A circa-1900, three-story building in downtown Washington is rich in retail history and the structure is undergoing renovations to meet its new purpose.

The former Bowers Brothers building, which then became Belk-Tyler and later Woolworth, most recently housed an artisans’ market on the ground floor. The building is located at 158 West Main Street.

Jesse Powers of Chocowinity went to work in the store when it was Belk-Tyler in 1943 when he graduated high school.

“You name it, I’ve done it,” Powers said of his retail career. He shared details of the store’s layout in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

“On the ground floor, men’s was on the right with boys’ behind it,” Powers noted. “On the left we had hosiery, ladies’ bags and shoes. We had two large front doors and when we opened them, that was the air conditioning you had.”

Powers recalled that the second floor housed ladies’ wear and alterations, while the third floor was home to such merchandise as dishes and glassware. Direct sunlight shining on a cut-glass dish once caused a small fire on the third floor, he added.

There was also space in the store designated during the holiday season for staff to put together children’s toys like bikes and wagons.

“I hated Christmas,” Powers said with a laugh.

Powers’ duties also included fixing the store’s coal furnace and moving large rugs from the third floor down to the ground floor for customer pick-up.

“We moved across the street to a new Belk-Tyler store sometime in the 1950’s,” Powers continued. “We needed to expand. Even while the merchandise was being moved from the old store to the new one, we never closed.”

In time, the downtown Belk-Tyler relocated to what was then Washington Square Mall; the move sparked a decline in customer traffic along Washington’s Main Street.

Today restaurants, shops, boutiques and art galleries have helped revitalize the downtown area. And Washington native Candace Moore wants to be part of that. Moore purchased the former Bowers Brothers/Belk-Tyler/Woolworth building in October.

“I noticed the property had been on the market for a while and I was interested in it,” Moore said. “I’m very family oriented, and I know that I eventually want to move back home. Home is where the heart is.”

After graduating from Washington High School and East Carolina University, Moore forged a career in the banking. For the past three years or so, she has worked in Houston; therefore, much of the work on the property is being done long distance with the aid of family members and occasional trips back to Washington.

“I think this is one of the most attractive buildings downtown,” Moore said of the property. “I’m targeting people to want to open their own business and help make it affordable for them. It will be a multi-use property for entrepreneurs who want to start up but may be scared to start up.”

For more information about the latest chapter in the story of this old Washington landmark, contact Joel Moore/Moore Property Group LLC at 252-943-5498.