Explorin’ With Loren: Conway a mixture of rich history, modern shops

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina, one with a mix of rich history, trendy shops and delicious food.

Downtown Conway is a historic river town with a fascinating history that includes the Black Water Market.

“It was probably one of the biggest fires in Conway and it burned the whole building completely to the ground,” Tracy Pickens said.

The fire in the early 1900s cleared the land for co-owner Pickens to later rebuild into a multipurpose building that has apartments and specialty shops like his, The Haberdashery Gentlemen’s Clothiers.

“We specialize in unique stuff. We try to get something that you can’t get anywhere else,” Pickens said.

Pickens pointed out their locally made wooden bowties that marries colorful resin to wood and showed off their official teal blazer that’s specially made for Coastal Carolina University. The blazers also have the button with the athenaeum.

Shop at The Haberdashery

If you’re looking for women’s clothing, stop by Pickens’ other store, the HerDashery, for women’s designer clothing and jewelry.

Shop at HerDashery

Grab lunch at the Trestle Bakery and Café. The family-owned café has served breakfast and lunch for 25 years.

“The food, the pastries, everything is just top quality,” general manager Terry Bedell said.

Bedell said the café is known for its sandwiches, different pasta salads and their sweet sourdough bread.

“It is the best!” Bedell said.

Customers can buy a loaf at their bakery a few doors down that’s also filled with delicious desserts and a coffee bar.

“Everything’s made with love.” Bedell said.

Eat at The Trestle Bakery and Cafe

Step back in time at the L.W. Paul Living History Farm.

“A visit to the farm are going to get the experience of what life was like in the first half of the 20th century in rural Horry County, from both the community experience and the farm life experience,” Walter Hill, director of the Horry County Museum and the Living History Farm, said.

Hill said visitors will explore crops, visit the animals, learn how families lived and worked, and enjoy interactive activities on event days.

“Making syrup or grinding grits, canning and cooking in the farmhouse, as well as the trades activities like blacksmithing and woodworking,” Hill said.

The working farm is free and open year-round.

“There’s always something to come see here at the farm,” he said.

Visit the L.W. Paul Living History Farm

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