Archive for the ‘US-76’ tag
Jimmy Carter's Fireworks / Strip Club / Adult Video Store, 4713 Highway 301 & 76 West (Marion): 1980s/2010s 7 comments
Commenter Andy Farmer asks about Jimmy Carter's in Marion. Here's what I remember, and have been able to find out.
First of all, we never went this way to the beach while I was growing up as access to the South Strand was easier through Georgetown. I guess the first time I ever came this way was sometime in the early 1980s when I was in college and going to the beach after visiting relatives in Hartsville. My memory is that the store had a big mural on one wall, probably the Southern wall, as that is the one you would see best going towards Myrtle Beach, depicting a toothy and widely grinning man, or possibly a toothy and widely grinning anthropomorphic peanut. This was of course a caricature of our then President, James Earl Carter who was often depicted in that way. I don't really remember anything but that image and the big signage for Jimmy Carter's. I could not have told you what kind of business it was. It was, however very distinctive, even apart from that, because it sits in the median of US-76/US-301, and this is the only area from Florence to the Beach where that is done.
This Reddit thread establishes Jimmy Carter's as mainly a fireworks store, though incorporating a greasy-spoon diner and various tourist trap merchandise. It also establishes that the owner really was named Jimmy Carter (I suppose hundereds of people must share that), that this was the second building in that location, and that Mr. Carter has passed away.
Once I moved to Fayetteville, I would come to the beach this way more often (if I were not going cross country from South Of THe Border), and at some point I noticed that Jimmy Carter's was gone, and the building now housed a strip club. I can't recall the name, and google is no help, but I think it might have been Paradise City. Then at some point later, the strip club apparently moved to the East side of the building, and the West side became an adult video store. This news story establishes that both of those businesses were gone by October 2015, and based on the facade peel back to the painted over Jimmy Carter signage, I'm thinking they actually closed several years before that.
This real estate flyer gives an address for the building (though somewhat ambiguously, and without a zip code) and has much better pictures than mine (which were taken under an umbrella) to include some interior shots. It also establishes the city location as Marion, which I would not have guessed, as I would put the place much closer to Florence, and that the Jimmy Carter's era was more than 40 years. I will also note that the map button is set to street view and also has a much better picture of the place than any of mine.
As one final note, the Reddit thread mentions that the logical successor to this store is Sparky's Fireworks & Gifts several miles further east and on your left. I second the notion, and you should stop there at least once.
(Hat tip to commenter Andy Farmer)
The Pantry / Kangaroo Express / KC Express / Circle K, 7735 Broad River Road: 2018 9 comments
There seems to be a little online confusion about the address here, but I'm pretty sure it's 7735 Broad River Road, as that is what the real estate listing and LoopNet say, regardless of what google thinks otherwise.
As you can see from the first two shots (from the Ed Robinson closing) this old-school convenience store was still in operation on 20 February 2018. At some point between then and 28 May 2018 when commenter Andrew reported it, the place closed and had the pump island and canopy torn down (and excavated).
Although I have seen places with two ongoing Circle Ks across the street from each other, most likely this one closed when the more modern one at 7710 Broad River Road came online just a bit nearer to the I-26 intersection:
(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)
UPDATE 23 June: Adding Kangaroo Express & KC Express to the post title based on the comments.
UPDATE 25 June: Adding The Pantry based on the comments.
1st Choice Homes, 10214 Broad River Road: 2000s no comments
I was way out on Broad River Road in Irmo, or maybe Ballentine, when I noticed this overgrown little building next to Friarsgate Animal Hospital. I may be wrong on the address. I should have got a closer picture, but I'm almost positive the sign on the front says 10214, but that doesn't make complete logical sense as the vet's is 10216, so by rights this lot should be 10218. I can't really find anything in google with either address, and consulting a few old phonebooks for 1st Choice Homes turns up nothing (locally).
Shoney's, 7335 Garners Ferry Road: January 2016 (open again) 6 comments
This Shoney's on Garners Ferry Road is closed for remodeling. I used to eat there now and again when I worked out on Bluff Road. It was a typical Shoney's with a decent salad bar and burgers. I'm not sure exactly what the remodel will entail. Newer Shoney's stores are bigger and boxier, but it doesn't look yet like they plan to tear down the existing building.
(Hat tip to commenter Kenneth)
UPDATE 2 May 2016 -- As reported in the comments, this place is open again:
Coronet Motel / Circus Room, 2770 McCords Ferry Road: 1980s 4 comments
I probably should remember seeing this place more, as we drove past it on the way to the beach innumerable times while I was growing up. However, I always had my nose in a book, so I was only vaguely aware of the name Circus Room and couldn't have told you where it was. Or, for that matter, *what* it was. At this remove, my understanding is that The Circus Room was actually a circus style tent set up on the grounds of the Coronet Inn at the intersection of US-601 & US-378 in Eastover, and that the tent hosted a restaurant and nightclub. Even in these days of the metro area creeping ever outwards, this is a pretty rural area, and back in the day it must have been even stranger to find a well regarded hotspot here.
What was the attraction? Google pulls up this hint from the 2006 cookbook Cookin' with Cocky II: More Than Just a Cookbook:
Bright Stevenson:
I first met Bright in the Fall of 1956. Bright owned the Coronet Motel and Circus Room nightclub in Eastover. The Circus Room had the finest food and the only mixed drinks in the Columbia area at that time.
The two ads above are from the Sumter Register in 1974 and 1976 respectively.
Amazingly, both Coronet motels still exist and still are in operation, although under different names and ownership. The Eastover location is currently an Anyday Inn and is now combined with a convenience store run in the old office.
The topic has come up in Have Your Say from time to time, and here is what some people have recalled:
Tom
John Merrell
Michael Taylor
She also said the guy who built the motel back in the fifties still drops into the convenience store every day.
jamie
Sid
UPDATE 24 October 2014: Added Yellow Pages graphic from the 1970 Southern Bell phonebook.
Prudential Midlands Real Estate, 7011 Garners Ferry Road: March 2014 (moved) 1 comment
Clearly, I really like that sign.
This building sits at the corner of Garners Ferry and Old Veterans Roads. It's actually a little hard to get in and out of, though you can cut down Old Veterans to Veterans and then come out at the light. As of now, Prudential has moved to 3200 Devine Street. I don't yet have a picture, but it is the building adjoining the old Rice Music House location.
UPDATE 2 May 2016 -- It appears that this is now CubeSmart self-storage.
These pix from 27 February 2016 show the new building almost done, but with the Prudential sign still out front:
These pix from 25 April 2016 show the new signage up, the old signage gone, and the place either open or ready to open:
Pepper's House Of Pizza, 7490 Garners Ferry Road: Mid January 2014 1 comment
I first became aware of this strip-mall storefront on Garners Ferry when it was Ye Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe.
Next it became Anthony's Old Fashioned Burger & Fry Co.. When that closed, there was a sign for a time that it would be re-opening as Ma's House Of Pizza, but in the event the new concept was actually Pepper's Pizza, Burgers, Pasta & More aka Pepper's House Of Pizza.
As reported by MrBO, that seems to have closed sometime around mid-January 2014.
Through all the incarnations, a lot of the physical plant remained the same, including the neon sign for Fresh Salads. In fact, walking around the side of the building, I found the remains of the Ye Old Fashioned sign:
(Hat tip to commenter MrBO)
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Imperial Glass, Inc: 7971 Woodrow Street Suite 6: 2013 1 comment
Here, I believe, is the last posting from the little strip mall on North Woodrow Street near Broad River Road. This Irmo glass showroom is next to the former China Pearl, and is listed in this year's phonebook (Feb 2013), so apparently closed fairly recently.
Grace K. Salon Etc., 10005 Broad River Road: 2000s 2 comments
Here's a former beauty salon in an old ranch-style on Broad River Road in Irmo. The new, unused, phonebooks on the porch are closing signs I've seen time and again, though probably in the next few years that will stop.
Palmetto Pig, 1002 AJ Amick Road: 1 September 2013 4 comments
I was not aware of this Palmetto Pig location before commenter Beth pointed out that it had closed.
AJ AMick Road is off of US-76 in Ballantine, across the street from the local Food Lion. I'm not exactly when they closed, I take it that it was a recent surprise to Beth, but the place has been closed long enough for all the Palmetto Pig signage to be taken down and for the interior to be stripped.
(Hat tip to commenter Beth)
UPDATE 24 September 2013: Commenter Mike R. puts the closing at 1 September 2013, so I have updated the post title to reflect that.