33 www. ReadMPM. com | www.MountPl easantMagaz i ne. com | www. ShemCreekRes taurant s . com store and a laundromat. And of course, there’s Causey’s Barber Shop, which has been in business at Sea Island for 55 years. Known decades ago for the buzz cut, Angelo Marotto recalled being part of the Christ Our King-Stella Maris School haircut club. “The nuns would take us across the street to Causey’s and get the hair cut off our shoulders,” Marotto said. Today, Causey’s offers a variety of different styles — even for women. But just as in earlier times, kids can still get free ice cream — as if the sports memorabilia lining the walls isn’t already enough of a draw. Across the street, Royall Ace Hardware has stood on Coleman Boulevard for more than 40 years. John Royall bought the Willard Hardware store in 1976. “It was just a little old building — 2,500 square feet — and it’s now the Fin and Feather hunting store at Haddrell’s Point,” he said. Royall expanded in 1990 and built the current structure just a couple doors down. He acknowledged he’s always felt lucky his family’s store is along the town’s main street. “Cars go slow on Coleman and Ben Sawyer — 30-35 mph — so they can see our business easier than if it were on the bypass.” A PLACE TO STAY AND PLAY Back in the day, vacationers could find lodging along Coleman Boulevard. In the 1950s-60s, long before the construction of the hotels now dotting the bypass, the Brookgreen Meadows Court Motel was located where the Brookgreen Shopping Center presently stands. The outdoor swimming pool was the envy of every child in town and eventually the owners allowed townsfolk to pay to use it—a club pool of sorts. But the hotel was a hotspot for travelers since it was only a few miles from the beach. Locals knew to stop at Choppy’s Gulf gas station on the corner of McCants Drive and Coleman Boulevard for snacks and cigarettes on the way to the beach. They never forgot the fireworks, too. A BRIGHTER TOMORROW Today, Coleman Boulevard has received a landscaping facelift and is lined with hundreds of swaying palmetto trees. It’s home to small businesses providing for every facet of daily life — from restaurants, home furnishings, personal health needs, sporting goods, clothing stores and more. According to the website for the Coleman Boulevard Merchant Alliance, the town’s main street is home to more locally-owned businesses than any other street in town. Mount Pleasant may not be the sleepy little town it once was, but its main street continues to keep up with the times. “Everything we needed was right there,” recalled Anne Royall, who grew up near Coleman Boulevard in an earlier era. Today, there’s no doubt that Coleman Boulevard still has it all. It’s our very own Main Street, USA. our town Brookgreen Meadows Cour t Mote l . Causey ’s Barber Shop.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1