Downtown business block

This block of buildings has held a number of important Boone businessesover the years. At the corner of King and Depot, the site of the Boone Mini-Mall, was the Crest five and dime store. Prior to this building’s construction in 1940, this was the site of the Shell Café and Filling Station, and the outline of that gas station can be seen along the west side of this building, as it was built around the gas station. The Antique Mall building was the site of Belk’s department store. The building to the east of Belk’s was built in 1935 and originally held an A&P grocery store on the ground floor and the offices of Dr. Hagaman above. The FARM café and Boone Belles building was the site of Boone Drug Company, which moved there after outgrowing the east portion of the Mast General Store building. Prior to Boone Drug, it held the A&P before it moved. The Horton Hotel building was constructed in 1919 by H.W. Horton. The narrow building to the east of the Horton was the McGuire’s Beauty Salon,also built in 1919, and originally held a dress shop owned by Louise Hodges. The block to the east of this, the Qualls Block, is named for Lee Qualls, the owner of the Carolina Hotel, built in 1920.