The corner building was built in 1935 as an A&P Grocery Store. Later, it became Gardner-Myers Rexall Drug Store, where many remember the soda fountain which provided a place to “hang out” with friends. In the 1950’s, McKellar & Crossley opened next door on 5th Street, but it was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1962. McKellar & Crossley eventually became Crossley’s, Inc., and the business expanded to include the two buildings on this downtown corner. Just six years later, in 1968, Crossley’s won the National Brand Names Retailer of the Year Award from the Annual National Meetings of Brand Names Foundation in New York City. During Crossley’s more than fifty years in business, members of the United States Congress as well as Mississippi Governors and State Legislators visited the business regularly. Crossley’s also supplied some of the famous houndstooth hats for University of Alabama Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. The popular clothing store for men and boys closed in July of 2000 when the owner retired. The Fashion Barn opened one of the city’s favorite women’s clothing stores on this corner in 2002. This family-owned business had been operating in Columbus for 27 years when the owners retired in February of 2020.
