Moving east on the north side of Main Street just after Klotzman’s and the Montevallo Lumber Co. office was a store space previously occupied in the 1930’s by the I & N Quality store, a clothing and dry goods business owned and operated by Mr. Ike Nathews, according to this 1938 clipping from the Montevallo Times. Miss Ethel Reasoner opened “The Little Shop of Personal Service” in this space the same year.
A ladies shop offering high-end hosiery, suits and dresses, hats, handbags, and “unmentionables” (look it up), The Little Shop became a ready resource for local women and college students who otherwise would have to travel to Birmingham or Montgomery to find inventory of similar quality. The business did well for several decades, even though ownership changed more than once during its tenure on Main Street. Based on inspection of advertising examples from locally published outlets, The Little Shop remained open well into the 1960’s, apparently closing some time after 1967.
Something that made this store unique was the long entryway from the sidewalk leading to its doorway along which was a glassed-in merchandise display window. At some point after The Little Shop became established, Stone Jewelry opened on the right-hand side of the entryway in a small space with access directly from the sidewalk. Falcon Art Supply occupies this Main Street space presently.
Thank you to Clay Nordan, Vice-President of the Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!
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