City Directories and History: 1961 – Bargain Center
The property on the south of this shop (meaning south of the newspaper offices), was owned by Dr. David Aiken who built a three story building with a double piazza around it onto West Washington Street. Mr. William Aiken’s residence stood on the site of Sion Presbyterian Church’s 1922 sanctuary. Mr. M. W. Doty started his business in the building later moving across the street to 110 N. Congress Street after a fire destroyed the entire structure in 1907. Three years later another fire destroyed Mr. Aiken’s residence as well as the three-year old replacement building for the Aiken building then called the Enterprise Building. The Aiken residence had a three-tiered landscaped garden all the way to Vanderhorst Street with flower garden, vegetable garden, and barn for its livestock. Sion Presbyterian Church built its second sanctuary here facing West Washington Street and the present public safety department Its first sanctuary was built in 1811 in its present cemetery across from the Fairfield County Library which was built in the late 1960’s on the corner of Garden Street and West Washington Streets. [Information courtesy of J.M. Lyles]
Also see #113 North Congress Street for additional information on this location.
This brick structure, where the drive thru alley is for the bank, (demolished – pictured as being demolished) was also the business location of the very popular Western Auto franchise owned by the Curlee family. This was just north of the building shown at 115 North Congress Street, which was also the original address for the Western Auto Building. Bob Curlee stated, “My dad and mom, Jim and Lib Curlee obtained the franchise for the Western Auto Associate Store in 1936, and opened the business in the McMeekin building that at the time was shared by the Bank of Fairfield and the dental office of Dr. McMeekin. They developed the business as a principal supplier of auto parts and accessories, household appliances, tools and other hardware, and by the late 1950’s they had expanded to include a thriving toy business particularly around Christmas time. In 1964, the widow of Dr. McMeekin sold the building to another bank which later became the current Wells Fargo bank. Dad was obliged to purchase and relocate to the Ketchin building (129 North Congress), beside the current Herald Independent newspaper office. In the process of restoring the Ketchin building as the new location for the business, an old horse-drawn hearse was discovered in the basement of the building, and it was removed to the Pope funeral home with the intent of restoration. It was also at this time that my Dad found himself in declining health, and he and mom decided to sell the business. The franchise was purchased that year by John Stewart and John Nicholson, and it remained in this location until the early 1990’s.” [Contribution by Bob Curlee of Winnsboro, SC]
Originally there was an exterior staircase between the L.D. Dunn Jewelry Store and Curlee’s Western Auto Store which led to the second floor medical office of Dr. McMeekin.
No structure stood here prior to 1912, shows as a vacant lot on the Sanborn Insurance Maps.
Click on the More Information > link found below the picture column for additional data or pictures – aerial image of downtown Winnsboro, S.C.
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