Site of the Friendship Nine Lunch Counter Protest – RH Supply Co closes, March 21, 1927
City Directories and History: 1908 – Rock Hill Supply Co., (Hardware and House Furnishings) (W.W. Watt, Pres., L.S. Welling, V.P., and T.O. Flowers, Sect. Manager) Mr. Flowers was also the Chief of Fire Dept. in 1908) also Wymojo Yarn Mills and Harry Asbury (Music Teacher) Offices, (#135.5) T.C. Lucas, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Roanoke Bridge Co., C.K. Chreitzberg, 1917 – Rock Hill Supply Company, (137.5) Rock Hill Land and Town Site Company, Catawba Real Estate Co., Carolina Traction Company, J.B. Patrick, M.D., (137) R.W. Cranford Company, 1925 – Moore and Sykes, 1922/23 – Rock Hill Supply Co., 2nd Floor – Catawba Real Estate Co., RH Land and Town Site Co., M.H. Sandifer – Real Estate,@#137 – R.W. Cranford and Co., A.D. Gilchrist – architect, and J.B. Patrick – dentist, 1946 – McCrory’s Store, (137) W.F. Palmer Jewelers, Louis Levy, 1963 – McCrory – McLellan Green Stores
*** Built in 1901, the Main Street address served as home to Rock Hill Supply Co., and numerous retail, restaurant and offices since. Some occupants included; Moore-Sykes Dry goods, Cohen’s Chain Store, Baker’s Shoes and Saletime Variety. For 60 years the site was McCrory’s Five and Dime, including at the time of the Friendship Nine protest. – The Herald Newspaper, Jan. 9, 2020
The Herald reported on Nov. 22, 1899 – “The Rock Hill Supply Co will be organized with a capital stock of $20,000. The partners are T.O. Flowers, J.S. White, and J.W. O’Neal. Mr. Flowers has been manager of Rock Hill Hardware Co., and will be Pres. and Manager of the new company. J.S. White will be VP and has extensive experience in the hardware lines and bicycle business. Mr. O’Neals was until recently with the Smith – Fewell Co., and for several years previously was a grocer. He will be the Sec. – Treasurer. The company will occupy storerooms now occupied by W.G. Reid and Son. Another building will be erected by R.L. Kerr adjoining that building and will be occupied by RH Supply Co., it will be two stories of brick and will be 100 – 125 feet. The main business will deal in hardware, plantation supplies, building materials, crockery and stoves. The new building will also include groceries.” (According to the O’Neal Family history, RH Supply Co., was originally organized by T.O. Flowers, James S. White and W.W. Watt).
The Herald reported on March 27, 1901 – “That work on the J.S. White block, on Main Street commenced Monday by A.D. Holler. It will be two stories and will have two store rooms on the first floor. Both of these rooms will be occupied by the Rock Hill Supply Co., which plans to move in by Sept. 1st.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on May 1, 1901 – “Work has commenced on a building on Main Street for Mr. J.S. White. The first brick was laid this morning. The story will be two stories and a deep basement. The first floor will have two store rooms each 30-100 feet and the second floor is devoted to offices.”
The Herald reported on July 27, 1901 – “The store building of RH Supply Co., is nearing completion. They hope to move in by Aug. 15th.”
On Dec. 11, 1901 the Herald reported, “The UDC will serve oysters Wednesday afternoon in the Sam Friedheim storeroom on Main Street, recently occupied by the Rock Hill Supply Company.”
On March 5, 1902 the Herald reported on several dates, “The work of remodeling the Sam Friedheim store was commenced on Monday. On March 22nd, Mr. R.W. Crawford proprietor of The Up-To-Now Shoe Store, is removing his stock of goods to the Sam Friedheim storeroom.” On April 2nd the plans for the Up-T-Now Shoe store have been changed and the space in the Sam Friedheim building will now be occupied by the Great Cut Price Store with R.N. Cranford as manager and S.E. True as a partner.”
The Herald reported on March 22, 1902 – “Mr. J.M. McFadden is erecting a new blacksmith shop in the rear of the store of the Rock Hill supply company. The building will be 18-20 feet.”
The Herald reported on April 8, 1903 – “T.P. Roddey has accepted a position with the Great Cut Price Store.” (R.W. Cranford was manager and S.E. True was buyer.)
The Herald reported on July 16, 1904 – “There was a blaze on the second floor of Mr. James White’s building. The lower floor is occupied by Cunningham and Kuykendale and the Rock Hill Supply Company.”
The RH Record reported on Aug. 2, 1909 – Contain an ad for W.L. Law, general engineering work, with offices over the Rock Hill Supply Company.”
This store was completed in 1901 by Architect, Hugh Edward White (1869 – 1939), born in Fort Mill, S.C. he attended Fort Mill Academy and started his practice in about 1894. Remained in Rock Hill until about 1903 and later returned to work. In the 1890’s he worked in an architectural firm in Atlanta. Between 1903-1918 he was a field supervisor of the Supt. Architect Dept. of the Treasury. For about three years 1918-21, he was employed with Charles Coker Wilson in Columbia or Gastonia, N.C.
The Rock Hill Journal on July 4, 1902 carried an ad for the Catawba Real Estate Company officers were listed as; J.G. Anderson, Pres., J.M. Cherry, V.P., J.B. Creighton, Sec., George P. Holler, Manager, and W.B. Roddey, Treasurer.
The Herald reported on Sept. 13, 1902 – The Rock Hill Supply company has just installed a cash railway system of the latest improved patent.
The Record reported on Jan. 7, 1907 – “The Rock Hill Supply Co., is having a warehouse built on the opposite site of the railroad from McFadden’s Market.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on Feb. 8, 1907 – “Dr. T.C. Lucas will locate in Rock Hill for the practice of Osteopathy, occupying rooms in the James White building formerly occupied by Dr. Davis.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on May 2, 1907 – “Mr. J.J. Keller, contractor, is fitting up the building this side of the laundry on West Main Street for an office and supply room. He now has his office in the White Building on Main St., over the Rock Hill Supply Company.” – #134 West Main St., is his new location.
The Record reported on Dec. 30, 1907 – “The Walnut Camp, Woodman of the World will move into their new quarters in the White Building tonight.”
The Record contained an ad for T.C. Lucas Osteopathic Physician with an office in the Rock Hill Supply Co Building.
The Rock Hill Record of Feb. 15, 1912 reported – “One of the Edison storage battery cars for the Carolina Traction Co., to be used in Rock Hill reached here Tuesday morning. Sec. of the company is James S. White.”
The Herald reported on April 11, 1921 – Contained an add for Catawba Real Estate Co., James S. White, Sec. featuring new Cedar Crest development area, described as being near Oakland at half the price. The development features Ivy Park, names in honor of one of the early leaders in Rock Hill, J.M. Ivy. The triangular park makes extensive park frontage to the neighborhood. Cedar Crest was described as an ideal spot for a cozy little home. (The Ivy home was across from the park on Charlotte Avenue.)
The Herald reported on April 28, 1925 – “A building permit was issued to J.S. White for repairs to a store on East Main Street costing $1,500.” [No address was issued.]
The Herald reported on Oct. 4, 1935 – “That the Capital Finance Company had opened offices at 135 1/2 Main Street, above the Home Store.”
Also see Lots #4 – North as well as the MORE INFORMATION link found under the primary image column.
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