UPDATED = Just was told (March 2015) that Gaunt’s is now closed. 🙁
We weren’t expecting to stop at Gaunt’s Drug Store – located just a stone’s throw from the Triangle Diner. BUT when I glanced in the window and saw vintage signage AND a somewhat mysterious lady in the window, we just had to pull over.
Upon closer inspection it appears that that mystery lady is non other than a life size painted replica of the Queen of Winchester VA, Patsy Cline herself!
Howdy, folks! She seems to say, doffing her hat at the passing motorists.
Since the interior looked like it hadn’t changed much in a while we went inside. And it didn’t hurt that we needed to pick up a box of tissues since my allergies had gone haywire!
When we entered the small drug store we could not help but notice Patsy Cline memorabilia everywhere!
There was many a shrine to Patsy around the store, with corners displaying most anything with Patsy’s likeness on it. “The owner must be quite a fan,” I thought.
The druggist behind the counter was busy doing druggisty things so we didn’t get a chance to ask him what the story was behind all the memorabilia. We later discovered an online article mentioning that Patsy had worked as a soda jerk here at the drug store, when it also had a soda fountain back in the 1950’s.
The druggist – Harold Madagan -who was behind the counter when we were there – actually worked at the pharmacy at the same time that Patsy did, so we were one degree separated from the country music legend! And we were able to support this independent – and historic – pharmacy, with our purchase of tissues and some M&Ms.
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