Members of the Alcolu Preservation Society are asking for the public's help in saving the old Company Store in Alcolu.
"A little more than a year ago, a group of people who grew up in this mill village decided to try and save what parts of Alcolu we could," said President Janice Richburg. "So far, we have obtained one of the original mill houses and restored it to its original condition ... Now our society would like to raise enough money to buy the Company Store and restore it to its original condition."
The store was the hub of the small community at one time, and made Alcolu self-sufficient, Richburg said.
"Inside, there was a complete line of meats, groceries, feeds, drygoods, shoes and boots, hardware items, plumbing supplies, a drug store, a doctor's office and a payment office," Richburg said. "It was probably one of the first malls."
But she said what made the general store so unique was "the 200-seat auditorium used by the Alcolu schools and the community that sat above it."
"The Company Store is still standing today, but it's very badly in need of tender love and care," she said. "It was built in 1914; it would be such a shame to let this historic treasure fade away with time."
Richburg said the group would like to save the store exactly as it did the mill house.
"We restored one of the original mill houses to its original condition ... all done through donations of people who love Alcolu," she said. "Inside of this little Mill House, we have placed many artifiacts and relics from this once thriving little town. It is now being used to educate children about life in rural South Carolina during the 1900s."
She said donations may be made available at this link. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/Alcolu-Preservation-Society.
