Suppose you are arriving in Kingstree by rail in the early nineteen teens. As you step off the train, your attention would be immediately drawn to the retail establishment closest to the depot. And, after 1910, that would have been Watts & Watts Jewelry store, located where Corner Pawn and Music is today.
The first thing you'd notice would be the shape of the building. During its construction there was much made over its "Flat Iron" style. While most Flat Iron buildings are multi-story, this one was apparently only a single level. The entrance was at the point of the building where the street by the depot branches off from Main Street.
While the side view of todays building is windowless, the old
Built in 1910 by John T. Nelson on land that had long been a part of the Nelson plantation, the building was, however, designed by jeweler/watchmaker Richard Allen Watts specifically to meet his needs. There were large display windows not only on the front of the building, but also on the side facing the depot and on a portion of the back wall, giving it more natural light than any other store in town. This was important in those days prior to electricity. Watts told The County Record that he had designed the store with the good of "Greater Kingstree," the town's slogan or brand at the time, in mind.
While the most famous Flat Iron building in the world is in
In August 1910, just days before the store was scheduled to open, The County Record described how it would be laid out. The large display window on Main Street would showcase silverware and gold-mounted goods. Watts would repair watches and jewelry on the side of the store nearest the depot, while mahogany wall cases would line the west wall of the building. They would display hollow ware in sterling and silver plate, clocks, and ornamental goods. Mahogany cases in a horseshoe design would fill the center of the store, where watches, diamonds and gold jewelry would be kept.
Watts & Watts had been in Kingstree for some time prior to its move to the new store opposite the depot, although in the early years, Watts' presence in Kingstree had been sporadic. Richard Watts came to Kingstree in 1899 from Goldsboro, NC, where he had been by all accounts a successful jeweler and watchmaker. He was welcomed into the Kingstree business community; however, after a few months he returned to Goldsboro, citing ill health for his move. But, in January 1900, he was back in Kingstree. This time, he stayed until November, before selling his stock to Kingstree native Richard K. Wallace.
There is some indication that the Wattses were a bit eccentric. In the January 23, 1902, issue of the The County Record, Watts' son published this notice: "Bring your watches, clocks and jewelry to R.A. Watts, Jr., at once as I don't know how long I will be here. Academy Street, opposite the dispensary." His location was in what was known then as the Stutts Building, owned by Richard R. Stutts. Today it is encompassed by the Downtown Parking Lot. Again, Watts left for the summer but returned to the Stutts building in the fall. In general, it appears that the Wattses would come on September 1 and stay until May or early June each year.
It appears that at least four members of the Watts family did business in Kingstree over the 30 plus years they owned a jewelry business here. Richard Allen Watts, Sr., began the business and was involved until just a few months before his death on August 4, 1912, at age 73. He had retired to Florida but was visiting his son here when he became ill, subsequently dying.
R.A. Watts, Jr., was involved early on in the business here, but later returned to Goldsboro, NC, where he died in 1937. Another son, Eugene Augustus Watts, spent a number of years in Kingstree and was likely the second Watts of Watts and Watts. In 1907, he moved the business to the first floor of the Hotel Van Keuren on Main Street. When J. T. Nelson began building commercial buildings on the family's land that fronted Main Street, Eugene and his father moved their store to one of those buildings before moving into the building Mr. Nelson built according to Richard Watts' specifications. In July 1914, E.A. Watts moved to Dublin, GA, accompanied by his sister and her daughter. He died in Union, SC, in 1932. His death certificate indicates that he was a jeweler there at the time of his death. The Watts jewelry store in Kingstree continued operating, with a third son, Frank St. John Watts at the helm. He continued in business here until his death on December 9, 1937. He is buried in Williamsburg Cemetery.
The family often advertised in The County Record. In 1908, the firm advertised that it sold watches, diamonds, clocks, silverware, novelties, wedding rings, wedding and Christmas presents, all kinds of jewelry and specialized in repairing watches, clocks and jewelry. In one advertisement for wedding rings, they used the catch phrase "When Ringing a Belle" be sure to see us. In December 1910, Dr. H.D. Reece set up an office for a week in the jewelry store to examine eyes, examining children free of charge. By November 1911, Watts & Watts had become the headquarters for fine Waltham watches. The store had also added decorative art ware, such as floor stands, vases, and hanging baskets, to its merchandise.
Frank Watts often advertised with the slogan: Quick Sales and Small Profits. In 1917, he claimed his prices were lower than any other jewelry store in the state. In 1920, he ran this ad: "BIG SALE: I am not going out of business at all. I am overstocked and need ready cash is the reason I am putting on this sale."
He, too, was apparently something of an eccentric, as on August 1, 1930, The Greenville News ran a small story which noted that while F.J. Watts has been in the jewelry business in Kingstree for nearly 29 years, he frowned on modern conveniences such as telephones and automobiles. He reportedly said, "I don't need it. And I can do business cheaper by doing without a telephone, a car, and a servant in my home."
According to the US Census, Frank Watts lived on Hampton Avenue in 1920. His sister and her daughter lived with him. By 1930, he and his sister had moved to a house on Railroad Avenue.
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