Plans for the establishment of a complete interior decorating business in the downtown buildings formerly occupied by F.W. Woolworth Company were announced today by Wayland Sims. The new business will include Sim’s present interior decorating business now located at 1414 West Main, and will be operated under the name of Distinctive Interiors, Inc.
Associated with Sims as members of the new corporation will be Archie B. Henderson, Marion, and Don Medley of Harrisburg.
Sims present business will be moved to the new location downtown where it is expected to be opened October 1.
The new store will occupy both the square and the building which has an entrance on West Man Street west of Albright’s Clothing Store. The new firm purchased the two-story former Woolworth building on the square from the heirs of the Walker estate and the West Main Street business from Trevor and Gordon Cox, sons of the late Mr. and Mrs. Clarence C. Cox. Both buildings were combined into one store by the Woolworth Company during the later years of its 40 year occupancy of the Walker building.
Sims said the buildings will be remodeled for occupancy of the new business. Improvements will include a new front and a completely remodeled interior, he said. The ground floor will be used for display of furniture and other interior items. The second floor rooms will be used for the firm’s office and for warehousing of merchandise, but much of the upstairs space is expected to be incorporated later into the display area.
The complete decorating store will stock furniture, carpeting, drapes and wall paper. Furniture will include Baker, Tomlinson, Davis and Century lines among the leaders in the field not now carried by stores in this area, Sims said.
Purchase of the buildings and the announcement of plans for the new business marked another step in the improvement of the downtown business section. Sims has recently completed the modernization of the front of the Goodall building on the north side of the square occupied by J.V. Walker & Sons and Topper’s Ladies Store. Plans recently announced for the establishment of a Quality Stamp redemption center in the vacant half of the former P.N. Hirsch building on the east side of the square, establishment of the “The Place” apparel store in the north half of that building, occupancy of part of the former Hotel State building by Bennett’s Photo shop and expansion of Zwick’s shoe store on the west side of the square are all contributing a new look to the downtown section.
(Extracted from the Marion Daily Republican, August 9, 1975)