Hudgins Pharmacy is closing its doors after nearly 97 years as a dominant presence on Mathews Main Street. A sign went up on the door last week giving customers notice that the business would close its doors for good on Feb. 15.

Pharmacist Chiquita Loving said the owner, A1C Holdings, would not make a comment, but that she and her co-workers wanted the community to know that they had appreciated their business and would miss the customers they’ve come to know over the past year and a half.

“We built a lot of good family relationships,” Loving said.

Owned by now-retired pharmacist Robert May for 32 years, Hudgins Pharmacy was sold in October 2016 to Dora Holdings of New Jersey. Steven King, chief compliance officer of the holding company, which is affiliated with A1C Holdings, said then that his company planned to enlarge the store’s product line and offer an expanded selection of diabetic supplies.

The pharmacy quickly realigned its work space and reduced its stock of retail merchandise. By last week, most of the shelves were empty.

History

Hudgins Pharmacy was established in 1922 by Bailey D. and C. Bernard Hudgins. It was located in the Farmers and Fishermen’s Building, with its large round columns and a tall roof that shades the full width of the sidewalk. It’s still there today.

In its early days, the pharmacy had a soda counter, and crowds of customers regularly streamed in on Saturday nights, often bound for the Be-Jo movie theater next door, where Lily Valentine Antiques is now located.

In 1958, the business was sold to James R. Lewis, who owned it for 26 years before selling it to Robert May in 1984. May retired in 2016, selling the company to Dora Holdings.