No matter where we live, each of us has interesting places nearby that are worth a second look.
One of those places on the Outer Banks is Reynolds Barber Shop in downtown Manteo. It is owned by C.L. Reynolds and his son, Ben. C.L. has been cutting hair since 1958 and now, in his mid 80’s, still works every Tuesday.
Here is an excerpt from Our State Magazine, May 2016 edition. (Article and photo: Emily Chaplin and Chris Council.)
Reynolds Barber Shop has been in business in Manteo since 1964, and in its current location since 1978, the year Ben was born. It has two barber chairs. One is for the customers of Ben’s father, C.L., 81, who began barbering in 1958 and still comes in to work on Tuesdays. “The rest of the time,” Ben says, “my friends sit in it.”
Ben has cut five generations’ worth of hair; his father has cut seven. Eighty-five percent of the shop’s customers are regulars but visitors who are tired of watching their wives shop stop in, too, “knowing they’ll find a bunch of liars in a barbershop,” Ben says. Reynolds is a full-service barbershop, with hot lather and hot shaves and straight razors.
In the back of the shop, a mere two blocks from his home, is a popcorn machine, rescued and rehabbed from an old theater. Around 2 o’clock every day, Ben sends out a text: The corn is ready, and the drinks are cold. Before long, the pals begin streaming in. “If you want to hear some lies,” Ben says, “come on down.”
Steve has gone there for a haircut a few times and can report to you that the stories are not exaggerated. It is a true Outer Banks treasure.
As a pastor, he got a chuckle from seeing this sign. (Photo from Outer Banks Voice.)
As Steve was told by the owner, if someone cusses, they have to pin a dollar bill to the board. Steve asked what happened to the dollar bills and was told that occasionally a kid needs a haircut but can’t afford it so those dollars are put toward his cut. Gotta love small towns.
Here are a few more photos.
If you’d like to read some more about this great place, here is an article.
Reynolds Barber Shop-experience the ‘old’ OBX and a slice of Americana
What about you? What fascinating place to you have in your area? It may be a little out of the way, or maybe it’s not well known but is still definitely worth a second look.
Include a description and/or a link to the place and we can all do some armchair traveling this week.
https://www.eater.com/2012/1/30/6618373/restaurants-iconic-dollars-turned-into-10k-for-charity
Jessie,
Wow. That is a LOT of dollars. What a great idea!
What a fun post! I love little places like these. SO much history, memories and stories.
I can’t think of anywhere in Grand Forks (where I live now), but outside of Boise (where I lived for 20 years before moving), there’s a little town called Idaho City. We called it a ghost town. However, there were people living and working there. It was filled with history. All of the old buildings were still there- hotel, courthouse, jail, school, restaurant, shops. The hotel is a functioning one and I think that the courthouse was being used, too. Most of the shops and restaurants are being used, too. It was fun to take a day trip there and explore. We always ate a the restaurant called “Calamity Jane’s”. Yummy home cooked food. And walking through the woods, you’d come upon old grave markers. I love looking through old cemetery’s at the names and ages, years, etc. It was a fun place!
Krista,
Ok. The only problem with my readers is that you all keep writing about places that I HAVE to go visit with my camera–starting immediately! Which just isn’t going to work. 🙂 So I just Googled it and read about it instead.
I would love to wander through a town filled with all those fascinating, old buildings. And I’m like you–I love to walk through old cemeteries and read the stones.
Thanks for sharing such a cool place with us!
What an interesting post. I love unique places and small towns! There are certainly many interesting places in pittsburgh, but one of my favorites is St. Anthony’s Chapel. It contains the largest collection of relics outside of the Vatican. Not sure how to send the link, but here it is: https://www.saintanthonyschapel.org/
Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
I could see Steve and me spending many hours in there with so many amazing things to see and learn! Don’t know if they allow cameras but if so, I would be in a very Happy Place.
Thanks for providing a window into a corner of your world; I loved learning about that amazing place!
What a quaint little barber shop. Love it!
We have a few interesting places around here but I find the Naval Ammunition Depot especially interesting. I have copied an excerpt from the description on the historical marker website:
“The U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, known locally as “the NAD,” was the largest of the navy’s World War II inland munitions depots, occupying almost 49,000 acres of Adams and Clay County farmland. Construction began in July 1942; loading, assembly, and storage of ordnance continued until final closing in June 1966. By V-J Day in 1945, the NAD employed 10,000 military and civilian workers. At one point during the war the NAD was producing nearly forty percent of the navy’s ordnance, including sixteen-inch shells.
Costing $71 million, the NAD had 207 miles of railroad track, 274 miles of roads, and 2,200 buildings, including hundreds of igloo-shaped explosives storage magazines. The depot embittered farmers whose land was taken by the government, but it produced an economic boom as Hastings’s population jumped from 15,200 in 1942 to 23,000 in 1943. A September 1944 explosion killed 9 workers, injured fifty-three, and left a 550-foot-long crater. The blast was felt 100 miles away and shattered windows for miles around.”
Now when you drive by, you would just see a bunch of grass-covered bunkers that look like single story buildings with grass that covers them. (They go for miles!) This was for camouflage during the war so that they couldn’t be seen from the air by enemy aircraft. Since it’s closure, the bunkers have been sold to individuals and businesses alike and are used for storage and some have been redone to make living or business quarters.
LeeAnne,
How fascinating! It was especially interesting to read that some people have bought the old bunkers to LIVE in! Might be a bit of a challenge to decorate but they sure would be good conversation starters.
I couldn’t get over how many miles this operation covered and how many buildings it contained. And for Hastings to be able to absorb 8,000 extra people in a year was definitely amazing! After reading so much, I had to Google it to see some pictures. Thanks for sharing about it.
Love, love, LOVE this post. Thanks for sharing, Becky!
Jenny Jo,
Glad you enjoyed it; I really love interesting, old places. So many stories. . .
What a cool place. I guess a similar place here in Mesquite would be Mesquite BBQ, which has been in business since 1959. It’s the only place I’ve ever seen “Chop Chop” on the menu. (Chop Chop is the burnt ends of a brisket finely chopped and re-smoked). There was a neat article in September’s Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/mesquite-bbq-sixtieth-anniversary
Hope you are feeling better. Take care and don’t try to do too much too fast.
Sue Ellen,
Since eastern NC is known for its BBQ, I was especially interested to read the article you attached.
The Chop Chop on the menu was certainly a new one by me. I admire the frugality in using up every last bit of the meat! I was amazed at reading how many hours a day the owners putting in keeping the meat cooking and attending to all the other details; that is quite a commitment.
Thanks for sharing a fascinating read. (I’m hungry for BBQ now.) 🙂
Every time we travel route twelve on our way to or from Buxton in OBX my husband I both say that we need to head over to Manteo and check out that small town. We have heard so much about it and this just makes it a bit more interesting.
Catherine,
Yes, you DO need to check out Manteo. It’s not all that far from Hwy 12 and I can guarantee you’ll love it!
I grew up in a small town in Southwest Missouri. My parents and one brother still live there. The town has a beautiful park with a bandstand in the middle of it. To this day, the town has a municipal band that plays every Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The band is the longest performing municipal band in the state. My brother performed in it in high school and college. Coincidentally, the second longest performing band in the state is in Marshall, MO where my brother now lives. He directs this band.
Near the bandstand is a spring with a faucet that you can get water from. People used to come from miles around to get water as it supposedly had medicinal powers. Those that aren’t from there, don’t like the taste of the water. Since I grew up there, I don’t notice it. Below is a link to a picture of the bandstand and spring area.
I have a good friend whose daughter-in-law’s father is a barber. He is 83 and up to about two years ago, went to his shop every day to work. Sadly, two years ago, he was burning brush and fell into the fire. They had to amputate both his legs above the knee. If not for that, he probably would still be cutting hair.
Phyllis,
I LOVE hearing about a town that is keeping band music alive. Three cheers for them!! And I loved the picture of the bandstand. I can just picture all the townspeople gathered around and enjoying the music.
Steve and I have often commented that there are fewer and fewer musicians coming up; towns that celebrate homegrown music are to be applauded.
And how cool that your brother directs the second-longest-running band in the state!
What an interesting post! I don’t really know of any place in our area that holds such a history. I do know some of the local restaurants have been around a long time and are local gathering places like Second Street Lunch. Don’t know about the barber shops. Have a great week. Prayers your Duke appointment will be soon.
Ann,
I love local restaurants that have existed for generations. With so many fast food and chain restaurants popping up everywhere, a good Mom and Pop restaurant is just the thing!