Lewiston was officially incorporated by the Summer Session of the General Assembly
when the 1900's arrived, Lewiston was bustling with three Hotels, six or seven grocery stores, To better understand commerce and trade in Lewiston at this time, it must be remembered that things Listed next are some of the businesses that were operating at one time or another in Lewiston.
BANK OF LEWISTON - After the bank it was Dr.
Garriss' office Then it became Dan Pittman
Insurance Agency.
CHARLIE JORDAN STORE - For many years Robert and Russell Bazemore had a
grocery store there. After they closed, it remained empty
until it was torn down.
TELEPHONE OFFICE - After the Switchboard office, Dan Pittman Ins. Agency
was there prior to moving to Bank Bldg.
CITY BARBER SHOP - Mr. Burket had the first barber shop there, then Mr.
Owen Parker joined him. After his death, Cecil Parker became the
barber.
EASON STORE - At one time was a hardware store.
QUALITY SHOP - Before Mill Outlet, was Mr. John Peele's Furniture Store.
PERRY BAZEMORE STORE - Became Bazemore Variety Store (Mr. Garvey
Bazemore) before Mill Outlet moved in.
HUMPHREY'S DRUG STORE - (between corner furniture store and Mr.
Garvey's) - This was a drug store operated by Leslie Humphrey. He was a pharmacist
JACK CONNOR STORE - groceries - Mr.Jack Saunders (daughter is Janice Saunders) had a dry goods
RAWLS HOTEL - The hotel was torn down around 1910. Then there was
Mr. Carl Clark's Esso Station.
Peggy Joyner Frisbie
The other Woodville Post Office that was in operation when I was growing up
was located on the corner across from Woodville Supply Co. The Post Office has
been torn down and the Old Woodville Supply Co. stores are not in operation
anymore. The last one was shut down two or three years ago. The old buildings
still stand but are in bad shape.
Stella Phelps, deceased, was the postmaster there for years until it was
shut down and the Woodville operation was then moved to the Lewiston location. My aunt, Temperance G. Britton, deceased, was assistant postmaster in
Contributed by Doug Britton
Woodville Supply Co. is on far left, the middle store used to be where the
Supply Co. kept it's shoe stock and some other supply stock, and the store on
the right was Woodville Market where they sold groceries, can goods and had a
large meat market in the back of the store.
These stores were booming until the 1970's. The Market was closed first
and then the Supply Co. was closed as I stated 2 or 3 years ago.
The Post Office that Stella Phelps ran was across the street to the left
of Woodville Supply Co. The location where I was taking this picture is where
the railroad depot was situated. The building on the left side of where the
Post Office used to stand, you can see the white back corner of it on the left
side of the photograph, was where Dr. Frank Garris, deceased, had his office.
He later built a home and office combination in Lewiston which is used now as
County Medical facility. The old office in Woodville is now used as a Church.
in 1881.
together by the Spring Session of the General Assembly and renamed Lewiston-Woodville.
Lewiston Commerce
Lewiston, like many southern communities, thrived on agriculture. In the early 1800's, agriculture and
lumber products made up almost all the trade in our area. The farms were small family owned and operated
tracts with a few large plantations along the Roanoke River. Blessed with fertile soil and the river low ground
so near, Lewiston became a rather properous town.
several dry good stores, black smith shops, a cotton gin, livery stables, barber shops, doctors, lawyers, pool
halls and a bar. Its neighbor, Woodville, had several saw mills and the railroa. The railroad served both Lewiston
and Woodville and was very important to both towns.
were quite different....families and people in general did not have the luxury of transportation then a
we do now. You came to town on Fridays and Saturdays from the farm and did "all" your trading. Food was purchased;
clothes, hardware, furniture, etc. plus you got a haircut, shave, and shower. You sold your crop in town, repaired
your wagons, bought your implements and went back to the farm. You made a list of everything you needed and when
you came to town,you had it available to purchase. This is why there were so many different
stores and businesses in Lewiston.
Most were run by families still in Lewiston today. [1981]
HAWLEY'S GARAGE - Car sales and repairs (1981 - Jordan Smithwick Store owned by William Pittman)
LONNIE MINTON STORE - Dry Goods & Groceries (1981 - Part of Pittmans Richfood Market)
WILLIE BAZEMORE STORE - Dry Goods & Groceries (1981 - Pittmans Richfood Market)
BANK OF LEWISTON - bank (1981-Elmo Peele Insurance Company)
CHARLIE JORDAN STORE - Groceries & Ice House (1981 - vacant lot next to Elmo Peele)
CRIT TILLER STORE - Dry Goods, Hardware & Post Office (Last wooden building in town - moved from
original site (Hawley's Garage) to location near John Bonds house today. Was destroyed by fire)
GAY HARRINGTON LAW OFFICE - Lawyer
(1981 - Dickie Hoggard's Office)
TELEPHONE OFFICE - Central Switchboard office
(1981 - Dickie Hoggard's Office)
POST OFFICE - Third Location
(1981 - Store rented by Canal Wood Corporation, Owned by Roanoke Corporation)
CITY BARBER SHOP - Owned by "Stump" Burkett
(1981 - Vacant store owned by Roanoke Corp)
HENRY BUNCH STORE - Groceries
(1981 - Vacant store next to C.B. Bennett)
DR. MITCHELL OFFICE BUILDING - Housed Doctor's Office, a cafe, and later a grocery store
(1981 - C.B. Bennetts new building supply store)
EASON STORE - Groceries
(1981 - Large vacant building on corner, owned by James A. Parker and William Pittman)
JOHN DUNNING - Undertaker
(1981 - Yellow house between William Pittman residence and Bernard Early)
QUALITY SHOP - The original Lewis Store. Located on the corner; drug store, patent medicine, soda
fountain and first location of post office. (1981 - Mill Outlet owned by the Bazemores)
PERRY BAZEMORE STORE - Dry Goods & Notions
(1981 - Lewiston Goodie Shop (formerly Humphreys and Garvey Bazemore Variety Store
(Mill Outlet #2)
JACK CONNOR STORE - Groceries
(1981 - Mrs. Ruby Joyner's Store)
LEWISTON SUPPLY COMPANY - Dry Goods, Clothes and Hardware
(1981 - Wilmer Hoggards General Merchandise)
HARRINGTON BROS. GARAGE - Buggy Making & General Repair
(1981 - Vacant lot next to the Red Apple)
HARRINGTON MANUFACTURING CO. - Manufacturers of Farm Implements and Pea Pickers
(1981 - First location is where Masonic Lodge is now. 2nd location is vacant
lot next to Post
office - 3rd location at present.
HOGGARD & SPRUILL COTTON GIN - Livery Stables and later a cotton gin
(1981 - location was behind Health Clinic - destroyed by fire in 1979)
LEWISTON THEATER
Was also outlet for light plants and water pumps
(1981- Frank Barnes Cleaners)
JOHN DURDEN STORE - Groceries & Ice Cream
(1981 - George Whit Lee Store)
SOL CLARK STORE - Groceries and Candies, the old Crit Tillery Store
(1981 - destroyed by fire several years ago; Highway 11 - 308 intersection was site)
JESSE ROOKS STORE - Blacksmith
CULLEN ASKEW STORE - Groceries
Location was near Morris Askew residence
WILLIAMS HOTEL - Hotel
(1981 - location was where Stacy Harrington's home is today)
RAWLS HOTEL - Lewiston Hotel and Bar
(1981 - locate was where the Red Apple is today)
BARNES HOTEL - Hotel
(1981 - Apartment house next to Baptist Parsonage; owned by Roanoke Corporation)
LEWISTON SCHOOL - First original building believed to be the old barn at Hubert Jernigan's
house Main
school stood where the First Baptist Church is now (1981)
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - Stood where Pike Harrington's house is now (1981)
LEWISTON FIRE DEPARTMENT - First lcoation was in the building occupied by marshall Bennett Body Shop.
Doug contributed this image of one of the original shares of stock in the Bank of Lewiston that was
established in 1909 and wound up with a wreath on the door during the Great Depression. This picture
is of one share bought by Doug's grandfather, John T. Britton, share #99, for $100. This would be about $2,000
compared to monetary values in today's market.
Contributed by: jffjr@attglobal.net Peggy Joyner Frisbie
and after his death in early 30's David Humphrey took over and ran it until his death.
Then it became the
Goodie Shop, probably in the 70s.
store there. Then Mr. Grover Butler's grocery store there.
Then Mrs. Ruby Joyner opened Lewiston Variety Store.
Then it
became the Red Apple.
WOODVILLE
See also Historic Woodville WOODVILLE POST OFFICE
Contributed by Doug Britton
Woodville until the operation was moved to Lewiston and she worked there with
Lacelle Parker until she retired. Temperance had 40 years with the Post Office
Dept.
Woodville Supply Company
Contributed by Doug Britton.
Please send us your comments and questions.
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