Frank Clement and Thelma Ashworth inside Clement Jewelry.

Brevard has
been the home of a number of jewelry shops since the early 1900s.  The earliest
mention of a jewelry shop in the Sylvan Valley News was for Hawkin’s Jewelry
Store in 1903.  The 1900
Federal Census lists David Hawkins, 30 years old, as a watch repairer in
Brevard.  By 1910 Hawkins was operating a
jewelry store in McKinney, TX.  He would
return to the southeast and spend the rest of his career in Toccoa, GA.

The 1900
census also listed 20-year-old C.B. “Charley” McFee as a watch
repairer in Brevard.  McFee ran a
jewelry store for many years.  His obituary
states that he was “a jeweler and leading merchant of Brevard from 1898
until the early 1940s when he retired.”

MeFee’s Jewlers, 1953.

According
the Sylvan Valley News and census information P.R. “Pennie” Ayres
also operated a jewelry and watch repair shop in Brevard in 1910.  Ayres sold
his business to Frank D. Clement of Elizabeth City, NC in 1913.

Clement soon
built a new 2-story brick shop that included a movie theater on the corner of
Main and Caldwell.  In addition to the
jewelry business, Clement also had a photo shop.  His sons, Verne and Ted, ran the Clemson
Theater.  Frank Clement retired from the
jewelry business in 1936.  He and Verne
built and operated the Co-Ed Theater beside Clemson Theater.  They sold both theaters in 1942.

Brevard Jewelers, 1956.

During the
mid-1900s there were three jewelry stores in Brevard–Baker’s Jewelers, Brevard
Jewelers, and Parson’s Jewelry.  Austin Baker
owned and operated his store on Jordan St. for 30 years.  Alma Cox operated Brevard Jewelers & Gift
Shop in the Aethelwold building from 1953 until 1991.

Parson’s
Jewelry was located in the Aethelwold prior to Brevard Jewelers.  They moved to W. Main St. for a few years
before Jack Parson’s built a new store on E. Main St. beside the courthouse and
library in the late 1950s.  Arthur and
Pamela Love purchased Parson’s Jewelry in August 1972.  

In addition
to selling and repairing jewelry and watches early jewelers were sometimes a
town’s optometrist and sold eye glasses.  Jewelry
stores often carry fine china, crystal, cut glass, sterling, pewter, copper,
and bridal and baby gifts as well.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs. 
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at [email protected]
or 828-884-1820.