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The singer Sheryl Crow once said, “No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere.” She’s right, of course. Blossoming amidst the occasional chaos of our lives, wildflowers are a reliable gift every spring. ...read more
Adventure | Inspiration | Local Flavor
Annex - Valle Crucis | Boone | Original - Valle Crucis
Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture. ...read more
All
So many things were different 35 years ago. Cellphones were available, but mostly in the form that had to be carried in a bag or was the size (and weight) of a brick. And there were more businesses moving out of the downtown area than were moving in. But that trend started to change on Thursday, May 26, 1988, when the Mast General Store Old Boone Mercantile opened its doors in the old Hunt’s Department Store. ...read more
Local Flavor | Mast in the News
Boone
Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture. ...read more
All
The lucky few who have seen the Earth from a different perspective – astronauts - all echo the same viewpoint upon their return. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut and the first human to go to space, commented, “Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it.”
Behind the Scenes | Inspiration
All
We’ve all said the phrase, “If these walls could talk, what stories they would tell.” That could be said about many places and perhaps the walls themselves – think about Russia’s famous Amber Room if it’s ever found. Much closer to home, we started wondering about the iconic centerpiece of the Front Room at the Original Mast General Store. Just what is the story of the pot-bellied stove? ...read more
Local Flavor
Original - Valle Crucis
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Columbia has seen a lot - from the earliest days of the United States to the present day. It's been on the cutting edge and just behind the leaders in a number of instances. Take a look at Columbia's wide thoroughfares. Contrary to what you might think, they are not a recent development but were actually planned for in the 1700s. That's right! Columbia is the nation's second planned city, right behind New Haven, CT, and was established as the state's new capital in 1786. In a vote of 11-7, the name Columbia, the United States' female personage, was chosen over Washington.
Read more ...The grid for the city was set up with 400 blocks in a two-mile square near the river. The perimeter streets were 150 feet wide and the remaining streets were 100 feet wide. Those are not arbitrary numbers, but were based upon the belief that mosquitos could not travel more than 60 feet without having a little snack.
Columbia is the site of the world's first fully-electrified textile mill. Cotton made the South the natural location for textile mills, and the Columbia Mills Building, which opened in 1894 and now houses the South Carolina State Museum, was fully powered by electricity from day one. That makes the building itself the Museum's largest artifact.
Few of the city's buildings date back before 1865. Much of the city was burned by General Sherman during the Civil War, except, ironically, the First Baptist Church where the State's Order of Secession was drafted and approved.
The building that now houses the Mast Store was constructed in the 1870s during the Reconstruction Era. It's housed many different businesses over the course of time – including an undertaker's parlor, a bar, and two City of Columbia retail destinations – Efird's and Lourie's. Each served the people of the Midlands for over 40 years each.
Read less ...Much of the city of Columbia was burned during the Civil War, including the 1600 block of Main Street. The original building, circa 1870s, was a two-story structure. One of its first occupants was a grocer, G. Diercks. In the mid 1890s, C.H. Baldwin and Sons, previously located at 187 Richardson St., moved in. They also were purveyors of groceries.
In 1915, Efird’s moved into the building. The building was enlarged in the 1910s, including 100 feet to the western side, and a third story. A basement was added in the 1920s. The post-World War I economic explosion and the migration of the population to the city made more space necessary. From 1901 to 1912, Girardeau and Marshall Clothing inhabited the building. Next came a short-lived furniture store, followed by D.B. Miller Co., a meat market. During this time frame, the building housed a saloon, a print shop, a tailor, a shoe and boot store, a boardinghouse on the upper floor, and an undertaker’s parlor.
Read more ...Much of the city of Columbia was burned during the Civil War, including the 1600 block of Main Street. The original building, circa 1870s, was a two-story structure. One of its first occupants was a grocer, G. Diercks. In the mid 1890s, C.H. Baldwin and Sons, previously located at 187 Richardson St., moved in. They also were purveyors of groceries.
In 1915, Efird’s moved into the building. The building was enlarged in the 1910s, including 100 feet to the western side, and a third story. A basement was added in the 1920s. The post-World War I economic explosion and the migration of the population to the city made more space necessary. From 1901 to 1912, Girardeau and Marshall Clothing inhabited the building. Next came a short-lived furniture store, followed by D.B. Miller Co., a meat market. During this time frame, the building housed a saloon, a print shop, a tailor, a shoe and boot store, a boardinghouse on the upper floor, and an undertaker’s parlor.
Efird’s, a major rival of the Belk chain, expanded to include 50-60 stores in three states. It carried many items featured in larger stores and offered “one price for all.” In their local advertising, they called themselves “Columbia’s Greatest Department Store.” The store’s 21,000 square feet of space utilized the first floor for silks, dress goods, dry goods, piece goods, shoes, men’s and boys’ clothing, and men’s furnishings. A central staircase led to the second floor, where women’s ready-to-wear clothing, muslin underwear, corsets, and rugs were kept.
Efird’s faced heavy competition from larger national retailers and suburban malls, and the family’s next generation was not interested in taking over the business. In the late 1950s, the Efird brothers decided to sell their store to Belk. For a brief period, a Belk Annex occupied the building.
Lourie’s was founded in St. George, South Carolina by Louis Lourie, one of many Eastern European Jews emigrating to the United States seeking religious freedom in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Lourie’s was known for quality merchandise at a fair price, and keen attention to detail, stressing service and courtesy. Solomon, the eldest son, and A.M. “Mick”, brought the store to Columbia in 1948. Business grew quickly and they expanded in 1950, rapidly outgrowing the new location. In 1960, they began utilizing 42,000 square feet in the store at the corner of Taylor and Main Streets.
The principles on which Lourie’s was established continued to be good business practice: quality merchandise, good fashion sense, and outstanding customer service. In a time before credit cards were available, the store extended credit to its customers, experiencing great customer loyalty, even through difficult economic times.
In the 1960s and 70s, many stores left Downtown Columbia for suburban malls. The Louries, demonstrating a strong commitment to their community, remained, hoping to maintain the downtown area as a viable retail destination. The store closed its doors in 2008, after 48 years in this location.
The Mast Store in Columbia opened in 2011.
*Photo courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.
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Famously hot Columbia is just right for fall color enjoyment. The steamy temperatures of summer are a distant memory and snowflakes are nowhere to be found on the itinerary. While the fall colors may not be as readily evident, there are beautiful places to get fully immersed in autumn’s glory. ...read more
Local Flavor
Columbia
They say that Halloween is the spookiest time of the year. Legend warns it’s when the veil between our world and the afterworld is thin and spirits can easily pass from one side to another. We don’t know about that, but we do know it’s one of the “funnest” times of the year. Check out these family-friendly events in our local communities. ...read more
Local Flavor | Travel
All
The heart of any city is its downtown, where restaurants, boutiques, lawyers, hair salons, theaters, and many more enjoy the bustling hum of commerce. On May 25, 2011, Main Street welcomed an unconventional new retailer to its growing chorus of Downtown Columbia institutions when the Mast General Store opened its doors. ...read more
Local Flavor | Mast in the News
Columbia
Today is Arbor Day, and we’re celebrating the beauty and symbolism trees lend to our world. Take a look at this tree-themed trivia from across our region. We hope the facts will inspire you to hug a tree or, especially, plant one in honor of all that trees do for us and our environment! ...read more
Inspiration | Gardening
All
Recycling is a comprehensive process. Many of us are familiar with the basic “3 R’s” that describe it: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. ...read more
Inspiration
All
The virtuous cycle requires a willingness to buy recycled goods which in turn creates demand for recycled items and makes the manufacturing of recycled goods desirable. Learn more about how you can energize the virtuous cycle in your own life! ...read more
Inspiration
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