The New Home of Morton & Gettys

Rock Hill Roots

Morton & Gettys has always been deeply tied to the tradition and dynamic future of Rock Hill. We continue to embrace this connection by proudly announcing our offices will soon be located on the second floor of the Friedheim and Smith-Fewell buildings, a move which is nearly 25 years in the making.

Origins and Construction

The property that is home to these structures, 113 East Main Street, was notably the first lot ever purchased on Main Street. It sold for $125 to Ira Ferguson in 1852 and would again change hands the following year. After buying the location in 1853, Capt. Jonathan N. McElwee built upon it a frame storehouse and mercantile business which became a community hub.

From 1898 to 1965, the lot was the home of Friedheim’s department store. Arnold and Julius Friedheim were sons of German-Jewish merchants who had immigrated in 1857. Arnold opened the initial store in 1866 on the other side of Main Street. His brother joined him later, and in 1898 they moved to their new home.

Local architect Hugh Edward White designed the structure which has proudly overlooked Main Street for over 125 years. This was White’s first building plan after graduating from Clemson College in 1898 and he scoured the country with his clients to find inspiration.

“White traveled with Julius and Sidney Freidheim (sic) to visit large stores in New Orleans, Washington, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The rotunda and balcony of the Freidheim (sic) store was designed after Wanamaker’s Store in Philadelphia and the facade from Maison Blanche in New Orleans.”

Rock Hill Research Paper #10 by Ms. Bessie L. Garrison, 1952

Construction of the Friedheim and adjoining Smith-Fewell buildings lasted for six months from June 1898 to January of the following year and in February 1899, A. Friedheim and Bros., as it was then-called, opened for business. 100 years later, in 1999, the York County Culture and Heritage Commission installed a historical marker on the façade of the building – etching it into Rock Hill’s history.

The plaque states that building these structures required more than a million bricks, five railcars of stone, 150,000 feet of lumber and more than 700 square feet of plate glass.

An article in the February 18, 1899, edition of the Rock Hill Herald covered the opening of the new Friedheim and Smith-Fewell buildings. This primary source provides great details on the construction efforts and intriguing description of the architecture that greeted customers.

According to the article, the building’s 34,600 square feet required over 100,000 feet of rough lumber and five carloads of dressed lumber as well as 600,000 rough bricks and over 20,000 pressed bricks. The article reported five carloads of stone, and 700 feet of plate glass were also used, matching the claim from the building’s historical marker.

The article described the imposing granite columns rising 18 feet high to support the facade, a yellow pine finished interior, a Georgia marble floor, and a “mammoth Morse & Williams elevator” measuring seven feet by twelve feet. The steel ceiling of the first floor was painted white, pink and gold by an English artist and a skylight illuminated the interior.

Early Uses and Legacy

Friedheim’s was the first store in Rock Hill to sell ready-to-wear clothes, along with carpets, furniture, buggies, and dry goods. In the early 1900s, the store also offered items that catered to farmers. From 1910-1914, the Smith-Fewell building served as a mercantile establishment and the Rock Hill Library.

According to the same February 1899 edition of the Rock Hill Herald, patrons could expect to find a true range of goods including groceries, hats, harnesses, and hardware. The piece also notes a reception room in the rear of the building for ladies.

Arnold’s son, Albert Friedheim, joined the business sometime after 1910, and kept the business going through the rest of his life. Friedheim’s store closed in 1965.

Reinvention

In the mid-1970’s there was a roof put over Main Street in Rock Hill to turn it into a covered mall called Town Center Mall. The Friedheim and Smith-Fewell Buildings were included in the “roofing,” which was designed to restore traffic to the once-bustling downtown establishments which had seen retail sales drop significantly.

In the late 80’s, as Town Center Mall was declining and plans were being put in place to remove the roof, the Friedheim building was a nightclub called Crazy Zacks. After a period of success, which was largely ended by the opening of the Rock Hill Galleria in 1991, the roof was removed in 1994.

The Town Center Mall did not truly succeed in revitalizing downtown shopping; however, the project served the unintended purpose of preserving many of the historic buildings that it covered for nearly two decades.

In the mid-1990’s the first two floors of the Friedheim Building became home to the local branch of First Union Bank while other professional offices occupied the 3^rd floor. Over the years as banks merged, First Union became Wachovia which became Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo still occupies the first floor of the Friedheim Building.

Today

In the second quarter of 2024, Morton & Gettys began renovations on the 2^nd floor of these beautiful structures nestled in the heart of Rock Hill. The firm is committed to maintaining the building’s historical character while modernizing the structure to serve our current needs.

Founded in 2001, Morton & Gettys has been nourished by the same Rock Hill traditions in which Friedheim’s was rooted. Now, we look forward to moving into that renewed wellspring of community that will carry us and our neighbors to the new achievements ahead of us.

Community Input

If you have photographs or stories of the historic Friedheim and Smith-Fewell Buildings that you wish to share, please reach out to robin.owens@mortongettys.com.

A New Chapter for a Historic Landmark