Three stores in Calhoun show the history of shopping in this space. The Piggly Wiggly represents the contemporary, suburban supermarket. The Resaca Grocery reveals an earlier store history for a "convenience" market located along a now-abandoned strip. And Mother's Eden represents the return to a turn-of-the-century architectural space for a specialty store.
In the first picture of the Piggy Wiggly grocery store in Calhoun, Georgia, the bold red signage is clearly visible as is the low-slung, modernist architecture with the supermarket's distinctive plate glass front. The logo of the store--a smiling, red pig wearing a butcher's hat--accompanies the name of the store on the facade. The picture reveals the large parking lot, which historically is one of the reasons such structures as supermarkets thrived (Longstreth). A few lone trees (one visible in the photo) are an attempt at the landscaping element of this suburban design aesthetic. The self-service elements which Liebs discusses begin immediately as one can see the long lane one uses to enter the store and which holds shopping carts the customer will need. Advertising adorns the windows, an older style of marketing reminiscent of early roadside stands.
The second picture is of the Resaca grocery store from a much earlier era which is still a viable business and important community hub. This store is part of the earlier strip of the 30's and 40's; the Highway 41 street sign is clearly visible in the photo. As the strip migrated to the interstates in the 60s and 70s, stores like the Resaca Grocery became less accessible and/or convenient. However, this store is located next to a post office, a ride-share lot, and a small police station, which keeps some traffic flowing down this older highway. In design, the store is essentially a house, replete with screen door and creaking wood floors. One can tell from the front that a gas pump was originally part of the services offered. However, the main function of the store has shifted to a community space. Young and older men sit on the porch on a bench; children come to buy candy in the nickel bins; and commuters stop for coffee and juice in the mornings.
The final picture is another genre of store in Calhoun which attempts to revive the downtown market. Mother's Eden, the local health food store, is located in a portion of the original hospital. The hospital also houses such enterprises as a yoga studio and a 50s cafe/diner. The store uses attention-drawing advertising/architectural techniques of colored flags, window advertisements, a whiteboard with daily specials, an awning, and exterior design (the white table and potted plants). This re-purposed space harkens back to an earlier era by being a specialty shop in the downtown center, a focus which was lost in the "combination store" supermarket but is returning as historic preservation efforts refocus attention on downtown spaces.
In the first picture of the Piggy Wiggly grocery store in Calhoun, Georgia, the bold red signage is clearly visible as is the low-slung, modernist architecture with the supermarket's distinctive plate glass front. The logo of the store--a smiling, red pig wearing a butcher's hat--accompanies the name of the store on the facade. The picture reveals the large parking lot, which historically is one of the reasons such structures as supermarkets thrived (Longstreth). A few lone trees (one visible in the photo) are an attempt at the landscaping element of this suburban design aesthetic. The self-service elements which Liebs discusses begin immediately as one can see the long lane one uses to enter the store and which holds shopping carts the customer will need. Advertising adorns the windows, an older style of marketing reminiscent of early roadside stands.
The second picture is of the Resaca grocery store from a much earlier era which is still a viable business and important community hub. This store is part of the earlier strip of the 30's and 40's; the Highway 41 street sign is clearly visible in the photo. As the strip migrated to the interstates in the 60s and 70s, stores like the Resaca Grocery became less accessible and/or convenient. However, this store is located next to a post office, a ride-share lot, and a small police station, which keeps some traffic flowing down this older highway. In design, the store is essentially a house, replete with screen door and creaking wood floors. One can tell from the front that a gas pump was originally part of the services offered. However, the main function of the store has shifted to a community space. Young and older men sit on the porch on a bench; children come to buy candy in the nickel bins; and commuters stop for coffee and juice in the mornings.
The final picture is another genre of store in Calhoun which attempts to revive the downtown market. Mother's Eden, the local health food store, is located in a portion of the original hospital. The hospital also houses such enterprises as a yoga studio and a 50s cafe/diner. The store uses attention-drawing advertising/architectural techniques of colored flags, window advertisements, a whiteboard with daily specials, an awning, and exterior design (the white table and potted plants). This re-purposed space harkens back to an earlier era by being a specialty shop in the downtown center, a focus which was lost in the "combination store" supermarket but is returning as historic preservation efforts refocus attention on downtown spaces.
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