McDowell’s Emporium

By Angela Mason Lowe

McDowell’s Emporium is the oldest and only independent new and used bookstore in Anderson, S.C. Judith McDowell established an antique shop downtown with a vintage section for old hardback books thirty-six years ago.

In 1995, McDowell moved her bookstore to the quaint little house in a convenient location on 104 Oak Street, besides the Regency Building on N. Main. As her passion for reading and collecting books expanded, so did her bookstore. Judith’s husband, Tommy, continued to build shelves to fill the rooms to display books of every genre.

“My interest in reading and collecting books began in the third grade when I read my first mystery, The Ghostly Trio, by Nancy Woollcott Smith. I have multiple copies of every Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book and a beautiful 1st edition of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery,” Judith said.

The bookstore offers a variety of out-of-print, new and used hardcovers and paperbacks, plus a great selection of books from local writers of poetry, mysteries, and children’s literature. The collection of fantasy and sci-fi especially appeals to students. McDowell’s offers an online service and ship books directly. (http://www.mcdowellsemporium.com)

I fell in love with the shop’s ambiance on the first day I visited McDowell’s. This is something you will not find in the big-box stores or surfing the web. Not knowing where to start, I explained what I was looking for. Judith McDowell pointed out several books that interested me. I found a comfy chair that once belonged to her father tucked away in a corner. It was the perfect place to read through a few pages of the books. This quiet corner allowed me to relax, as I chose the right book for a gift.

The bookstore serves as Arts Community Alliance for the Foothills Writers Guild. Judith is an avid supporter of local authors and poets. Lizzie, the original mascot of McDowell’s, who never knew she was a cat, left her legacy. FWG members wrote two books filled with the adventures of this one small tri-colored kitty. The bookstore’s new edition, Finn, is a Russian Blue and he will have some mighty big boots to fill. Finn is intelligent, for I saw this young cat fetch a prized toy back to McDowell’s store manager, Travis Pearson. Travis enjoys his job and has a knack for matching customers to books.

“Parents and grandparents come to the store looking for a book their non-reader child would enjoy. I find out more about the interests they may have because I know that’s all it takes to turn someone into a reader: find that one book that they can’t put down, and then they’re hooked on reading for life,” said Travis.

If you are new to the upstate or a hometown reader, I recommend you check out McDowell’s Emporium. They are the welcome center, the best place to explore the local culture and find a good book to read. 

Gayle Edwards, a longtime customer, commented, “I have been a devotee of McDowell’s Emporium since the day I entered the original shop on S. Main Street all those years ago. Judith and, later, Travis have filled all my requests for old and new books. They are the most knowledgeable booksellers that I’ve ever met anywhere.”

Judith added, “This shop has become my mission in life. I’ve made many new friends while helping them find something to read that will enrich their lives. There are young adults in college whose parents brought them to the bookstore as children. It feels good to contribute to that love of reading that leads to success.”