Old Rock Hill Photos

Old Photos and Postcards of Rock Hill

From the collection of Robert Ratterree (WTS 62).  Please send any photo requests that you have (e.g Auto Drive In, Dutch Mill, Cherry Road, etc.) and we'll see if we can find something.

Rock Hill High School from a postcard

Main Street - Mid 60's ?

Bob In - Picture from 1953 Bearcat

Carolina Theater - The Sign says "On Stage CHECKERBOARD BAND In Person - the store to the right is Dunlap Market and Grocery - On Trade Street

Gas War - Check out the long hose on the pump

Main Street - Brooks Jewelers beside RHNB - Someone still working on the top floor of RHNB

Oakland Avenue

Park Inn Grill fire  -  A long vacation for the PIG

The PIX

Railway Depot - Trade Street

Oct 12, 1962 - RHHS vs Lancaster - Attention Billy Yates, your fly is open.

Bearcat Band - 63? 64? - I count at least 3 RHHS65 ladies

Main Street looking West - Caldwell Street to right - Hampton Street to left

Saint Philip's Hospital

The Stevenson 1945 - The sign near the bottom right says "Germany Crumbles."

I think it might be lunch time

Varsity Grill - No clue what year, but it wasn't 65

Williams Gulf - Nothing illegal going on in the back room here

York County Hospital

Confederate Park pool - 1930's?

Our Fearless Leader - JJ Godbold - 1952

US 21 Truck Stop - Corner of Charlotte Highway and Red River Road

Porters Motel - The same sign is still there

Andrew Jackson Hotel - c. 1910

GAA girls - Coble Dairy across White Street - from 1956 Bearcat

1939

Park-Inn Grill - c. 1950

I guess it was the only building in town

RHHS 1916 - I assume before additions in the 1920's and later

RHHS 1928

RHHS 1939

Rock Hill National Bank

Woolworth - 1949 - 143 East Main Street

Aragon Mill

Arcade Mill

Beaty Shopping Center

Celanese Plant

Central School

Cherry Road 1930

Christmas on Main 1960's

Central News Stand - c 1950

 

Dutch Mill 1956

 

Ebenezer Avenue School

Ebinport School

Efird's Department Store Sale - 1913

Goldtex/Cutter Mill

Friedheim's Department Store

Gold-Tex Mill

Highland Park Mill

Industrial Mill

Lesslie School

Main Street at railroad tracks - Trade Street at top of hill at traffic light

 

Melville's Department Store

Melville's Department Store - 1950

Northside School

Northside School Gym

Red River Mill

Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Company "The Bleachery"

Southern Railway Freight Station - Corner of Main and Trade

Trade Street 1960's - Between White Street and Main Street

Trade Street from depot - Looking toward White Street and Main Street

From Railway depot looking up tracks along Trade Street

Home Supply - early 70's - Remember the dog on top?  Andrew Jackson is now Guardian Fidelity

Ft-Roc Drive-In

 

1957 SC Highway Patrol Car

Andrew Jackson Court - Charlotte Highway

Beaty Shopping Center - Cherry Road - 1962

Varsity Cafe - Oakland Avenue

Jacksons Lunch - Corner of Trade and White - Depot in background

 

Rock Hill Feed & Supply -  1940's - E White Street

Rock Hill Fire Department - 1939

RH Telephone Company Switchboard - 1939

Vernon Grant

 

This section has photos made in 1971 of the Trade Street and Main Street area before our illustrious city leaders tore the buildings down and made a dark cave of Main Street.

 

Snipes Army-Navy Store - In 1965 from L-R these would have been Buck's Grill, Griffin's 88¢ Store, Snook Bros. Appliance, and Mutual Finance & Thrift

ABC "Red Dot" Store - Corner of White and Trade

Back Door to Friendly Billiards - 134 N Trade

Back of Kimbrell's Furniture - 126-130 N Trade

Intersection of Black Street and Trade Street

Vacant Carolina Theater Building

Friendly Billiards - 134 N Trade Street

JC Penny - In 1965 from L-R, Lurtz Jones' Barber Shop, JC Penny, Stevenson Theater, and Tollison-Neal Drug

Melville's - 117 E Main - Friedheim Bldg. to left - Alley to right

Nivens - 101 E Main - Corner of E Main and N Trade

112-114 N Trade Street - OK Pawn Shop and OK Boys & Men Shop

Corner of E Main and S Trade

South Trade Street from Main to Black

Side view Friedheim Building

Tip's Restaurant - 118½ N Trade Street

Tollison & Neal Drugs - 111 E Main Street

Watkins Hot Dogs - 116 N Trade Street

1st Pres Postcard

Main Street Postcard

Winthrop Infirmary

Episcopal, 1st ARP, St Johns

Oakland Avenue Postcard

Main and Trade Postcard

PIX 1944 Postcard

1954 World Series Hero Dusty Rhodes in Rock Hill Chiefs uniform

Inside Watkins Hot Dogs - My info says that the building was 9' wide and 65' deep

Rock Hill High School Float - Rock Hill Centennial Parade - May 1952 - Taken from an upper floor of Efird's

Woolworth Lunch Counter Menu - 1960

 

The following 7 are of the Fairgrounds Race Track - Robert was able to get these from an 8mm film.

 

 

Temple Beth El - West Main Street

Bleachery Christmas Party

Central School

Confederate Park

East Main Street

 

East Main Street looking west from Reid Street

Episcopal Church - 144 Caldwell Street

Fennell Infirmary

First Baptist

First Federal - 109 Hampton Street

Evening Herald when located on Hampton Street

Main Street - Late 40's?

Oakland Avenue - Notice the Trolley

Pix

Rock Hill Drum and Bugle Corps - June 8, 1937

Rock Hill High School Class of 1908

Steam Plant at the Bleachery

Intersection of South Trade Street and East Black Street - Nice pothole

Sykes Guest House - Corner of Oakland and Sumter

Travelers Tourist Home - Corner of Saluda and Arch

 The following pictures were taken between 1935 and 1950.  They are from the SC Archives and were taken for State Insurance purposes.

Arcade-Victoria School

Central School

Ebenezer Avenue School

Highland Park School

Newport School

Northside School

Northside Gym

Public Library

RHHS Gym

Blackwell's "Dope" Stand - Arcade-Victoria area

Winthrop Blue Line - 1950

Dixie Laundry Fire - West Main Street - 1943

Elliott & Bridges - Cherry Road - 1947

Indian Ferry across Catawba River - South of Rock Hill - Mid 1950's

Trade Street Barber Shop and Joe Murphy's Shine Parlor - 1971

Laurelwood Cemetery - 1895

Rock Hill and Columbia city leaders meet on Main Street - 1915

Main Street - 1928

Main Street - Early 1900's

Main Street

Main, Black and Trade Streets - 1950 - Main (top center to bottom left), Black (top right to center), Trade (bottom right to top left)

Main Street - early 60's - Just before a Civil Rights parade came down Main Street

Market Day - 1915

Piedmont Tobacco Works - 1895

Park Inn Grill - Mid 50's

Rock Hill Electric Railway - 1903 - The mules were named "Elec" and "Tric"

Rock Hill Buggy Company

RHHS Fire Drill - 2 PM - October 7, 1957

The Good Shoppe - 1950

Williams Gulf

Winthrop "Blue Line" on Oakland at 1st Baptist - 1949

Winthrop Training School - Notice the horse and buggy going down Oakland Avenue

 

The Crazy 5½ - c 1960

Railroad Depot - Just before they it down c 1974

Dozier Brothers - White Street - c 1978

Main Street - Mid 1970's - "Mall" under construction

Marshall Oil Company - 1936

Mr. Nick - c 1960

Porters Drive-In demolition 1996

West Main Hardware when it was actually on West Main - 1960

RHHS 1961

Main Street Parade - Mid 60's? - I see Strom, Icky and Judge Hayes

Municipal Stadium Demolition - 1984

Rock Hill Hardware - 1952

Rock's Laundry & Dry Cleaning - 1939

Saint Phillips Hospital - 1939

Central School - 1920

Joslin Park

Main Street - Early to mid 40's

Rock Hill Fire Department - 1939

Rock Hill Police Department - 1939

Saluda Street - 1912

West Main Hardware - Early 60's

1947 Fighting Bearcats - Coach Boulware is 5th from left 2nd row

1949 Bearcats practicing at Central

Bleachery Strike 1956

Accident at Cherry Road & Mt. Gallant - Patrolman JC Jolley on the left

Lady Bird Special - Rock Hill - 1964

Lady Bird Special leaving town

Paving Main Street - 1898

Rock Hill Body Company - 1930's

Railroad Depot - 1922 - Notice the passenger cars

Railroad roundtable to the left of the Depot - 1930's

 

RHP&F - The Bleachery - Shift Change - 1950

The back of Davis' Meat Market - Corner of W Main and S Trade

Ebenezer Avenue School -1938

Haire's Service - Future home of the Barn - York Highway

Main Street - 1950

Marshall Hardware & Supply

Marshall Hardware & Supply

Neely Motor Company - Oakland Avenue - 1939

PIX - Entrance - 1940

Royal Crown Cola Bottling Company

RC Bottling Co. W Main Street

Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company

Sherer's Cleaners - N Trade Street

Stadium Grill - across York Avenue from Municipal Stadium

Steven's Sandwich Shop - N Trade Street - 1971

S Trade Street -1971

N Trade Street - 1971 - Jackson's Lunch (Bottom left)

 

Sherer's - 555 North Avenue 1952

Ad's from Centinneal Herald 1952

Belks

1952

Family Bootery - 1952

1952

1952

April 1945

Our Hero

Goat Island

1943

Nature Museum - 1952

c 1970

PIG

Off Highway 72

Bleachery Tour - 1961

Roddey Airport - Saluda Road in foreground

TV - 5/27/58

Western Auto - Main Street - 1952

West Main Street

1952

Crristmas Parade -Mid-60's ?

Rock Hill Hardware

Johnny Porter as Porter's is being torn down

Stevens Sandwich Shop and the Trade Street entrance to Pennys

 Penny's

Trade Street - Watkins Hot Dogs and OK Pawn Shop

49 Star flags being printed at the Bleachery - 1959

Shift change at the Bleachery - c 1960

Main Street - early 50's

RC Cola Plant - West Main

Neely Motor Company - Oakland Avenue

Childrens Nature Museum - Mr Settelmeyer behind counter

RHHS Faculty 1932 - Miss Gill second row in polka dots

Roch Hill Drive In - I am told that it was located near E Wtite and the Chester Hwy

Home Supply Company - c 1952

OUR HERO - Fred Kirby - makes me want to sing the first verse of "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

Family Bootery - Caldwell Street - 1952 - Get your Easter Biddie here

Woolworth

Sherer's - North Avenue

West Main Street

The Good Shoppe - 1943

Western Auto - Main Street - 1952

Parking lot behind Caldwell Street stores - White Street to left

 

Goat Island - early 70's - taken from Island View Boat Landing

Municipal Stadium - c 1950 - football stands in  foreground - baseball stands in rear

The Original Barn - mid 70's