Blair Building

Location - on the northeast corner of Jefferson and Main St.

The picture above was taken prior to 1917. The Oakland Hotel is standing in the background (behind the trees).

Time line

Building constructed by Gulf Coast Investment Co. 1905 to 1910

(J. H. Scales, Pres. - M. P. Adams, Sec.) (see note 1)

O'Quinn Drug Co. opened in (see note 2) 1911

Building sold to Daisy Jones Blair and children 1928

Building sold to O. W. Jones & L. J. & Jennie Louque 1944

O. W. & Hilda Jones sold their

Interest to L. J. & Jennie Louque 1951

Brenda Wilson bought building 1979

The west half of the ground floor has been used as a Drug Store/Pharmacy continousely from 1911. The second floor was used as offices including Doctor office.

Construction on this two story building started in 1905, and was completed in 1910. Early 1911, Barney O'Quinn, Sr. opened O'Quinn Drug Co. The building was owned by the Gulf Coast Investment Company (J. H. Scales, President, & M. P. Adams Secretary). It was sold to Daisy Jones Blair and children, W. E. & Dorothy Blair Michael; James Thomas Blair on July 6, 1928. On November 28, 1944, it was sold to O. W. Jones, L. J. and Jennie Louque. This particular sale included the building to the east of the two story building. O. W. and Hilda L. Jones sold their interest to L. J. & Jennie Louque on January 23, 1951. In the 1950's, the O'Quinn Drug Co. was sold to Mr. O'Quinn's daughter, Henrietta O'Quinn. On March 1, 1976 Henrietta O'Quinn sold the O'Quinn Drug Co. to Jack Mills and Brenda (Butler) Wilson, and the name was changed to O'Quinn Pharmacy. On July 21, 1979, Brenda Wilson bought out partner Jack Mills of the O'Quinn Pharmacy. Then on September 16, 1981, Brenda Wilson bought the building from L. J. Louque and is present owner of the building and manager/owner of O'Quinn Pharmacy.

Note 1 - It is said that the bricks for the construction of the Blair Building were made on site. I have also been told that the brick mason was a Mr. Wigglesworth, and ancestor of the Wigglesworth family that still plays an active role in the construction business in Perry and Taylor County.

Note 2 - Barney O'Quinn was a native of Homerville, Ga. and he attended the school of Pharmacy in Atlanta. His entire adult life was spent as a Druggist. He began his career in Mayo where he was connected with Dees Drug Store. He came to Perry in 1911 and bought the Tyson Drug Store located about midway the block on the westside of the Court House square. He soon moved to the present location of the O'Quinn Pharmacy in the Blair Building and was on the job until his retirement.

PIMENTO CHEESE

O'Quinn Drug Store Fountain

Bessie Lee O'Quinn

2 pounds Kraft Longhorn Cheese (or substitute good brand)

2- 7 or 8 oz. Jar pimento (use a good brand)

1- small jar of pimento

6- eggs

Mayonnaise-Kraft, Blue Plate or Hellman's

Mustard-plain, not spiced

Boil the eggs, peel and place in refrigerator to cool. Place pimentos in a strainer to drain. Remove all seeds and black specks. Chop up pimentos. (I use a biscuit cutter) Grate cheese. Use a large bowl so you can delicately fold in ingredients. Grate in 4 or 5 eggs. Add the sixth later if needed. Pat excess moisture off pimentos, then add to mixture. Add mayonnaise until mixture is creamy. If you do not use enough mayonnaise, the mixture will be difficult to spread after refrigeration. But, do not make it soupy. Add one heaping teaspoon of mustard. Fold in ingredients, do not mash. I use no salt or pepper. Have a small jar of pimentos on hand in case you need to add more.

Sam Register writes -

One of my fondest memories concern the three drug stores around the court house block: "BLOODWORTH'S," now a sandwich shop called Rosehead Junction, at the corner of South Jefferson and East Green Streets, "O'QUINN'S." at the corner of North Jefferson and East Main Street's, and "CULPEPPER-LEE's," about half way between the others, and facing the court house, on North Jefferson Street.

At various times, I worked at all three drug stores, all of which had "SODA FOUNTAINS" which dispensed "Soft drinks" (hand mixed), snacks, etc. Mostly, however, I worked for "Culpepper-Lee." Being hired when about in the 10th grade to "jerk soda" after school until 7:00 PM on school nights and all day 'till midnight on Saturday, at which time the fountain was closed and we spent another hour or two washing it down and cleaning up. The three drug stores were open for business on a rotating basis on Sundays.

The reason for such hours was that business and social life in and around Perry revolved around "down-town Perry." On Saturdays, practically everyone came to town to shop, visit, attend the movies, socialize, etc. They came early and stayed late.

"Drive through windows" were unknown back then, but the drug stores offered "curb service." People, usually ladies, would drive out front, cut the ignition on their hand-cranked "Model T's," honk their horns and someone from the drug store (usually the "soda skeet") would come out to take the orders, which ranged all the way from a free glass of water and/or a two-cent postage stamp, to a five-cent drink or something out of the drug department. The customer having been served, the "soda jerker" was again summoned by a honk of the car horn, to crank the car by a few turns of the hand-operated crank.

The following is from The Taylor County Herald - July 28, 1916

The O'Quinn Drug Company are distributors for all school books for the county. This is a very good idea as it was simply impossible for Prof. Jackson to be in his office day and night and many times it worked a hardship on people to be compelled to call at the court house during office hours. As it is now one can obtain books at almost any time day or night.

The following is from The Taylor County Herald - July 11, 1919

Barney O'Quinn arrived home last week from his trip to New York and reports it one of the most delightful ever taken and the banquet given by the Edison Company the finest he ever attended. Mr. O'Quinn brought home pictures taken of the banquet room showing the hundreds of guests seated at the tables and even a look at the picture is enough to make one hungry. He reported business conditions as excellent in the east and the largest crowd of out of town visitors to the city he had ever seen. Prohibition was to go into effect the next day after he left the city and he says thousands were flocking to the city with the evident intention of having one last big time before gay, old, New York became a desert.

The next three (3) pages are copies of the Sanborn Fire Maps. The first map (dated 1913) shows the Blair building and the bank building at the other end of the block. The second map (dated 1917) shows quite a lot of growth, a single story building has been built beside the Blair building (housing the Board of Trade) and a large garage behind the Blair building. The third map dated 1924 shows the single story building now houses the Post Office and beside the bank building a theater has been built with a Masonic Lodge above.

Resources -

Main St. news letter

The Hardy Adkinson O'Quinn Family - by Mary Ruth O'Quinn and Donald O'Quinn Davis (1989)

Pictures from local newspaper and State Image Archive

Memoirs of an Octogenarian - by Samuel Gilbert Register

Conversation with Mrs. Brenda Wilson Pharmacist/Owner, O'Quinn Pharmacy.