OPINION: West Evans history worth improvement efforts

I have written about the 100 block of East Evans Street, my favorite block when Florence had a real downtown, but the 100 block of West Evans was pretty neat, too.

The old City Hall, a stylish old building until remodeling ruined it about 1950, was on that block. It contained the Colonial Theater, which was the first-run movie house. Goldfish ponds flanked the theater entrance. I remember seeing “Gone With the Wind” there as a new movie. It was the first time I remember and probably the first time that Florence movie tickets included seat assignments. Might have been the last, too. The old City Hall now is a parking lot.

Also, three dime stories opened onto that block, with two built as L’s that also had entrances on North Dargan. Cockfield’s Drug Store was directly across from the City Hall, and Barringer’s and Schofield’s hardware stores were on the 100 block of West Evans. Barringer’s remained there until it closed as the downtown faded into memory.

By the 1930s there were buildings of one type or another on every lot. There were all kinds of stores, men’s clothing, women’s clothing, jewelry, books, drugs, among others. Once there were grocery stores. Efird’s (remember it?) and Penney’s were department stores along there.

Back then, the upstairs were busy. Doctors and lawyers had offices on the upper floors, along with finance companies and other enterprises. At one time there was a business college on one building’s upper floors.

One building with storefronts on Evans and South Dargan streets had a second floor hallway leading to stairs that descended to both streets. Sometimes in bad weather, I went up the stairs and took a shortcut to the other street. I don’t think the occupants or owners liked that too much, but I got away with it.

I had the first shot I remember in one of those offices, for tetanus after I jumped off a platform and landed on a nail that punctured my shoe and then nearly went all the way through my foot. I didn’t like the nail and didn’t like the shot. I also had an unfortunate session with a dentist in one of those offices.

On Saturdays, I often had a routine. Leaving the cowboy movie nearby at the Carolina Theater I would go to Woolworth’s, then Kress, and play at the toy counters until they ran me out.

After being run out of the dime stores, I went to the Colonial Theater and tried to catch the goldfish in the ponds out front until they ran me off.

Then I went to the Trust Building, across Irby Street. With seven stories, it was tied for tallest in town with the McLeod Infirmary. I waited until the elevator operator carried somebody up, then sneaked through the lobby to climb the stairs. I would marvel at the view from seven stories up and sometimes launch paper airplanes — until they ran me out.

Then I would make my way home, another day well spent.

When there was a parade, the reviewing stand usually was in front of the City Hall, and that was a good place to watch but was also very crowded. If you knew somebody who could get you in one of the upstairs windows along there, you had a good thing going.

Pete Thornell, a local character and very successful businessman, did a man-on-the-street radio program outside Zeigler’s Drug Store at Evans and Dargan. He interviewed people, awarded silver dollars for answering questions and gave the listeners the benefit of his thinking. He drew appreciative crowds.

Once when it snowed, I threw a snowball and creamed a man in the back of the head. He took out after me, and I ran for my life, heading for the police station behind the City Hall to turn myself in. At least the police wouldn’t kill me. Then I realized he had run out of steam and abandoned the chase. Quite a relief.

The block was paved about 1920. Once there was angle parking of autos, then parallel. Then a concrete shelter covered sidewalks, and now there is landscaping between parking places. The 100 block of West Evans is a sad sight now, but there are efforts to improve it.

— Thom Anderson is a retired journalist who has 40 years experience with South Carolina newspapers, including the Morning News. He can be reached at .