News & Events
Chamber Members Enjoy New Downtown Bookstore
More than 140 members of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce enjoyed an evening at The Depot, Presbyterian College’s new community bookstore, in downtown Clinton during a Business After Hours event co-hosted by the College and Sodexho Campus Services on March 15.
"The Business After Hours was a great venue to showcase this newest addition for uptown Clinton as well as the entire Laurens County community as a whole," said Rob Clapper, president and CEO of the Chamber. "The Depot is one of the most significant retail investments in recent years. It will add to the quality of life for the county and contribute to our efforts to attract more tourists to our community."
The Depot, located at 112 Musgrove Street, is a full-service bookstore, with approximately 2,500 book titles – including the latest bestsellers, general books, bargain books, children’s books, reference books, study aids, and newspapers and other popular periodicals.
The Depot is also home to Jazzman’s Cafe, which sells all types of coffee and other drinks. Their lunch menu includes sandwiches, salads, fruit cups and other “on the run” items.
Customers will also find a variety of award winning best selling books, a complete children’s section, and rental space for small gatherings and business meetings. You may also be able to purchase Presbyterian College Blue Hose merchandise.
The bookstore is the result of Clinton’s 2007 and the college’s PC 2010 strategic plans. Both plans called for the development of a downtown bookstore.
"For the college, this priority came from a long-standing desire expressed by (professor emeritus) Dr. Jim Skinner, that ‘a first quality college should have a first quality bookstore,’" Presbyterian College president John Griffith said in a prepared statement. "From the city’s perspective, the concern was the development of the downtown and research indicated that the best establishments would be a quality restaurant and a bookstore. We agreed to take on both of these priorities because we also believed they were in the best interest of the college."
"It is no secret that Presbyterian College has remained committed to the city of Clinton and to Laurens County. The addition to their Library, that houses the Stonewall Jackson Archive, the creation of a new Science wing, and the opening of a state of the art bookstore all are major financial commitments to our county," Clapper added. "This is important because the dollars are staying here at home. Investment into the future of our community, supported by a local workforce, built with materials that are bought locally. PC’s unwavering support and vision continues to strengthen our future as a county and as our economy."
With the opening of the bookstore, Clinton now adds another uptown business resulting from its relationship with the college and in support of the 2007 Strategic Plan.
The Depot in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, plans to offer a discount card to Chamber members as well as work with local educators to provide all the resources to support the upcoming "Summer Reading Lists", according to bookstore manager Mike Leonard.
