The Corner Store, a convenience store near Tutwiler Hall on Paul W. Bryant Drive, was demolished Thursday, June 27, as a part of ongoing University of Alabama renovation efforts.
Opened in 1946, The Corner Store provided locals and students alike with the normal necessities and commodities that could be purchased on-the-go. Along with The Corner Store demolition, it has been announced that the adjoining dance studio next door will be demolished at a later date.
Former patrons of the store said The Corner will be remembered both for the iconic appearance of the store and most importantly, for the people who operated its businesses.
Darryl Hardin, a UA graduate and Tuscaloosa native, said he has fond memories of The Corner Store and its position in the area in which he grew up.
“I remember the first time I visited the store in 1948,” Hardin said. “My mother was pushing me and my identical twin brother Doug in a stroller from our home, which was down 8th Avenue. At the time there were different businesses in the area, and a lot has changed since.”
Hardin said he recalled memories of both popular fads and enduring traditions that provided the store with a constant flow of customers. Growing up, Hardin lived and went to school in the area, which put The Corner Store on his route.
“I used to walk to school to Verner Elementary, which was on the site of the Tutwiler parking lot, and I would walk home in the afternoons,” he said. “I couldn’t count the number of times I stopped by the store and made small purchases like candy bars or sodas.”
Hardin said change may come to a community, but it is the enduring memories associated with the structures, not the buildings themselves, which will forever remain in the minds of former customers and community members.
“The face of the neighborhood has changed drastically over the past several years – it’s not so much the mortar and the brick that I miss. It’s the personality I miss. I know the Puryear family well, and it was things like that that stuck out. You know the corner was a place to buy stuff, but it was the people here that I remember – things march on I guess.”
Mimi Cawood, a Tuscaloosa native, said she remembers when The Corner Store began carrying fashion items to appeal to customers in ways other than quick purchase needs.
“As a Tuscaloosa native, The Corner was a fixture on campus,” Cawood said. “You couldn’t go to a football game without hearing the familiar sound, ‘Ice cold Coca-Colas!’ I remember getting my first pair of ‘corner shorts.’ Corner shorts were all the rage in the 1990s, which were Soffe athletic shorts, typically with a monogram on them.”
Cawood also said The Corner boosted its popularity by adding more UA merchandise along with greek apparel.
“The Corner added Ginger’s, which was the go–to place for UA paraphernalia and greek wear,” she said. “The Corner has a rich history and will not be forgotten by students, fans, patrons and Tuscaloosa residents.”
Like Hardin, Cawood said it was the people who operated the store, not the structure itself, that created an atmosphere that was welcoming to both students and community members alike.
“I remember when Hugh and Ginger Underwood ran the store,” Cawood said. “They always made customers feel at home – it saddens me to see The Corner go.”
