page_title: Historic Campbell Building
section_title: History of Campbell Business
hierarchical_section_title: Historic Campbell Building / History of Campbell Business
caption_attribution_description: English: Newspaper Article
context_page_description: The Historic Campbell Building is a former department store in Shelby, North Carolina. Completed in 1927, the building's grand opening as The Campbell's Department Store took place on March 9, 1928. The building is significant for its type of brick and steel construction, finishing, unique craftsmanship, and history with local families. The building was rehabilitated between October 2015 and June 2018
context_section_description: Prior to the grand opening of the final Campbell's Department Store, Reuben Edgar Campbell (1878-1955) married Ester Yelton. After working in a monazite mine, he built and operated a local general store. Later, Campbell opened a second general store in Shelby, where he lived above the retail operations in 1916. A 1917 newspaper reported that the store sold boys and men's clothing, trucks, gabs, shoes, millinery, dress goods, ladies and children's clothes, groceries, drugs, and furniture. He opened a third store on November 9, 1923, in nearby Lawndale, North Carolina, a thriving textile center. The building was owned by Campbell and J. Ogburn Lutz. These two men were highly successful in the retail trade, and in 1927 completed building their flagship store in Shelby, the fourth Campbell's Department Store. At this time they focused attention on this store and closed all of their other operations. At the time of construction, the building was among the tallest in Shelby, and used all local materials.
caption: A January, 1928 newspaper.
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