
McHale as well as the former Rock Hill Hardware Company (pictured left), buildings were part of Rock Hill’s early commercial properties on the South Side of Main Street.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on April 24, 1879 – “Dr. J.W. Fewell and D.P. Steele, have bought the entire stock of drugs of the firm of Williamson and Campbell and will continue business in the same building under the name of Fewell and Steele.” *** Wm. B. White, Jr. notes that Dr. Fewell as practicing in Rock Hill as early as 1876.
The Herald reported on Oct. 13, 1881 – “Mr. A.D. Holler began work last week on the new buildings being constructed for A.E. Hutchison on Main Street. The building to be occupied by Fewell and Steele as a drugstore will be 60 ft deep by 36 ft wide. The building to be occupied by Reid and Gill as a furniture store will be 100 ft deep by 36 ft wide. The second floor of both these buildings will be 60 ft long. The brickwork on the buildings for Frew Brothers and for B.N. Craig and Co., is finished. He will proceed at once on the woodwork.” Later the Herald reported on Nov. 3, 1881 – “B.N. Craig and Co., have now moved into their new building. The have dry goods, groceries and canned goods.”
The Herald recorded on March 2, 1882 – “T.C. Ward, architect of attractive front of the new Fewell and Steele building is of glass.”
The Herald reported on Sept. 7, 1882 – “W.A. Roach and Co., dealers in heavy and fancy groceries, have opened a new store in the building last occupied by Fewell and Steele, druggist.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on May 26, 1887 – “The brick store on the site formerly occupied by Fewell and Watson is nearing completion. Dr. J.W. Fewell expects to move in by June 18th and will have a complete stock of drugs.” Later on July 7, 1887 the paper announced – “Dr. J.W. Fewell is now occupying his new store and has a select line of drugs and other articles normally sold in drugstores.”
City Directories and History: 1922/23 – Standard Drug and Manufacturing Co., 1936 – Sandifer Drug Store,
Lot 2 South—this lot measuring 68’ x 212’ was sold by A. T. Black on July 3, 1858, to Major Richard Austin Springs of “Springstein,” for $88.69. The
Methodist Church of Rock Hill had been organized in 1856 and a house of worship was erected in 1857 at the corner of Church (now Black) Street and Hampton Street. But there was no home for the pastor of the Rock Hill Circuit of the Methodist denomination. Major Springs, whose wife, Jane (Bobo) Springs, was “The Mother of Methodism in Rock Hill,” was prevailed upon by his wife to help in providing a parsonage. Major Springs, born and raised a Presbyterian, readily agreed to buying a lot and building a cottage thereon for the pastors of the Rock Hill Circuit. The Census of 1860 shows that the house and lot in question were then occupied by the Reverend Edmund Alexander Price and his family.
Between 1866 and 1871 Major Springs sold the property to Captain Robert

View of the old Rock Hill Hardware Company building in the 1970s. Courtesy of the Mendenhall Collection
M. Kerr, local carriage and buggy manufacturer. In the 1870’s the house and lot were acquired by Captain A. E. Hutchison, who, like Captain Kerr, owned two and one half lots just to the east of Lot 2 South, as will be shown in the following pages. After the financial collapse of Captain Hutchison at the end of the nineteenth century, the property was put up for sale. Most of the Hutchison holdings on Main Street were bought by the family of Major A.H. White and his sister, Miss Mary E. White, who were cousins of the Hutchisons. As the years passed, the lot was occupied by any number of businesses.
The occupant of the lot in 1942 was Bowen Drug Store, owned by Dr. John B. Bowen. The writer does not know whether Doctor Bowen owned the property of whether he merely rented it.
The Herald reported on a previous location of the Fewell and Steele Co. – “July 15, 1880 – that Fewell and Steele has recently placed a handsome sign over the street in front of their store.”
View of the double warehouses of the Barron’s hardware company. Across East Black Street was the popular Texaco Station and the “Back Lot” used by so many who shopped in downtown Rock Hill. Courtesy of the Aiton Collection.
The Herald reported on Oct. 6, 1881 – “That Mr. A.D. Holler, the contractor, began work Thursday on the new buildings being erected on Main Street by Capt. A.E. Hutchison. The building to be occupied by Messers. Fewell and Steele as a drugstore will be 60 feet long and 36 feet wide: the building to be occupied by Reid & Gill as a furniture store will be 100 ft long and 36 ft wide. When completed, the buildings will be large and handsome structures.”
A small portion of this lot was sold off the western side by Captain A. E. Hutchison to the newly formed Savings Bank in 1887. Also see on R&R: The Herald reported on May 13, 1886 – “That the shareholders of the Young Men’s Loan and Trust Company have met. The officers elected were D. Hutchison, Pres., John R. London, V.P., and directors: T.L. Johnston, T.A. Crawford, R.T. Fewell, J.B. Johnson, and N.P. Alexander. They adopted a resolution to apply to the general assembly to change the name to, The Citizens Savings Bank and to become a general bank. Operations will begin June 1st. They elected J.M. Cherry, Sec. Treasurer.”
The Herald reported on Sept. 30, 1887 – “W.L. Roddey has moved into his new store and is now opening an elegant stock of goods. The store presents a magnificent appearance.”
The Herald contained an advertisement on Feb. 8, 1893 – The W.L. Roddey and Co., has been turned into a stock company and is now Roddey Mercantile Company.
On Feb. 5, 1896 – Mr. James S. White is in charge of the bicycle department of the Rock Hill Hardware Company.
On Feb. 12, 1896 there was an ad for the Rock Hill Hardware Company, John Gelzer, Manager stating they carry Syracuse Cremson Rim Bicycles and see James S. White for service.
The Herald reported on April 15, 1896 – “That the RH Hardware Co., has been awared the contract for the fencing at Winthrop College. The fence will be all steele pickets of an ornamental design with very handsome gates. There will be over 4,000 ft., of the fence enclosing the entire thirty acres of the college property. The price to be paid is $1,000. as appropriated by the legislature.”
The Herald reported on April 7, 1911 – “That Dr. C.E. Rowe an experienced druggist from Spartanburg has purchased Mr. Bowen’s interest in the Bowen – Poe Drug Co., he will move to Rock Hill on Monday. He is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.”
Andrew Hutchison White of Rock Hill was born and raised here at the White Home, he and his sister Mary later acquired much of Lot #2. HRH Collection
The Record reported on April 18, 1927 – “That John M. Simrill, recently associated with Rock Hill Supply Company as a salesman, has entered to grocery business. He is located on East White Street, next to Starnes Plumbing Company. He had worked previously for the Rock Hill Grocery Company and Gill and Moore Grocery Company.”
[Information provided via Along the Land’s Ford Road – Vol. I, 2008 by William B. White, Jr.]
History of the Rock Hill Post Office: This was an article in the Herald on May 29, 1931 provided as part of an advertisement for People’s National Bank, the information from Buena Wood due to the first day the Post Office was being operated on a temporary basis on Hampton Street as the new Federal Building (Gettys Center) was being constructed.

Capt. A. E. Hutchison was featured in 1890 in the Charleston News and Courier, as one of Rock Hill’s leading citizens. The Herald reported on May 2, 1896 – “The job of papering and decorating the interior of the Savings Bank has been completed. The work is modeled after the Bufort Hotel Dining Room in Charlotte and is the work of the Wheeler Wallpaper Company.”
“The first PO in Rock Hill was on Trade Street, where the A&P Grocery store is now (1931), Mr. Ferguson was Post Master. The next site was on West Main Street, on the lot now occupied by Marshall Oil Company in 1931. The Post Mistress was Maria Rutland. The PO then moved to Ratterree’s Corner on the spot now occupied (1931) by Hood Clothing Company. Col. William Kerr was Post Master. The next site was on Main Street in a building adjacent to W.L. Roddey and Company. A fire destroyed this building and it was then moved to the Roddey Hotel. Miss Buena Wood was then Post Mistress. The PO then moved to one of Mr. Roddey’s storerooms now occupied by Rock Hill Hardware Company in 1931. Col. Cad J. Pride was the Post Master. The next site was on Main Street in the White Property, now partly occupied by the Merritt Shoe Company in 1931. The next Post Master was E.E. Poag. In 1906 the present PO on the corner of Main and Caldwell was built, following Mr. Poag, post master have been; V.B. McFadden, E.E. Poag and A.R. Barrett. Temporary quarters for the PO are now in the Barber – Sykes Building on Hampton Street opposite the City Hall.” Buena Wood – Author
See additional documents under the MORE INFORMATION link, found under the primary image.
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