{"id":2486,"date":"2010-09-01T02:38:44","date_gmt":"2010-09-01T07:38:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/columbiaclosings.com\/wordpress\/?p=2486"},"modified":"2018-08-11T00:30:22","modified_gmt":"2018-08-11T04:30:22","slug":"drive-in-1040-meeting-street-1960s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/columbiaclosings.com\/wordpress\/?p=2486","title":{"rendered":"Bell's Hamburger Drive-In, 1040 Meeting Street: 1970s"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I don't actually know what this Meeting Street building (now Chiva Auto Sales<\/i>) was. I do<\/i> like it though. The look of the roadside sign, the look of the roof overhang, and the way the windows of the main building are laid out (and the way they slant) make me think it was a fast-food drive-in. Does anyone recall this place?<\/p>\n

UPDATE 1 Sept 2010<\/b>: From the comments and the 1970 phonebook, I'm able to verify this as a Bell's<\/i>, and am changing the post title. Also, it was definitely open as late as 1970, so I'm changing the closing date to \"1970s\".<\/p>\n

UPDATE 3 December 2014<\/b> -- I am copying these pictures from the Chiva Auto Sales<\/a> closing because they actually give a much better view of the old building, and most people will probably come looking for Bell's<\/i> rather than Chiva<\/i>:<\/p>\n

\"p1160768_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160769_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160770_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160771_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160772_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160773_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160774_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160775_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160776_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160780_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160782_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160784_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160786_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1160787_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

UPDATE 3 December 2014<\/b> -- The building has now been razed:<\/p>\n

\"p1200956_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200957_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200958_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200959_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200960_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200961_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200962_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"p1200963_tn.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

UPDATE 11 August 2018<\/b> -- Commenter Candace Nelms sends in this City of West Columbia<\/i> Instagram image of the Bell's<\/i> in operation sometime in the late 1960s:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Do you remember the old Bell\u2019s Hamburgers Restaurant located on the corner of Lexington and Meeting Streets? Before 12th Street was built, Lexington Street was the quickest way to get to Meeting Street. Pictured in the late 1960's. #wecosc #historyiscool #tbt<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by City of West Columbia<\/a> (@westcolumbiasc) on