On this day in 1933, a new store was announced in Winston-Salem. The new store, called Davis Inc., was established by E. L. Davis Sr., Paul Price Davis, J. Neal Davis, and J. B. Futrell.
It was located on West Fourth Street at Trade, and operated as a department store until it closed in the 1980s.
The store was expanded in 1949 and again in 1956. The 1949 expansion included an addition of 50 feet to the 100-foot length of the store.
The 1956 expansion added 12,500 square feet of floor space. And, the store had entrances on Fourth, Trade and Third Streets. The ground floor was devoted to housewares. The remodeled second floor held ladies’ fashions. A large portion of the additional floor space came from the expanded mezzanine which was devoted to children’s clothing and accessories. And, the main floor was remodeled to include men’s clothing, ladies’ sportswear and lingerie, shoes, and accessories.
The building that housed Davis Department Store was in the throes of being sold in 2004, with the possibility of it being remodeled and re-purposed. But, by 2005, a new plan was in the works that called for demolition and replacement by a condominium building.
The condominium building was constructed, and a restaurant opened on the ground floor.
Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
