Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I'm not sure what the story is with this lot and house at 4505 Broad River Road, which has certainly been other things than a car lot. You'll notice that that, oddly, it has the same street address as the recently closed Waffle House, but this this real estate listing explains:

This parcel surrounds the corner occupied by Waffle House.

While this listing says:

Plans were in the works for a 15,000 sq ft retail space.

with the past tense leading me to believe those plans are no longer in the works.

This tax information says the house on the lot was built in 1884. I would have called it old, but not *that* old. The place almost has a funeral home look to it. It's certainly not in the best of shape, but it would still be a shame to tear it down.

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Here's another "rainy day, don't get out of the car" posting -- it's been that kind of month!

I don't really know anything about this little storefront on Decker. From the sign and spelling, I'm guessing it was an urban fashion store. Also obviously (again from the sign) they had a telephone, but I'm unable to find them in any recent phonebook, to make a good guess as to when they closed.

I've always had a soft spot for Fred's. That's probably because they came to Fernandina when I was in my teens or twenties and were a nice store withing easy walking distance of my Aunt's house to get pretty much any item we might need while visiting. I also liked that they left the big spanish-moss covered oak in their parking lot (inherited from the previous store) alone:

Some years after they moved into the Fernandina area, they started a big push into South Carolina, and on the whole, I think it has not been a success. I feel that perhaps they have too much overlap with Dollar General which got here first, and would have done better to put more Fred's in areas where people already knew the brand than pushing new stores into areas where there was no brand recognition. Of course, the economic crunch can't have helped any either..

I had not expected this Fred's to close as quickly as it did, especially given the protracted proceedings at the Saint Andrews Road Kmart. When I took the interior picture above on 19 May, the store was still almost fully stocked, and the discounts weren't really that good yet, but just a couple weeks later it was gone.

I noticed last month while eating with relatives on the sidewalk at Yesterdays that Good For The Sole has moved from the corner suite at 631-D behind the sculpture to the old Leon's Books / Five Points Nails & Spa location at 631-C.

(And, yes, we did get panhandled..)

It was pouring down rain today when I noticed that Modern Lighting Center on Meeting Street was closed. I have always liked the big carraige light they had by the street (the link shows a nice picture of it). According to their sign, lights out was on 30 November of 2012.

UPDATE 3 December 2014 -- This place is now Columbia Flag & Sign Company, though vestiges of Modern Lighting remain:

The State had the story on the closing of this doll shop on Broad River Road next to the old The Whale's Tail. Basically, the owner decided it was time to retire, and it sounds well deserved.

I know it's just the antique style, but I do have to say I would hate to wake up and find that doll staring at me..

UPDATE 18 June 2013: For some reason I had the name as Jake's, not Jacs.

Here's another Boozer Shooping Center storefront, this one a clothes store. B & B aparently closed shop in 2010, or at least they were listed in the Feb 2010 phonebook, but not the Feb 2011 book.

Before that in the mid 2000s, the place was Futon Lifestyle. All I can say from the brief and painful periods I have spent on those most awkward neither fish nor fowl items of furniture, is that I am not cut out for a futon lifestyle..

Platt Springs road has an improbable number of jewelry stores, but now there is one less, and Lonely Street is in fact a bit more lonely..

According to their ad, Jewelry Warehouse had been there since 1977. Now they have closed their flagship store, and are in the process (which seems a bit protracted) of moving to Parkland Plaza and into the old Parkland Pharmacy location.

UPDATE 7 May 2025: Add map icon, update tags.

Well, this is hardly news now, but I was finally able to get by the Saint Andrews Road Food Lion near the dollar movies and get some outside pictures, though I did not have time to go in. I believe this store dates back into the LFPISC era, if not all the way to the Food Town era.

With this closing, I think the two closest alternatives are both Bi-Lo.

(Hat tips to commenters Joe H. & Nick L).

UPDATE 20 May 2013 -- Well, that's it. When I was in the store on 19 May, they announced they would be closings in 15 min at 6:00PM and "We will not be re-opening tomorrow":

UPDATE 23 February 2014 -- The KJ's IGA is about ready to open:

UPDATE 6 March 2014 -- Open as promised: