For 62 years Barringer’s has worked to meet the jewelry and gift needs of Mullins’ area residents. Opened in 1947 on North Main Street in Mullins, Barringer’s moved to its present address at 140 S. Main St. in 1959.
The store’s building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 20, 2003 as part of the Mullins’ downtown’s designation as a Historical Commercial District by the Nation Park Service. Most of the buildings were built between 1890 and 1930 and the building the jewelry store occupies was once the Lowe’s Department Store. In 1947, Martin Barringer, moving in from the Charlotte area, was convinced by some friends to open a jewelry store.
“I had some friends in the jewelry business in Lumberton and they asked me if I wanted to open up a location in Dillon or Mullins. Initially I did not know where Mullins was located, but I chose Mullins because of the china lines and silver franchises that were available there,” Barringer, a 1942 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, said.
Before moving to Mullins, Barringer worked with the Commercial Credit Corp. in Charlotte. He was 27 years old. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Drew Foil, who was 14 when he first was hired to work at Barringer’s, on July 14, 1978, has grown up with the business. Now Barringer’s manager, he said, “When Mr. Barringer first began, women did not have their ears pierced and a watch maker worked at the store because watches didn’t have batteries…”
Today, Barringer’s has four skilled workers who can service watches.
“We’re always searching for new lines (of merchandise). We know our customers and have a good feel for their tastes,” Foil said. Foil also said he possesses expertise in stone settings and in jewelry repair, a skill acquired from the Gemological Institute of America.
Daughter Nancy Williams and husband Ted, who moved back to Mullins in 1977, took over the business and said the family reputation of trust has trickled down through the family. “This is our home and we believe in treating our customers just like neighbors. We never compromise values when doing business,” she said.
In 2007 the business celebrated 60 continuous years in business and today is the oldest jeweler in Marion County. In 2008, the Greater Mullins Chamber of Commerce named the business the 2007 Business of the Year.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement