Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Forest Lake Place is the street which connects Trenholm Road with Lakeshore Drive, running behind the Forest Lake Shopping Center, the former Forest Lake Park, Cava, and Tuesday Morning, and in front of Forest Lake Gardens. Over the years, it has been an open question if the road, in fact, goes all the way to Trenholm, or at some point was mearly the parking lot for the shopping center. It mattered because if it was part of the parking lot, the city didn't have to repair it, and in fact, that stretch got pretty dire over the years.

The bridge spanned Gills Creek, and would surely have been underwater for a while during the Great Flood of 2015, and it was closed for a while in the aftermath of that. In more recent years there had been concern about its integrity with another closure at one point, and an ongoing load restriction. In December of 2022, the span was knocked down, and is currently being rebuilt (with a footbridge for workers the only crossing there now). Along with this, the city is building an ampitheatre & park in the low-lying area on the Cava side of the bridge, and it appears work on that has started as well.

For the duration, don't expect to be able to get to Cava or the other businesses from Trenholm.

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The Picture Place was for many years in the old Forest Lake TV storefront in Forest Lake Shopping Center. I know I had at least one photo framed there, and I think my mother had some art framed there as well.

As with everything else in that shopping center, the 4 October 2015 flood which roared through Nine Mile Branch and Gills Creek devastated their building as you can see in the first pictures above.

Fortunately, since since 19 November 2015 the store has been operating from their new home in Forest Park in the former Oreck / All Vacuums suite.

Hopefully I can add some commentary tomorrow, but for now I just want to get these pictures out there.

UPDATE 16 October 2015: Ok, I was under the weather for a few days, but let me add a little text here now.

First, I am happy to say that even as these pictures were taken, on Sunday 11 October 2015, recovery work was in full stride. All the flooded and gutted buildings on Forest Drive had evidence that of ongoing work and cleanup, and I noticed today (15 October 2015) that the Garden Center in Forest Lake Shopping Center was once again stocked and open for business.

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Carolina Paws pet grooming shared the old Dobbs House building with Forest Lake Spirits until moving to 1647 Budon Court in early May of 2012.

I thought I would take this opportunity to mention not only that move, but the ongoing work in the old building. There has been a dumpster out front for several weeks, and the permits arrayed on the door indicate that the place is being upfitted for a new restaurant (or at least, I can think of no other reason for a "hood' to be installed).

UPDATE 10 April 2013 -- Well, it's official -- The Schiano's sign is up:

A distant view of the whole shopping center plot:

The First Citizens stands more or less exactly where Campbell's Drugstore was:

The new Forest Acres Town Clock:

The Talbot's building is where the far end of the first building was:

This is the second building of Forest Lake Shopping Center which is still standing today:

Sakura was Christo's Roast Beef House as well as Moolan's Hide-Away, Biddie Banquet and serveral other restaurants:

Coplon's was originally Colonial grocery:

This was originally Dobbs House and several other restaurants:

The Forest Lake Shopping Center Park was originally owned by Colonial and fell into disrepair after that store closed:

This was the original location of Forest Lake TV:

The current garden center (not to be confused with the one sometimes listed below) and Webb Rawls gallery/framing center share the old First Citizens location, with the gallery being in the old main building (the vault is still in there) and the garden center being in the drive-through buildings and parking lot. I suspect the listings below give several different bank tenants for this slot, but I'm not sure which are here and which are elsewhere in the shopping center:

Forest Lake Shopping Center was the name of the shopping center at the North-East corner of Trenholm Road & Forest Drive, across Forest Drive from Trenholm Plaza and across Trenholm Road from Five Guys and Forest Acres Town Hall.

As I remember Forest Lake Shopping Center it never quite thrived the way Trenholm Plaza did, and over the years it gradually got a bit dowdy. In the end, instead of giving the place some TLC and a facelift, the main building was torn down to be replaced by a two new ones, a First Citizens bank and Talbot's. (Just recently the Forest Acres town clock was put up at the corner of the old Shopping Center Space).

The second original building of Forest Lake Shopping Center still stands and now houses Coplon's, Sakura and several other shops.

As you can see from the listings below, the city directory went back and forth on whether Dobb's House (in the corner of the parking lot) and the Garden Center (across Gills Creek) were offical parts of the shopping center or not. You can also see that they also incorrectly listed Trenholm Plaza fixtures Piggly Wiggly and the Post Office as being in Forest Lake Shopping Center

Rather than reproducing images from the city directories, I have opted to type them in, so search engines can find them here. That means I have probably made some typos that I will fix as they are pointed out. Also note that the early listings for the shopping center did not have suite numbers. When they started being given, I have reproduced them. Even then, not every shop was always given a number.

I have given 1982 as the closing date for Forest Lake Shopping Center because that was the last year it was a separate listing in the City Directory. Apparently at that point, they gave up running it as a going shopping center, and thereafter every shop got its own street address. However, the building was not torn down until sometime after 1984. I should have continued looking in directories after that, but for some reason I did not.

1957

No separate listing for Forest Lake Shopping Center as such was given in the 1957 city directory, but a number of the shops are listed as standalones.

Forest Lake Laundromat
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
Mayfield's Barber Shop
Cooper Agency Inc
Perpetual Building & Loan Association
Mutual Properties Inc.
Mutual Savings & Loan Co
Cooper-Shawview Hts Inc
Forest Lake Water Wks district office
Southern States Construction
Mrs. Eliz B. Bailey (liquor)
Forest Lake Hardware
Ardis Texaco Service Station
Campbell's Forest Lake Pharmacy
Piggly Wiggly
Forest Lake Beauty Salon

1958

Dodd's 5-10-25¢ Stores Inc
Mel's Kiddie Land (toys)
Lad 'N Lassie Shops Inc (children's clothes)
Brooks Brown Forest Acres Florist
Bagnal's Appliances & Paint
Your Shop (clothing)
Eau Claire Bakery
Calhoun Life Insurance
Colonial Stores Inc
The Commercial Bank & Trust Co of SC
Forest Lake Shopping Center
Carol Glass School of Dance
Gillespie's Forest Lake Laundromat
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
Mayfield's Barber Shop
Cooper Agency Inc (real estate)
Perpetual Building & Loan Association
Mutual Properties Inc
Mutual Savings & Loan Co
Cooper-Shawview Hts Inc (real estate)
Forest Lake Water Works (district Office No 1)
Southern States Construction Co
Mrs. Eliz B. Bailey (liquor)
Forest Lake Hardware
US PO
Ardis Texaco Service Station
Campbell's Drug Stores Inc
Piggly Wiggly
Forest Lake Beauty Salon

1959

Dodd's 5-10-25¢ Stores Inc
Mel's Kiddie Land (toys)
Lad 'N Lassie Shops Inc (children's clothes)
Brooks Brown Florist
Forest Lake Mens Shop Inc
Garber's Shoes
Your Shop (clothing)
Eau Claire Bakery
Colonial Stores Inc
Lampland
Perry mortage & Realty Co
The Commercial Bank & Trust Co of SC
Forest Lake Garden Center
Carol Glass School of Dance
Gillespie's Forest Lake Laundromat
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
Mayfield's Barber Shop
Cooper Agency Inc (real estate)
Perpetual Building & Loan Association
Mutual Properties Inc
Mutual Savings & Loan Co
Forest Lake Water Works (district Office No 1)
Southern States Construction Co
Mrs. Eliz B. Bailey (liquor)
Forest Lake Hardware
US PO
Campbell's Drug Stores Inc
Andrew A. Manning Jr (physician)
Elmo J. Schmidt (dentist)
Piggly Wiggly
Forest Lake Beauty Salon

1960

Dodd's 5-10-25¢ Stores Inc
Mel's Kiddie Land (toys)
Lad 'N Lassie Shops Inc (children's clothes)
Brooks Brown Florist
Forest Lake Mens Shop Inc
Garber's Shoes
Your Shop (clothing)
Forest Acres Realty Co
Eau Claire Bakery
Colonial Stores Inc
Lampland
Perry Realty & Mortgage Co
The Commercial Bank & Trust Co of SC
Forest Lake Garden Center
Carol Glass School of Dance
Gillespie's Forest Lake Laundromat
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
Mayfield's Barber Shop
Cooper Agency Inc (real estate)
Perpetual Building & Loan Association
Mutual Properties Inc
Mutual Savings & Loan Co
Forest Lake Water Works (district Office No 1)
Southern States Construction Co
Mrs. Eliz B. Bailey (liquor)
Forest Lake Hardware
US PO
Campbell's Drug Stores Inc
Andrew A. Manning Jr (physician)
Elmo J. Schmidt (dentist)
Piggly Wiggly
Forest Lake Beauty Salon

1961

Dodd's 5-10-25¢ Stores Inc
Mel's Kiddie Land (toys)
Lan (sic) 'N Lassie Shops Inc (children's clothes)
Brooks Brown Florist
Forest Lake Mens Shop Inc
Garber's Shoes
Your Shop (clothing)
Forest Acres Realty Co Inc
Eau Claire Bakery
Colonial Store's Inc
Lampland
Perry Realty & Mortgage Co
The Commercial Bank & Trust Co of SC
Forest Lake Garden Center
Carol Glass School of Dance
Gillespie's Forest Lake Laundromat
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
Mayfield's Barber Shop
Cooper Agency Inc
Perpetual Building & Loan Association
Mutual Properties Inc
Mutual Savings & Loan Co
Forest Lake Water Works (District Office No 1)
Southern States Construction Co
Mrs. Eliz B. Bailey (liquor)
Forest Lake Hardware
USPO
Campbell's Drug Stores Inc
Mrs. Theodosia G. Orr (physician)
Mrs. Serena R. Clark (physician)
Elmo J. Schmidt (dentist)
Piggley Wigly
Forest Lake Beauty Salon

1962

Forest Acres Town Clerk
Dodd's 5-10-25¢ Stores Inc
Lan (sic) 'N Lassie Shops Inc (childrens' clothing)
Forest Lake Men's Shop Inc
Garber's Shoes
Your Shop (clothing)
Forest Acres Realty Co Inc
Eau Claire Bakery
Colonial Stores Inc
Lampland
Perry Realty & Mortage Co
The Commercial Bank & Trust Co of SC
Forest Lake Garden Center
Bankers Securities Inc
Carol Glass School of Dance
Forest Lake Laundromat
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
Mayfield's Barber Shop
Cooper Agency Inc
Prepetual Building & Loan Co
Southern States Construction Co
Mrs Eliz B Bailey (liquor)
Forest Lake Hardware
Campbell's Drug Stores Inc
Mrs. Theodosia G. Orr (physician)
Mrs. Serena R. Clark (physician)
Dobb's House (restaurant)
Elmo J Schmidt (dentist)
Piggly Wiggly
Forest Lake Beauty Salon

1970

1 Forest Lake Pharmacy Inc
1a Phillips Petroleum Co
10 Forest Lake Beauty Salon
11 Dodd's 5-10-25 Cent Store
12 Flowers By Brooks
13 Norman's Lampland
14 Forest Lake Knitting Shop
16 Union Oil Co of California
16 Forest Lake Fabric Center
17 Calvert-Brodie School of Dance
18 Perry White Realty Co
19 Jack Owen Photography
20 Elmo J. Schmidt (dentist)
21 Forest Acres Realty Co
22 Colonial Stores Inc
23 Town of Forest Acres City Hall
24 Christos Roast Beef House
25 Forest Lake Radio & Television Serivce

1975

1 Forest Lake Pharmacy
1a Lob's Volley Tennis
10 Forest Lake Beauty
11 Fabrific Fabric Center
11a The Jade Clock
12 Flowers By Brooks
13 Carolina Lamp & Shade
14 Forest Lake Knitting
15 Union Oil Co of California
16 Forest Lake Drapery & Upholstery Fabric Center
17 Jack Owen Photography
18 White Realty Co
19 Ladder Escape Co
20 Elmo J. Schmidt (dentist)
Christos Roast Beef House
21 Forest Acreas Realty
22 Colonial Stores Inc
Forest Lake Radio & Television Service
23 Registered Nurses & L P N Registry
Dial-A-Sitter
Vogue Stylons
24 Calvert-Brodie School of Dance
Fabrific Fabric Center
26 The Dance Store

1980

1 Forest Lake Pharmacy Inc
10 Forest Lake Beauty Salon
11 The Lily Gilder (women's clothing)
12 Flowers By Brooks
13 The Golf Bag
14 Forest Lake Knitting Shop
15 Case Brothers House of Music
Brides of Carolina
16 Forest Lake Drapery & Upholstry Fabric Center Inc
17 Vacant
18 Capital Independent Adjuster
20 Skandia Restaurant
22 Forest Lake TV Repair
23 The Nurse Registry
Palmetto Nurses Registry Rev Richard C. Acker Director
Peachtree Nurses Registry Rev Richard C. Acker Director
Poste Bidders (printing)
Dial-A-Sitter
24 Calvert-Brodie School of Dance
26 Howard S. Denny, Jr (dentist)

1982

Last separate listing for Forest Lake Shopping Center

1 Forest Lake Pharmacy
7 The Lily Gilder (clothing)
8 Brides of Carolina
10 Forest Lake Beauty Salon
12 Flowers By Brooks
13 Heritage Printing Co
14 Forest Lake Knitting Shop
15 Case Brothers House of Music
15 Forest Lake Drapery & Upholstery Fabric Center Inc
17 The Cache Pot
18 Mitchell Music Co
20 Skandia Restaurant
21 Erik Florander
22 Forest Lake TV Repair
23 Ralph E. Walden & Associates (architects)
24 Calvert-Brodie School of Dance
26 Howard S. Denny, Jr. (dentist)

1983

Shops now listed as individual street addresses

4803 M. L. Sweets (confectionery)
4805 Majik Market Food Store No. 39
4807 The Picture Place (framer)
4809 Silver Fox Tennis Shop
4811 Forest Lake Barber Service
4813 Cooper Insurance Agency
Perpetual Trust Co
4815 Southern States Construction
4819 Schmidt Liquors
4825 Good Wood Unfinished Furniture

1984

4803 M. L. Sweets (confectionery)
4805 Majik Market Food Store No. 39
4807 The Picture Place (framer)
4809 Silver Fox Tennis Shop
4811 Forest Lake Barber Service
4813 Cooper Insurance Agency
Perpetual Trust Co
4815 Southern States Construction
4819 Schmidt Liquors
4825 Ashby's (clothing)

UPDATE 19 October 2012: I have been reminded in the comments that this shopping center pre-dates Trenholm Plaza and that the Piggly Wiggly and Post Office did in fact start here before moving across the street. (Piggly Wiggly is, of course now long gone, but the Post Office remains in Trenholm Plaza).

Forest Lake Spirits & Fine Wines was one of the follow on operation in the old Dobbs House / Steak 'n Egg Kitchen building (next to Gills Creek and Forest Lake Park).

It appears that the building is now broken into three storefronts, and Forest Lake Spirits & Fine Wines was the leftmost one. You can see the attached picnic/patio area which I believe was the deck from the last time the place was a restaurant (which was well after the Steak 'n Egg era). I stopped there several times to pick up some cooking spirits for tiramisu, cheesecake and eggnog. The staff was quite friendly, but I believe that each time, I was the only customer in the store.

I'm not exactly sure when the place closed, but they are listed in the February 2012 phonebook, so I'm saying early 2012. Or, I suppose it's possible they will be back at 1:35.

UPDATE 25 September 2012 -- Something is happening here. There are dumpsters both in front and behind the building and people in and out:

UPDATE 18 December 2012: It appears a new restaurant will be going in here. See the pictures here.

As far as I can tell, Moolah's Hide-Away was a fairly short lived operation, as it appears only in the 1977 Bellsouth phonebook. The restaurant was in the space once occupied by Biddie Banquet and occupied for a good number of years now by Sakura. From the ad, it appears that they were pitching it as a base-gate type operation to draw off of Fort Jackson. Wikipedia claims that the restaurant was actually operated by Moolah's daughter.

Judjing by Wikipedia, The Fabulous Moolah (real name Mary Lillian Ellison) had quite an interesting life, becoming the first woman to wrestle in Madison Square Garden. The Columbia High School graduate went on to become the most famous female wrestler of the the thirty years from the 50s into the 80s and appeared in videos with Cyndi Lauper during her wrestling era. She passed away in Columbia in November 2007.

UPDATE 10 Feb 2011: Added a better picture of the current location

Video

Video

Video

The soggy aftermath at Forest Lake Shopping Center on the 26th:

Well, I was not actually going to make another post until the New Year, but I don't think I can let the Great Christmas Flood of 2009 pass without notice. As we headed out over the river and through the woods, we found out that in fact the river was over the woods this year.

As we tried to get to Trenholm Road, we found that creek (name unknown) was flooding Trenholm access from both Academy Way (first picture) and Sylvan Drive and that Eightmile Branch was flooding Gamewell Drive. Fortunately the WIllingham Drive bridge was still above water. At Forest Lake Shopping Center (Trenholm Road at Forest Drive) the Garden Center and Web Rawls Gallery in the old bank were flooded as was the whole of Forest Lake Park

In fact, water was coming over the Forest Lake Park embankment into Gills Creek at such great speed and volume that it made a line of waterfalls. As we watched, we saw several bits of flotsam & jetsam such as trash cans go over the falls. The park whirly-gig was entirely under water. We drove over to Zoe's parking lot, and I got some Quicktime video of the cataracts. There's not a lot of pictures because a) it was still raining cats and dogs & b) we were on our way out of town. By the time we got back mid-morning the 26th all the flood waters were gone though the Web Rawls and Garden Center folks were still working at recovery.

I think that makes two "100 year" floods here in the last 15 years..

UPDATE 28 December 2009: D'Oh! Video links were wrong, fixed now.

UPDATE 29 July 2010: Added the picture from 26 December.

OK, anyone remember this one? The ad is from the Southern Bell Columbia phonebook for 1963. Given the lead time for a yellow-pages ad, I was probably one when this was prepared, and two when it ran. The address seems to match up with the current Sakura Japanese Restaurant in the remains of the old Forest Lake Shopping Center, behind Coplon's and at the other end of the corridor from the original Forest Lake TV location.

Sakura is the only restaurant that I can ever really recall being there, but I learned from some comments here that at one time the location was Moolah's, run by (or licensed by?) a famous female wrestler. Did Biddie Banquet come before or after Moolah's? My mother used to shop at Colonial Grocery (now Coplon's) all the time so they both must have been gone by the late 60s or I would have noticed them.

I have to say that apart from my whole "I don't like chicken" thing, the bottom line

Shrimp -- Fish -- Chili

sounds particularly unappetizing, and what's the deal with the quotes on "The" Original"?

I do think the chicken art is very nice!

UPDATE 10 Feb 2011 -- Here's the Biddie Banquet location, now occupied by Sakura: