It’s just after the turn of the century — the twentieth century, that is. The year is 1907 and a carriage shop has just opened at 222 Tarboro Street West in Wilson, North Carolina.
Horses and mules draw wagons through the streets, hauling people and goods, and the shop and its blacksmith are a necessity. The Cicero
Culpepper Carriage Shop served residents of Wilson and surrounding areas until 1925, when the mules, horses, and wagons were replaced by automobiles and trucks.
Looking at the well-preserved building today, it may be difficult to imagine the original wagon entrance. The surrounding tobacco warehouses, livery stables, and machine shops are gone, but the building still stands — including the second story added around 1913. A Wilson Historic Property marker adorns the building.
The building was used as a bicycle shop for a while, and then restored in the 21st century. Since 2012, it has housed Creations by Culbreth, Touch of Country Boutique & Gifts, and its doors still open for customers more than 100 years after its original doors opened for carriages and beasts.
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