Aiken Jewish Merchant Sites — 1990

The prevalence of Jewish Merchant stores in Aiken declined rapidly in the late 1960s & 1970s as “mom & pop” retailers in categories such as hardware & grocery faced competition from national chains (e.g. Home Depot, Kroger). Other Aiken Jewish businesses (e.g. Efron Garage & Taxi) were hurt by a decline in the Winter Colony during this same period. Meanwhile, the children of early Aiken Jewish families often went away to college and then left for opportunities elsewhere. So by 1990, there were only a few Jewish merchant businesses left in Aiken.

Each of these stores is numbered to correspond with their location on the map above. To learn more about these Aiken Jewish merchants, click on the store names below:

1. Southampton Saddlery

2. Julia’s Dress Shop

3. Rudnick’s Barn

4. Star Chemical