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Remember When? Ash Dept Store, Worley’s Food Store
April 14, 2011
One of Century’s oldest buildings was demolished this week. The building at 9510 North Century Boulevard was once, according to the signage recently uncovered on its facade, the home of Ash Dept. Store and Worley’s Food Store. Ash Dept. Store offered “Shoes, Clothing, Notions” while Worley’s offered “Meats, Groceries, Feeds”.
According to the Escambia County Property Appraiser, the building was constructed in 1935. During the last decade, the building fell into great disrepair, housing a second hand store. It was also cited by Escambia County Code Enforcement for unsafe conditions in 2010.
Do you have any memories of Ash Dept. Store or Worley’s Food Store? Share them in our comments section below.
Pictured top: Partial demolition of this building on North Century Boulevard near the Alabama State Line revealed signage for the former Ash Dept. Store and Worley’s Food Store. Pictured below: The building in 2003 and 2010. Pictured bottom: More images of the building just before demolition. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
18 Responses to “Remember When? Ash Dept Store, Worley’s Food Store”
I remember Ashes Department store; shopping with Charlotte Jordan. It’s been about 50 years ago but I remember what a great place.
Yes I remember the Dollar General Store being in that old building across from Barrows. My mother worked ther meny years. The 1st thing that I remember being in that building was a new car dealer ship. I can’t remenber what kind but I do remember new cars setting inside the building and on the outside. And at one time it was a gro. store and I think it was Greens or IGA then Greens moved across the tracks to a building that joined onto the north side of Aashes store. Then I beleive Greens built a new store just south of Worleys.
My Grandmother lived behind that building until she died in 1980.
I have many fond memories in that old house, and can remember her puting plates of food out on the porch at night for some homeless people, and have often tried to find out who owns it now to see if it might be for sale?
RE: Betty…..Does your family still own the old house? Looks like it has been restored. I would love to talk to someone.
I remember falling outside the department store when I was little and busting my chin on the concrete. I also remember when there was no overpass and you came down the road through Flomaton to cross over the tracks. Does anyone remember the Dollar Store in Flomaton being in the empty building across from Barrow’s? It is a shame we cannot preserve the old historic buildings.
Hi Mary…my Dad cut meat at Mr. Worley’s too in the 50s when I was just a tot….maybe they worked together..
And I do remember shopping with my mom at Ash Dept Store.
I was not around to take part in the memories of these two businesses. However, I do remember my grandparents and Mom talking about several different businesses in Century/Flomaton. Grandpa had a business in Century and my Grandma was a school teacher. They both touched many lives through the years. They used to sit around and tell so many stories. Then, as a kid, I thought “Will they ever stop” and now I would give anything to hear those stories several thousand more times.
I use to buy my Levis and flannel shirts at Ash’s i even go tmy first pair of boots there, its a shame to see things go but if its not taken care of its just a mess,i will always miss goign into ash’s and worley’s
My Dad was Hugh Ash and I fondly remember his store. He loved his business and he was there for over 40 years. Not many people do not remember in Flomaton, Jay, Century, Pollard and McDavid going to buy shoes, Levis,hats,overalls,linens , material for sewing ,etc. Some of you may just have heard of Ashes Dept. Store from someone but it is a well remembered place in the History of our area!! I am very proud of what my Dad accomplished but I am so proud of the way he treated everyone and how he helped so many people when they could not afford to buy!! I have heard from many people since he passed away many different stories of his generous side!! As so many things are slipping away from us now we need to remember the good ole days!!!!!
How well I remember Feb 1991.That is when I opened the country bumpkin in one side of the building and then rented the other side for expansion a month later.I remember painting a huge rabbit on the south side of the building.People said the store would never prosper,but one year later I moved into a 5000 sg ft building and was open a total 13 years.Wish I had a picture of the rabbitt!!
I grew up in in Flomaton. My parents and I lived down town. My mother and I use to walk across the railroad tracks from Bell and Robinson Barber Shop and go down a little trail to the front of Ashes. I loved shoes and would love to see what was just in. The railroad was very, very busy in thoes days(mid 1940’s). Several times Mother and I would get cought in-between two trains. We would be waiting for one train to pass and before it got passed us another train would come from the other direction behind us. It was dangerious, but as a child, I loved it. We also bought a lot of material from Ashes for mother to make dresses for me and her. Mother bought a lot of groceries at Worley’s. One thing I remember is my Dad standing and talking to Mr. Ash and Mr. Worley, which as a kid, it seem like forever. But when Dad went with us we would drive over there to the stores which was about 2 blocks from our house in Flomaton. OHHHHH- This brings back such good memories of my childhood and the GOOD OLD DAYS! Younger generations can’t beleave how busy Flomaton, Ashes and Worley’s was. On Sat. everyone came to town. It was like Walmart or the Malls. The onle thing dirrerent, everyone knew each other and would walk down the streets talking to everybody. There would be no parking places in town or at Ashes or Worley’s.
Will it become an empty lot now or is something else going to be built in it’s place?
Yes, I remember both stores. My folks bought groceries at Worley’s and we bought things from Ash dept store. Kind of sad to see historical landmarks have to be demolished, but without care had became an eyesore.
To way to young, that is so funny because I have always thought the same thing!
They are sprucing up highway 29 will be glad when they get off on some of these other streets.
I got Levis at Ash’s for $5 a pair. Those were the good old days!
My dad used to buy his hats, shoes, clothes and my school clothes at Ash’s Department Store. Another landmark gone!
In 1959 when I was about 14, I bagged groceries and did cleanup jobs at Worley’s Grocery which was in the city of South Flomaton…..My first weekend I put some ladies groceries in the wrong “green” car…the wrong green car just drove off with all the groceries….maybe that is why I only worked there about two weeks…LOL
Yes me and my husband remember it well. It was still going in the late 60’s and the original owener was Hugh Ash. That is where my husband got most of his clothing shoes in the 50’s/60’s.
My father was a meat cutter at worley’s when I was a kid. I also remember buyihg shoes at Ash Dept Store.
I don’t have any memories of it, but I’ve often heard my mother speak of Ash’s Department Store and I probably know the names and homes of all the people who were ’somebody” from the 30’s to 90’s all the way from the state line to the Molino Cutoff, lol. I think I know the lineage of all the Century “natives”, who married whom, who had an affair with whom, whose child really belongs to whom, etc. It’s amazing the things you learn when you listen to all the old timers talk!