtures being carted out the doors and into a waiting truck. The easel says that they are relocating, but no address is given, which is not a good sign.

This closing puts Dutch Square down three restaurants in the past year (Chick-Fil-A and PIccadilly being the other two -- I'm not counting D'avino's Pizza since it was quickly replaced with another pizza operation)