One Building, Four Chapters
Some buildings quietly witness the passing of generations. Businesses change, owners come and go, storefronts are remodeled, yet the building itself remains, preserving the memories of everyone who ever walked through its doors. One such building stands on Main Street in Stuart. Today it is home to Jessup & Associates, but for seventy years it has welcomed shoppers, business owners, and friends through its front doors while writing four remarkable chapters in Patrick County history.
The inspiration for this story came from Brian Jessup, owner of Jessup & Associates CPAs. Brian recently contacted me to ask if I knew the history of the building he had renovated for his Stuart office. Like many old buildings in Patrick County, I knew pieces of its story, but I soon discovered there was much more to learn.
My earliest memories of the building are from the days when it housed Reed’s Five & Dime, owned by Jesse Creed Maxey and Claude Taylor Stone of Bassett. Like so many children, I looked forward to visiting the large candy counter in its beautiful glass display case. One of the friendly ladies would patiently scoop your favorite candy, weigh it on the scale, and place your treasure into a little white paper sack. It was a simple pleasure, but one that many of us who grew up in Patrick County still remember with a smile.
Years later, another generation came to know the building as Marilyn’s. Marilyn Foley Lewis purchased Reed’s in September 1988. Lewis was the daughter of Lester Foley and Elva Foley. She attended Woolwine Elementary School and went on to graduate from Patrick County High School in 1972. Marilyn’s became known for fashionable clothing, beautiful floral arrangements, and friendly hometown service. For many local families, it was a favorite place to shop. I still remember purchasing L.A. Gear tennis shoes there.
As I began researching the building’s earlier history, I was surprised to learn that before Reed’s Five & Dime, the first business to occupy the building was the P & N 5 & 10¢ Department Store.
According to the August 2, 1956, edition of The Enterprise, the P & N celebrated the grand opening of its new Main Street location with great excitement. The newspaper described it as a “modern, up-to-date store” featuring wide aisles, spacious display tables, fluorescent lighting, glass storefronts, and more than 3,200 square feet of retail space. The article proudly declared that it was a store “which will do credit to a town much larger than Stuart.”
Owned by Ernest Fulcher and managed by his wife, Mabel Katherine Howell Fulcher, the new store represented a significant investment in downtown Stuart. More than $10,000 worth of merchandise filled its shelves, and customers were invited to enjoy a larger selection of goods in a bright, comfortable shopping environment.
The P & N was one of five stores owned by Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Porter of Kernersville, North Carolina. Through membership in the Consolidated Merchants Syndicate of New York City, the company was able to purchase merchandise at lower prices and pass those savings along to its customers.
The article explained that the business had outgrown its previous location after years of success. Crowded aisles and increasing numbers of shoppers convinced the owners that a larger building was needed. Their solution was the modern structure that still stands on Main Street today.
The grand opening also introduced the community to the store’s employees, including Mabel Katherine Howell Fulcher, Era Hatcher Baliles, Dorothy Mae Vernon Mabe, Alpha Pauline Cockram Hutchens, Mae Collins, Phyllis Jean Martin, Gladys Ruth Spencer, Donella Atkins, Julia Adkins, and Gordon Howell.
As often happens with historical research, finding one answer led to several more questions.
Where exactly had the original P & N been located?
A September 27, 1956, edition of The Enterprise helped answer part of the mystery when Dalton Jewelers announced it would be moving into the former P & N location. (This building was most recently the Commonwealth Attorney’s office before it was moved to Slusher Street).
Another interesting name that appeared during my research was J. Guy Johnson, the traveling salesman of “women’s factory-made clothing” whose recommendation helped convince the Porters to expand into Stuart. Johnson lived nearby on Blue Ridge Street with his wife, the former Caroline Virginia Moir, and their daughter, Jane. Jane married World War II veteran George Washington Hudson, Jr., whose family operated Hudson’s Drug Store on Main Street, now operating as Honey Pot on Main.
The building entered its second chapter when Jesse Creed Maxey and Claude Taylor Stone opened Reed’s Five & Dime. Maxey, a World War II Army veteran who served in the Pacific Theater as a Battalion Sergeant Major, and Stone, a decorated Army veteran who served in the European Theater, built Reed’s into one of the community’s favorite stores. Their friendly service and wide variety of merchandise made the store a destination for generations of Patrick County shoppers.
Years later came Marilyn’s, where many local residents, myself included, found fashionable clothing and beautiful flowers before the building entered its fourth chapter as the home of Jessup & Associates.
Today, visitors entering the beautifully renovated building may see a modern accounting office, but the walls have witnessed far more than financial records. They have seen children eagerly spending their allowance on candy, families shopping for school clothes, customers admiring floral arrangements, and neighbors stopping to visit on Main Street.
Buildings cannot tell their own stories, so it becomes our responsibility to remember them.
As Jessup & Associates begins its own chapter in this historic building, another page has been added to a story that began seventy years ago. May this familiar Main Street landmark continue serving the people of Patrick County for many years to come.
For story ideas, questions, or comments, you may reach Woody at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.
