Featured above is the entry for Creed’s Book Store in the 1928-1929 Mount Airy City Directory that gives a short description of the business’ offerings. Also featured are articles about the store from the Mount Airy Times paper 1928-1931.
marked Sept. 29 of 1908 and was mailed to Lynchburg, Virginia.
Mount Airy Museum of Regional History
This time of year, Main Street here in Mount Airy sees a lot of foot traffic as people are shopping for the holiday. I always add a few books to my Christmas wish list, which made me realize I can’t remember a holiday where I wasn’t buying or receiving a book as a gift.
Bookstores today often include much more than just books. Some have built-in cafes to get specialty coffees and treats, trinkets and novelty gifts, games and toys, and a wide variety of things. As I walked Main Street this past weekend to start my shopping, I began to wonder what it would have been like to shop in a local bookstore 100 years, 75 years, or even 50 years ago? What types of things would it have sold? Who would have owned the businesses? What role did they serve in the community? Well, after plenty of research, let me paint you a picture.
J.D. Jenkins came to Mount Airy and opened his bookstore in the early 1880s right on Main Street. He experienced several years of success, and by 1892, joined up with another gentleman, L.S. Hadley. He built a two-story brick building next door for him to sell groceries, and even splurged to put down brick pavement in front of the two shops. Jenkins was not only a socialite and business-minded bookseller, but he was also a stationer. A stationer was someone who sold stationary at this time, or paper, ink, and tools used for writing. After gaining access to the train, many shops were expanding inventory options, and Jenkins was no exception. By 1900 he was even selling sewing machines in his bookstore.
As we move into the 1900s, J.D. Jenkins’ Book Store wasn’t the only bookstore on Main Street to offer luxury items. Moore’s Book Store liked to boast in the newspaper about offering “fancy goods of any kind.” In addition to a variety of books, it sold tobacco and cigars, stationery such as high-end writing paper and postcards, and even reading glasses from Hawkes Crystalized Lenses. They even advertised special days where someone would come in to test your eyes and adjust your glasses for you.
As we move into the 1910s to 1930s, a new bookstore, Creed’s Book Store (or J.W. Creed Book Store), came onto the scene. This shop was owned by A.E. Creed and would have been located between Franklin and Pine heading south (to the left of Snappy Lunch if you are facing the front of the shop.) The building was also conveniently located next to the Times-Leader newspaper building.