Opened
Monday - Friday 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Horton's Books & Gifts
410 Adamson Square
Carrollton, GA 30116
770-832-8021 Fax: 770-838-1152
Store@hortonsbooks.com
Horton's Books and Gifts is the oldest book store in Georgia and the oldest business in Carrollton. It's debatable whether the unique shop on Adamson Square opened in February or March because of conflicting records, but it's a fact the store opened in 1892 under the ownership of N.A. Horton. Horton, a bookkeeper in the furniture and undertaking business, expanded the store into its current location the same year he bought it.
Since opening more that 100 years ago, Horton's relocated in several spots in and around the square before resettling into its present location in 1951. Dorothy Pittman, the store's fifth owner, remembers fondly coming into the store as a child when Hap Horton, N.A. Horton's son, was the owner. She bought the store from Larry Johnson, who had owned it since 1988. Johnson purchased the store from Doris Shadix, who took over ownership when Hap Horton died in 1969. Shadix had worked at the store since 1946 and served as a partner for one year.
Pittman said it was the atmosphere and customer service that made the experience enjoyable when she was a child, and those qualities have helped the store withstand competition and the test of time. "Hap was always friendly," she said. "I would come up here, buy presents for my mother,and then tell them to charge it. My mother would get the bill."
The store's longevity could also be attributed to the willingness of its owners to adapt and diversify over the years. Regardless of what was sold during the store's lifetime--everything from athletic gear to candles to fine China--the one constant has always been books.
Though books can be found in many places, Horton's is unique in the level of personal service customers enjoy, including the staff's willingness to search for the and order out-of-date or hard-to-find books. "A lot of times it's easy for people to get things on their own, but a lot of people don't really want to do that," Pittman said. "They want the experience of coming to visit the store, the experience of talking to us and they want our expertise."
Besides the store itself, Horton's charm comes in its involvement with the community. Every one of its owners have gone out of their way to participate in community fundraisers, events, and offering to sell the literary works of local authors. The community has responded by supporting the store.
In the last few years, the store's appearance has become more like it would have looked when N.A. Horton owned it. The plaster was taken off the front of the store to show the original brick. The carpeting was also removed to expose the original hardwood floors.
Storytimes May vary please see our calendar, call, or e-mail.