BRISTOL HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Welcome to the official web site for the
Bristol Historical Association!
History is told through the buildings and homes in a city. The mission of the Bristol Historical Association is to promote an interest in the history of Bristol. The Bristol Historical Association is dedicated to the identification, preservation, interpretation, and presentation of local history.
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BHA Library Display: Memories of The Style Shop
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A Bristol Milliner, Miss Lora McClellan, is brought back to life through a recent donation of hats to the Bristol Historical Association by her great-niece, Julie Slagle, daughter of Peggy Winston and Judge Frank Winston.
Her donation sparked the remembrance of the Style Shop, located at 635 State Street, and later on Moore Street. Miss Lora McClellan operated the Style Shop and sold hats for over forty years. It was an era when ladies would not leave the house without a hat; an outfit was not complete without one! Julie’s mother’s aunt, Miss McClellan recalled, ”I used to make and sell all my hats. It was the period when bobs were replacing long hair and before women wore their hats off their faces,” according to a 1950 article in the Bristol Herald Courier by Robert Loving. “We even made the hat frames out of wire and buckram- bought by the yard.” Hats were adorned with ribbons, flowers, and feathers-the more trimmings the more popular the hat. The first hat sold by Miss McClellan went for $16.50. The most expensive hat sold for $47.00.
On Saturday, November 27, 1937, a fire in an adjacent building, 637 State Street, caused damage to the Style Shop. Water from firefighting efforts completely ruined all the merchandise. In 1940, Miss McClellan moved to a new location at 9 Moore Street.
Miss McClellan stopped making hats after a few years in the business but continued trimming them. Hats suddenly became conservative, and adorning them was not desired. However, customers still came in and said, “I need a lift, I want a hat.”
“A hat,” Lora McClellan stated, “changes a woman more than anything she wears.” The Style Shop was eventually offered for sale in May of 1965, and no further information about its history is available.
Hats and merchandise from the Style Shop, along with a chair ladies would use for trying on the hats, are now on display at the Bristol Public Library on Goode Street.​
Historic Sites.
History is told through the buildings and homes in a city. The Bristol Historical Association promotes an interest in the history of Bristol by designating properties with historical significance. A generous contribution from Mr. William W. “Bud” Walling financed the cost of the first twenty-five plaques. Much credit is due to the late Mr Walling for his vital part in the promotion of the Landmark Designation program.
Are you interested in applying for a Landmark Marker for your historical building? If so, please complete the Historical Landmark Marker Application Form.
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