The Ross Building
Chesterfield Drug Co.
Rear of Building
Ross Building 1968
Rear of Ross Building
The Chesterfield Drug Co. began business in 1908. Dr. W.J. Perry was president, E.N Redfearn was vice-president, and H.M. Odom was treasurer and manager. The prescription department was in the charge of W.O. White, a skillful registered pharmacist. According to a newspaper article written sometime in 1912, the drug store had a complete and neatly displayed stock of drugs, proprietary medicines, toilet articles, school books and supplies, fine stationery, cigars, etc. The handsome soda fountain of polished marble was a favorite spot for all who enjoyed cool and refreshing drinks, of which many varieties were served. It is unclear who owned or managed the drug store in the early 1920's, but in 1924 or 1925, Dr. Frank Henderson bought the business and building from the Welshes. Dr. W. J. Perry had his office in the back part of the store at that time. In 1943, John Robert Rivers bought the business from Dr. Henderson; Boyd Hendricks or "Hoot" Gibson was pharmacist for John Robert. The same pharmacist continued to work for Sam Fowler, who bought the business from Rivers. In 1946, Dr. C.E. Braswell, a pharmacist, bought the business from Fowler and later bought the building from Dr. Henderson. The original drug store location was at 128 Main Street on the north side. In 1961, Jim Braswell, Dr. C.E. Braswell's son and also a pharmacist, bought the business and building from his father. In 1968, Chesterfield Drug Co. moved to the Ross Building here on the south side where it is located today. This building had been divided into two stores with a grocery store in one part and a feed and seed store in the other. The two businesses were separated by stairs going from the sidewalk to the second floor where there were offices. At one time my father, Charles V. Rivers, had a cricket farm there where he raised and packaged crickets to send all across the Carolinas. Jimmy Braswell took out the partition between the two stores, took out the stairs, and made the area into a 5,000 square-foot store. He put an elevator and stairs on the outside at the rear of the building. He cleaned out the basement and opened The Meeting House Restaurant there. Ben and Susan Mangum ran it for him. Dr. Braswell rented the top floor to the school district for offices. After the restaurant closed, most of that space was used for additional school district offices and storage space. Prior to the school district's renting the upstairs, the space was donated by Dr. Braswell to prepare the books for the county library at 130 Main Street. That was another building that Dr. Braswell owned at the time. In 1973, Jim sold the business to Tommy Atkinson, a pharmacist, and later sold him the building. Chesterfield Drug is now 95 years old and still going strong.
Dr. William Perry: This was known as the Ross Building. The telephone company was upstairs in the back. Billy Lee’s mother, Mary White Lee, was the supervisor, and Nita Leaird Watson later became supervisor. Sylvia McManus’s father’s brother had a dental office upstairs at the front of the building. P. E. "Red" Ratliff came here from Morven and operated the Q and Q Grocery downstairs.
Elizabeth Ann Gaddy Rivers: I remember when the Wamplers lived on the upper level and ran the Royal Cafe across the street. I also remember begging to deliver groceries from my daddy's grocery store to Nita Wason, who once ran the telephone exchange. She would let me sit on the stool beside her at the switchboard, plug in the connections, and say "Number, please". Then I was allowed to push the button that rang the number being called. Once she let me say "Long Distance", and lightning popped just as I did. That was when my desire to be the telephone operator ended! Pauline Bryant Hunt, "Red" Ratliff's niece, kept the Q and Q Grocery books upstairs in the back office on the left. I remember Dr. McManus's dentist office on the right at the top of the stairs and the telephone office at the back on the right. Tony Miller reminded me that the Rationing Board office was located upstairs here during World War II and said he used to go there after school to see his mother, Ruth Brown Miller, who worked in the office. He also told me that the office of the Chesterfield County Farm Bureau was located here until it re-located across the street to the small building next to what is today Shear Magic. W. E. Duvall, Sr. was the first manager of Farm Bureau, and his son, W. E. "Billy" Duvall, Jr., came to work with him and later became manager. Their secretary was Sara Brigman Stuard. Billy Duvall was married to Billie Kirven, the sister of Ruth Kirven Perry, Dr. William Perry's wife, and they lived near Cheraw.
Ross Building Upstairs:
Dr. Lewis Trotti, Dentist
Chesterfield Telephone Exchange
Rationing Board
Chesterfield County Farm Bureau
Dr. McManus, Dentist
Rivers Cricket Farm
Chesterfield County School District Offices
Ross Building Street Floor:
Q and Q Grocery (left side)
Douglas Feed and Seed (right side)
Redfearn Feed and Seed (right side)
Chesterfield Drug Co.
Ross Building Basement:
The Meeting House Restaurant
School District Offices/Storage