Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Here is another Master Cleaners location. This one is rather interesting because it comprises two buildings on either side of Blossom Street. The odd location is the drop-off point, and the even location is the actual cleaning, storage and pick-up point. I suppose I have driven past this spot at least once a week for the past decade or so without noticing this!

Currently, it being Five Points, the drop off location has quickly become a de-facto free-parking lot.

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As far as I know, this Mr. B's, a nightclub on Two Notch between Club Fantasy Island and New York Subs & Wings, has no connection with Mr. B's Railroad Tavern -- "Mr. B's" just seems to be a more common establishment name than you might think.

I am pretty sure that I saw the nightclub open earlier this year, so "2012" will have to do as a closing date, especially as they don't seem to have had a phonebook listing.

I originally thought they had the whole building to the left of the sub shop, but a little further googling leads me to find that the left part, 3132 Two Notch has its own history, so I will do a closing on that later.

UPDATE 10 October 2016 -- This lot has now been sold:

There is an interesting little strip mall on Two Notch Road in Dentsville just east of the intersection with Decker Boulevard.

Somewhat like the old Boardwalk Plaza on Bush River Road, this strip is made up of trailers and prefab utility buildings rather than permanent structures. In the case of Boardwalk it was because they always thought new I-26 construction would interfere with the space. In this case, I don't know the reason, but I've always assumed that building codes (and perhaps good construction methods in themselves) don't allow permanent buildings to be built so close to the elevated railbed which carries trains up to the trestle over Decker Boulevard.

At any rate, for whatever the reason, this trailer housed a barber shop for many years. I actually went there three or four times over the years when I would really need a cut, and missed the hours at my regular barbers'.

Although the sign doesn't mention it, the old phonebook listings make clear that you could learn your trade there as well as getting your hair cut.

As I was taking pictures of the Burger King next door, I noticed that this Doctors Care center on Atrium Way & Two Notch was gone.

Looking in the phonebooks, it appears that it probably closed in 2009, which surprises me because I was sure I had been there more recently than that.

In fact, I went here several times over the years, most recently when I stepped on a nail in the nearby Home Depot parking lot. While, of course, it's never pleasant to go to a doctor's office, they generally seemed to get me in and out fairly quickly, and with my problem resolved or prescribed.

UPDATE 26 October 2012: As mentioned in the comments, this Doctors Care is now at 10040 Two Notch.

UPDATE 14 November 2012 -- Here are some pictures of the new location:

UPDATE 20 July 2016 -- The Atrium Way building is now Wellspring Family Medecine:

Spring Valley Commons is the Bi-Lo shopping center at the corner of Two Notch and Rabon Roads. I've always thought of it as a strictly retail location, but the old theater has added an office suite in addition to the self-storage slots, and this storefront on the Bi-Lo side seems as though it would have catered much more to doctors' offices than to walkup traffic. I'm not sure when it closed, but it is listed in the February 2012 phonebook, so I'm just going with '2012'.

Enterprise is not one of the car rental firms I've ever used, though their promise to deliver the car to you rather than have you come for the car is appealing. In the event, the one time I needed such a service (stuck in Beaufort with a busted alternator) the local branch was closed on Sunday and I just ended up staying until my car was fixed. Of course I never get a rental car that's a model I would drive by choice, so it was probably just as well.

The phonebook and google say that there are still several other Enterprise locations in town.

(Hat tip to commenter Matt)

UPDATE 19 October 2012 -- As commenter Matt notes in the comments this location has moved to 1307 Assembly Street a few blocks away.

UPDATE 14 November 2012 -- Here is the new Assembly Street location:

UPDATE 5 May 2018 -- At some point the 1436 Taylor Street building was razed:

Commenter Mayr Douglass mentions that many (or all) Master Cleaners in Columbia have closed recently. So far, I've only checked out this one, on the corner of Millwood & Hagood Avenues.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, Master's was a constant radio presence while I was growing up, with their memorable jingle often playing on WIS

Look Your Best All The Day
In Clothes Cleaned the Mas-ter-ful Way.
You'll feel the diff-er-ence
Know the diff-er-ence
And what's more
You'll *show* the diff-er-ence!

(Hat tip to commenter Mary Douglass)

UPDATE 18 September 2013 -- It's now Provisions Bulk Foods & Spices:

This story from The State talks about the new operation.

I really like the sign here at the former WECO Billiards. It has a similar aesthetic to Varsity Billiards and Red Wing Rollerway.

This site for the current owners of the building (note the clever URL) says it was built originally as a grocery. It was still operating as a billiard hall in the February 1997 phonebook, but by the time of the next one I have here at home (February 2007), the listing was gone. Since then it appears to have been a thrift store, and now houses a number of operations as detailed at the previous link.

Magnolia Pointe is the Piggly Wiggly anchored strip mall at the South-East corner of Clemson & Hardscrabble Roads, with access from both.

I noticed last time I was there that this dental office space was up for lease (and already down from the mall marquee listing).

UPDATE 22 October 2012: Turns out they've moved to 126 Professional Park Road at Professional Park on Clemson Road.

This former Exxon is on Farrow Road where it intersects with Broadland Avenue and is now an independant auto repair operation. I wish it had been a sunnier day so these pictures were less gray and dreary, but that's the way it was, and I don't go by there very often.

Admittedly my closing date is just a guess here, as is postulating that this station started as an Esso, but the gull-wing lights lead me to think it was built before 1970, and the Esso/Exxon switch didn't happen until 1973.

Furthermore, the rounded style of the kerosene pump together with the fact that the price only has two digits (plus 1/10ths of a cent) leads me to think the station didn't make it past the 1970s.