The history of the numerous businesses that occupied these three buildings on the west side of Middle Street in the 20th Century is a story of intertwined interests, dramatic change, technological progress, and entrepreneurship.
Evidence of the earliest business operating from any of these storefronts comes from a 1925 newspaper ad. Montevallo Cleaners and Dyers was owned and operated by Mr. L.D. Gilbert and had begun serving customers in the 727 building by that year. Sometime in the mid-1930’s Mr. Gilbert also opened “Gilbert’s Haberdashery,” which shared space in the building with his cleaning plant. In advertisements his new business offered “Wearing Apparel for both Ladies and Gentlemen.”
The earliest business next door at 721 Middle that can be verified was S. J. McGaughy and Son Grocery which came on the scene at the end of 1926.
The two story building at 717 Middle Street was apparently owned by P.C. Wilson, who also owned the adjacent Wilson’s Drug Co. building. The building featured a retail space on the ground floor and a rental apartment with several bedrooms upstairs. The earliest known commercial concern to set up shop in the ground level store was the Allen-Craig Home Appliance store, which moved to this location from the Masonic Building in 1935. Its predecessors in this location are not known.
Thank you to Clay Nordan, Vice President of Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!