Worthington, Open for Business

With many looking toward a busy season of holidays, the month of November has become strongly associated with shopping. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and more offer opportunities to take advantage of all that retail has to offer. Worthington has played host to many businesses where people can shop 'til they drop, and our November exhibit highlights shopping and market experiences that community members have been able to enjoy over the years.

The early days of Worthington saw shopping venues emblematic of the times, such as a feed store, drug store and department store complete with a performance hall. While shopping at that time would have been mostly utilitarian, shops in the 19th and early 20th centuries had a lot to offer. The Norris Bros. Mill and Feed Store served the farming community's needs. Another business providing shopping opportunities for Worthington was the general store. Frank W. Bishop and the exceptionally named Worthington Columbus Lewis jointly operated the Bishop & Lewis General Store, before the establishment became the Lewis Department Store. The shop sold groceries, clothing, housewares and general merchandise. A meeting hall and full stage on the store's second level made entertainment opportunities possible.

The drug store was a longstanding fixture of the Worthington shopping landscape. Early resident John Snow operated an apothecary at least as early as 1817. Ownership passed to his son George and the property remained in the family for decades. After years of fluctuating ownership, Harry Leasure and Bert Hill bought the store in 1890, beginning the long operation of the Harry Leasure Drug Store, which occupied various spaces along High Street during its existence. The shop was a popular place in the community, where customers could pick up items like candy, greeting cards and gifts along with their prescriptions, and also enjoy a treat from the soda fountain. The store came under new ownership yet again in 1939 when D.H. "Doc" Birnie bought the store, rebranding it as Birnie's Drug Store. Worthington also played host to Vrable's Drugstore in the latter half of the 20th century before larger chains began to dominate.

Savvy local shopkeepers gave residents and non-residents alike opportunities to patronize businesses. Richard Witfield Evans worked as a tinner in the late 1800s and early 1900s, selling stoves and furniture in Worthington and Columbus. Also around this time, Edwin S. Albaugh of Worthington operated the Albaugh & Pickering store in Columbus, which served customers' jewelry needs and provided watch and clock repair services. Albaugh worked as a jeweler and a watchmaker for the store and became known in Worthington for his affiliation with it. His clock-topped house on Kenyon Brook was nicknamed The Jewelmaker's Retreat.

Worthington's stretch of High Street has seen the rise of retail venues that have provided fun shopping options, from flowers and food to antiques and gifts. Shoppers in Old Worthington have been able to find goods from bygone years at Peacock Lane, an antique store that operates in the space of a former flower shop. At the Village Confectionery, Atha Castle and her husband Harold prepared hearty meals in the 1960s. Lane's Coach House was a gift and decorative accessories store located in the Ripley House at 623 High Street that was open from 1963 to 1983. A stroll along High Street, in years past and now, could yield shopping adventures.

North of Old Worthington, Worthington's mall has served as a shopping hub since the 1970s. Changing names several times over the years, the mall has been known for its iconic bell tower. Shoppers could find retail outlets selling clothes, fabric, toys, books and more, and, if they shopped 'til they dropped, they could refuel at one of the mall's restaurants.

Markets are another time-honored shopping tradition and residents have enjoyed both their convenience and variety over the years. Home Market, a popular grocery store that opened in 1929 and served the area for decades, sold deli items, baked goods, frozen foods and more. More recently, the Hills Market provides the Worthington Hills area and beyond with specialty foods. Farmers markets bring shoppers to Worthington weekly, with vendors setting up along High Street during warmer months and moving inside the Shops at Worthington Place during colder ones. Still bigger crowds of shoppers emerge for the city's yearly Market Day festival, which draws craft and food vendors to stands along High Street in Old Worthington where crowds of thousands have been known to flock.

Whatever the era, Worthington has offered an array of shopping opportunities for locals and visitors. From the drug stores and department stores of times gone by to modern hubs for shopping excursions, the city's retail outlets have long connected goods with buyers.