Birmingham Drugs (Closed)
Hamlet, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

It's hard not to notice the faded marquee hanging above Birmingham Drugs in downtown Hamlet. The old sign has the kind of weathered look that only comes with time, standing proudly over Main Street long after the crowds have gone home. Even with the paint worn and the business quiet, it still has plenty of roadside character. 01-08

Look a little closer and you'll notice this building has lived more than one life. Before Birmingham Drugs called it home, the storefront served earlier pharmacies, and during renovations, older lettering from its Rexall days was uncovered beneath the current marquee. It's the sort of detail that reminds you just how many stories an old downtown building can hold.

Birmingham Drugs served the community for nearly 51 years before closing in 2019, but the building still looks every bit like the hometown drug store it was. Walking past it, you can almost picture customers stopping in for a prescription, greeting familiar faces, or spending a few minutes visiting before heading back out onto Main Street.

Birmingham Drugs
Hamlet, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Today the storefront waits for a new chapter, but the faded marquee continues to watch over downtown Hamlet. Sometimes an old sign doesn't have to be bright to catch your attention.

UPDATE: Birmingham Drugs closed in 2019. The building is vacant and has been offered for sale, but the historic marquee still remains in place. 07-26

Smith's Drugs
Forest City NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Smiths' Drugs must be the local hang out in Forest City, NC. IT probably has been that way for decades as there was a billboard outside of town for the place. As you see, the grill is an immaculate look at the past. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 03-08

There are still a few downtown drug stores that look like they belong to another time, and Smith's Drugs in Forest City is one of them. Sitting along Main Street, the storefront has that familiar small-town look, with the old Fountain sign out front inviting you to stop in and take a look around.

Smith's Drugs opened in 1939 and was once part of a small chain of stores spread across western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. Most of those locations are long gone, but this one is still doing business in downtown Forest City.

Step inside and you'll find more than just a pharmacy. The old-fashioned soda fountain and lunch counter are still part of the place, serving up burgers, milkshakes, and grilled pimento cheese sandwiches. It's the kind of setup that makes it easy to imagine how busy Main Street must have been when every town had a drug store where people stopped for lunch as often as they did for a prescription.

Smith's Drugs
Forest City NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Over the years Smith's expanded into neighboring storefronts, but the old downtown character never completely disappeared. The Fountain sign is still there, and the pharmacy remains one of those places that gives Forest City a little of its old Main Street personality.

If you're passing through town, this is the kind of stop that's worth getting out of the car for. Not because it's flashy, but because there just aren't that many places like it left.

UPDATE: Smith's Drugs remains open in downtown Forest City, and the historic fountain and familiar storefront signage continue to welcome customers though the signage is more plain now. 07-26

Rexall Drugs (Closed)
Catawba, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Rexall sign is located in Catawba, NC. The building it is attached to seems little changed from when it was a drug store but is not open and appears to be used for storage of antiques, maybe for the shop a few doors down. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

Some signs are so familiar they become part of the town itself. Rexall Drugs in Catawba is one of those places. The old projecting sign still hangs over Main Street, a reminder of the days when the neighborhood drug store was where you stopped for a prescription, a soda, or just to catch up with whoever happened to be inside. It's the kind of sign that makes you slow down and wonder what stories those old brick walls could tell.

The building has been part of downtown since 1915, originally serving as a soda shop and pharmacy. For generations it was one of those places woven into everyday life, where folks came for medicine but usually stayed a little longer. Like so many hometown drug stores, it was more than just a business. It was part of the rhythm of the community.

Rexall Drugs
Catawba, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Today the storefront has taken on a new purpose, but thankfully it hasn't forgotten where it came from. Walk inside and you'll still find old medicine cabinets, glass display cases, and woodwork that recall its drug store days. Step back outside and the projecting Rexall sign is still there, doing exactly what it has done for decades. It catches your eye from halfway down the block and reminds you that this corner once looked much the same as it does today.

Places like this are becoming harder to find. Sometimes the business changes, but the sign stays behind to tell the story.

UPDATE: The pharmacy has long since closed, and the building has been repurposed for a new business. The historic projecting Rexall Drugs sign remains over Main Street. 07-26