Below:
A composite guide to the many retailers and occupants of the west side buildings on Middle Street in the early- to mid-twentieth century.
In much the same way that L.D. Gilbert had shared the Montevallo Cleaners plant and store with his haberdashery in the 727 building on Middle Street, Clarence Chism adopted the same strategy after becoming established himself in the dry cleaning and retail clothing business.
By 1946, Mr. Chism took advantage of the availability of the retail space in the 721 building next door as a result of Stanley White closing his hardware store and moving out. Just as Mr. Gilbert had done a few years before, Mr. Chism opened “Chism’s Ready-to-Wear” in the former grocery and hardware store while continuing to own and operate Montevallo Cleaners.
Mr. Chism’s expanded businesses on Middle Street had been serving the public for only a year in their new configuration when the September 11, 1947 edition of the Montevallo Times reported the following:
"A fire in the plant of Montevallo Cleaners early last Saturday night would have completely destroyed the place in no time but for the prompt and efficient work of our volunteer fire department and the help of many people in removing things from the building.
The blaze started above the ceiling in the rear of the building and was raging when found. It is thought that it was caused from a defective flue or wiring.
By the time the fire fighters were ready to apply the hose, volunteer helpers had removed all the clothing from the shop, together with all movable equipment. This saved damage from water.
All the stock and fixtures were removed from the Chism Clothing store next door. The blaze however, was confined to the cleaning plant and did not damage any other building. There was no serious damage to the cleaning machinery and no loss of customers’ clothing."
Clarence Chism remained the owner of Montevallo Cleaners until 1949 when he sold the business to Earl McGaughy, a Montevallo native who was a younger brother of former Middle Street grocers Alvin and George McGaughy. When Mr. McGaughy returned to civilian life following his military service in World War II he studied at the National Institute of Cleaning & Dyeing in Maryland, from which he graduated before assuming the ownership of Montevallo Cleaners.
Mr. McGaughy continued to operate the venerable business from its well established location in the 727 building until the mid-1950’s when he moved his cleaning plant into the building he purchased and renovated a few doors to the north on Middle Street next to Bean’s Barber Shop. He was followed at 727 by a short-lived sewing shop before transitioning to a coin-op laundromat that was installed in response to the momentous arrival of male students and the opening of the new Napier men's dorm at nearby Alabama College.
The sale of the dry cleaners allowed Mr. Chism to then focus all of his attention on running his three-year-old clothing store that continued to do business next door. Chism’s had a run of about six years in the 721 building before the opportunity to move to a potentially more lucrative location presented itself in a new building in 1952 on Main Street.
The 721 building retail space did not have another long-term tenant until Bloomer Wilson opened his Wilson’s Sundries business around 1954. Wilson did very little business in the store, but managed to keep it going for the better part of 20 years.
The apartment on the second floor of the 717 building remained continuously rented to the same tenant, a single lady, for many years in the 1960’s and 1970’s while the retail space on the street level housed a variety of women’s clothing and accessory businesses that came and went. The Jewel Hat Box and The Specialty Shop advertised regularly in local publications during these years and may have been occupants of the building.
Thank you Clay Nordan, Vice President of Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!
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