Time Traveling to the Thrifty Food Market
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas stand in front of their grocery store, The Thrifty Food Market, in 1972.
A few weeks ago I attended a First Friday event at Rebus Works, a small art gallery in Boylan Heights. As I walked through the crowded room inspecting the artwork, glass of wine in hand, my footsteps across the creaky, worn wood floors started to echo in my ears. The chit-chat of the crowd seemed to fade away, and my mind began to drift back to a time that existed more than 35 years ago when the gallery space was occupied by a neighborhood grocery called The Thrifty Food Market. It was a simpler, different sort of time.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had owned and operated the little grocery store at the western terminus of the Martin St. viaduct since 1937. I lived in Boylan Heights for several years in the early 1970s and got to know the Thomases well. They were a kindly older couple whom I always thought of back then as the grandparents of Boylan Heights. In those days I lived with a group of friends in a house that many of our neighbors regarded with disdain as a “hippie house.†But not the Thomases. They took a liking to us, — well, actually, there was no one they didn’t like — and we certainly liked them.
This is a view of the back of the Thrifty Food Market as seen from my front porch. The Martin St. viaduct is on the right and the old Boylan Ave. bridge can be seen in the background on the left. The painted wall sign reads: “Long Meadow Milk.”
The Thrifty Food Market possessed a certain nostalgic charm that has long-since passed from Raleigh’s urban scene. Upon entering the store through the screen door, being careful not to let it slam behind you, Mrs. Thomas would greet her customers from behind the linoleum-topped wooden checkout counter on which sat one of those old-fashioned mechanical cash registers. Usually the delivery boy, Kenny, would be stationed by the counter, ready to make his deliveries on his bicycle with a large wire basket affixed to the front.
Mr. Thomas managed the meat counter in the back of the store. An oversized wheel of ‘hoop cheese’ always sat on top of the big glass-fronted enameled metal counter. Mr. Thomas would cut generous slabs from it and wrap them up in white butcher’s paper. Open shelves of canned goods lined the walls. There was also a small produce bin with offerings such as onions, potatoes and collards.
The Thomases stocked all the basics — flour, milk, bread, eggs, and the like. But, as Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were devout Southern Baptists, the one thing you couldn’t buy at the Thrifty Food Market was beer — you had to walk up to Hillsboro St. to the Friendly Fruit Store to get that particular beverage.
The worn, creaky oiled-wood floors of the Thrifty Food Market were shiny from the thousands of feet that had trod upon them over the decades. An old oil heater used for winter warmth sat in the middle of the room. There was no air conditioning in the summer, but somehow the store seemed always to be cool inside, even on the hottest days. It was not unusual to find Mrs. Thomas engaged in casual conversation with a neighborhood resident or two. There was never any hurry at the Thrifty Food Market, and it seems to me now as if time were standing still.
But, as we all know, time does not stand still. Time moves relentlessly forward as it rushes into unforgiving memory. After 35 years of service to the community, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas retired from shop keeping in 1972. Another neighborhood grocery subsequently occupied the space for a few years, but that too, is now long gone.
As I continued to meander around the art gallery the echo from my footsteps began to mingle with the chattering voices of the people in the room, and my mental images of the Thrifty Food Market faded into the works of art hanging before me on the walls. Or maybe it was just the wine talking to me, as I glanced down and saw that my glass was empty.
This is the front door of The Thrifty Food Market, now home to Rebus Works art gallery. The screen door, canvas awning, and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are long gone.
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03/18/2009
This is an incredible post. You made me feel like I was standing beside you exploring the Thrifty Food Market in the ’70s. Thanks for sharing this piece of Raleigh history with us!
03/18/2009
I have lived in Boylan Heights for three years, and I am consistently charmed by stories of what the neighborhood looked like not all that long ago. I chalk this one up to another charmer! Thanks.
03/18/2009
Very cool! I would love to have this kind of experience today. Also, creaky old floors are awesome.
03/18/2009
Very well written and photographed, Raleigh Boy! Thanks for sharing.
03/18/2009
Another great post and picture Raleigh Boy. Thanks!
03/18/2009
Hey all– wow, thanks for all the comps on my story. I’m glad you enjoyed reading it! If you want to try to tune into some of the vibe yourself, head on down to Rebus Works for their next opening. (wine optional, but it helps!)
03/19/2009
As another former resident of Boylan Heights, I loved this! So glad you have those photos. Did the Thomases also live in the ‘hood?
03/19/2009
Arial– Glad you liked the story. I asked Mrs. Thomas about that one time, and she said that when she and Mr. T first opened TFM in the ’30s, they rented a house on W. South St. Later, as the store prospered, they were able to buy a place out Poole Rd. (which was still in ‘the country’ back then.) As a side note, Mrs. T told me an A&P store had occupied the space before they acquired it. I also learned from her about the Carolina Washboard Company, which was located in the building behind TFM. It is now occupied by Ant Farm artist studios.
03/19/2009
Great article, wonderful family. Mr. & Mrs Thomas had three children – Harold, Bobby, and Judy. They lived on S. Kimbrough St. near E. Whitaker Mill Rd. in the 40s and 50s when I knew them. Mrs. Thomas was an excellent seamtress and made a coat for me for my 11th birthday. I was always proud of that coat. Good memories of that family have lasted for a lifetime.
03/19/2009
I grew up in boylan heights — early 60’s to mid 80’s and remember this store well. Actually worked as a delivery boy on the bike with the basket for a few turns. Between this store and Cutler St grocery , all your daily shopping was done. This is a wonderful memory and I look forward to sharing with my mom and sister. Thanks.
03/20/2009
John — Thanks for your comments and the personal ‘backstory’ about the Thomases. It adds another dimension to the story.
dan c — Thanks for your comment. Yeah, that bike Kenny used looked like it had been around the block a few times, both literally and figuratively! I remember Taft who ran the Cutler St. Gro. It had been in his family for a long time, too.
03/24/2009
I remember the Thrifty Food Market. Along with the two neighborhood grocery stores, we had a garage (Hartwell’s, I think), a Baptist Church, and the Boylan Heights elementary school. We may not have realized it at the time, but we were lucky to be part of such a neighborhood.
03/24/2009
I was sent to buy bread, bologna, tomato soup, etc from Mrs.Thomas and probably enjoyed her attention to me as much as anything in my open neighborhood. Boylan Heights was a wonderful place to be a kid with many neighbors like the Thomases. They knew our names, who our friends were, and where we went to church. I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on those childhood days.
03/25/2009
dan c’s mom and sis — wow, thanks for providing GNR readers (and me!) with even more personal connections to Boylan Heights, the Thrifty Food Market and the Thomases. I’m glad my story jogged these wonderful memories for you. Mrs. C — the garage was Hartsfield’s — ‘family owned and operated since 1946.’ They’re still in business, right across from Thrifty Food Market on Boylan Ave. at the bridge.
04/14/2009
I’ve lived in Boylan Heights for eight years now and I love reading about the history of this great neighborhood. Thank you for such a detailed and poignant post.
03/31/2010
I lived at 304 Boylan Ave 1974-76 and remember the store, but the Thomases had already moved on. Though I do vividly remember Hartsfield’s garage, as they owned a short-track stock car and would work late into Wednesday & Thursday nights getting it ready for weekend races.
Fyi, 304 Boylan was built in 1903 by the Jolly family (of Jolly’s Jewelers). I did a helluva lot a work on that house, even before I moved in. Our landlord ran a grocery down on Cabarrus in the 60s and bought neighborhood houses as folks moved away or passed on before selling his market and becoming a full time landlord. He owned quite a few Boylan Heights homes, rented them at reasonable rates and would trade rent for improvements.
09/28/2013
I lived in Boylan Heights on Hargett St. from 1977 until around 1992. I remember Honeycutt’s Grocery at the other end of the Boylan Ave. bridge. Where is Ant Farm? I just bought an antique washboard that came from Carolina Washboard Company and I learned on this site that it used to be where Ant Farm now is.
04/20/2014
Raleigh Boy, my family has owned the two buildings that housed Thrifty Food Market since before 1946. My father owned and operated Carolina Washboard Co. and Carolina Fishing Floats which housed the two businesses. I was born in 1946. I worked at the washboard factory and fishing float co. In the summers. I ate virtually every lunch there. Mr. And Mrs. Thomas were like grandparents to me. Your article brought back so many fond memories. Thank you. My 2 daughters still own the buildings.
07/01/2014
I googled The Carolina Washboard Co. And came upon your most intriguing article. After reading it, I ran to my kitchen and grabbed my Carolina Washboard and hugged it in knowing it was part of days of yore. You see, I had no clue. I went to a flea mall this past weekend and purchased the only one I found. I brought it home and hand washed it until it looked good as new. Then I found a woman scribed in ink her name, the date, and time time of the day it was when she input her data in manuscript …. I thought it to be a bit peculiar to want to write one’s personal data on a washboard….and then I looked to the left side of the washboard and there I found another woman’s name but could not make out the date. I thought to myself perhaps I shouldn’t have scrubbed it so hard. Well, lo and behold, I was became a proud owner of such a beautiful washboard that I set upon my kitchen window blocking the 60 acres of woods behind my house. I absolutely love for washing intimate apparel and delicate blouses. My daughter love to hand wash her delicates in my kitchen sink and when she came home yesterday she smiled and told it was about time I purchased a washboard. …. I am a transplant from Southern California…. I now know I have a real gem sitting against my kitchen window. My main intention this morning was to go online and google the Carolina Washboard Co., hence, now my sister in Southern California will not get one from the company but learn about its rich history. I will have to settle for purchasing a Carolina Washboard from eBay. By-the-way, my daughter is an Artist and after reading your article, it would be a fantastic trip to venture to Raleigh and visit the art store where she can browse the store and where I can walk upon the creaky hardwood floors and go back in time….maybe I’ll be able to hear Mr. T. Wrapping a piece of cheese for me in butcher’s paper. This article and the comments from fellow readers speak volumes in regard to this real gem to be treasured always. Excellent article. I have enjoyed this immensely. God bless you always . Monica Harrell from beautiful Beaufort-by-the-sea in Carteret County, NC
11/29/2015
I found a Carolina Washboard Co washboard (“warshboard” as my Virginia and Tennessee Grandmothers would say) at the NC State Fairgrounds flea market in Raleigh yesterday. I didn’t try to clean it up or anything, just hung it right up on the wall in my laundry room. And, just like the person before me posted, I sat down tonight to Google the name and see what I could find. Enjoyed the article and the post by the descendant of Carolina Washboard Co family.
12/03/2015
My 9 year old son is doing a research project on the Carolina Washboard Company and we are trying to find some information on this business. Does anyone have any information on this business? Mr. Fonville, could I perhaps sit down with you for a small spell to talk about the company?
Thank you for your time..
10/14/2022
Me and Mrs Thomas were my grandparents and their youngest and only daughter, Judy is my Mom. I have such fond memories of going to the market with my Mom every Saturday and loading up a tiny paper bag with penny candy from the penny candy rack at the front of the store. I remember the bottle drinks in the drink cooler and my naps on my GranGran’s cot that he set up in the back room of the store for my naps after we ate our chitlins’ and vinegar on saltine crackers for lunch. I didn’t know what chitlins were back then but if my GranGran said they were good that was good enough for me. At the end of their Saturday we would always stop by Finches for supper but had to be home by 7 to watch Lawrence Welk. My Grandmama told me every Saturday night while watching the show that I could learn to tap dance or sing. I never learned to tap but I sang my whole way through school and in church as an adult. I was only 7 years old when they sold the store but I loved those times being in that store.
I miss my Grandmama and my GranGran
This article means the world to me and all those that have fond memories of them makes my heart so happy.
12/29/2023
Really amazing history.
Thank you all for sharing.
Great reading.
01/06/2024
Loved this!