Long time Main Street business closes, marks ‘end of an era’
International Wigs on Main Street has closed and the building is up for sale, according to Mayor Steve Benjamin.
Benjamin tweeted Tuesday that the wig shop closure, which has been a fixture on Main Street for years, marks “the end of an era.”
“There are officially ZERO wig shops on Main Street in @ColumbiaSC,” he wrote.
The mayor added laughing and sunglasses smiley face emojis.
In years past, Main Street was once a sea of empty storefronts dotted by wig shops that took advantage of the cheap rent.
“When I got here 20 years ago it made sense, because there was no vehicular or pedestrian activity,” said Matt Kennell, president and CEO of City Center Partnership, which encourages and guides investment in the central business district. “You could pull right up and get your wigs.”
In fact, The Nickelodeon theater was once a wig shop until it was renovated into the Midlands’ only art house theater.
The popular bar The Whig at the corner of Main and Gervais is a play on its proximity to Main Street’s former cluster of wig shops and the State House across the street. Whigs were a 19th century political party.
“There was a time when people’s ideas and perceptions of Main Street was wig shops, ugly buildings and nothing meaningful to do,” Benjamin told The State on Wednesday. “That has changed 180 degrees.”
But in the past decade, Main Street has seen a renaissance, moving from lower rent businesses to upscale shops, eateries and innovative businesses, from rooftop bars to boutique hotels and even a upscale fine dining bowling alley.
Benjamin said the final wig shop closing marks an apex of that renaissance.
“The streets are vibrant,” he said. “There are restaurants, cafes, and a safe, clean, walkable experience. Main Street is alive seven days a week and that’s worth celebrating.”
This story was originally published August 28, 2019 at 10:11 AM.