Frank Read | Mendel Dumas

In 1912, Frank Read (1868–1940) and Mendel Dumas (1875–1962) held the grand opening of Read & Dumas, a general merchandise store in a just-completed red brick building at the corner of King and Spring streets. The partners were brothers-in-law (Mrs. Esther Dumas was Read’s sister), Lithuanians who had immigrated to South Carolina. Frank led the way in 1890, settling first in Moncks Corner; Mendel followed in 1902. Their retail business experienced problems after just a few years and went through a bankruptcy sale in 1915. Mendel Dumas turned his attention to Berkeley County, where he planted and brokered cotton, and operated as a country merchant.

In about 1916, Frank Read reopened the partners’ former store as The Leader; by 1928 it was operating as Read Brothers. The family successfully steered the business through the Great Depression and King Street’s economic decline of the 1970s and 1980s. Frank’s son Joe took over for his father and ran the business until his death in 1999. Joe’s children Tom Read and Rosemary “Binky” Read Cohen kept Read Brothers going as an old-fashioned dry goods emporium and hi-fi stereo equipment shop until 2017, when the city forced the business to close for safety reasons. Pieces of the building’s façade were dropping onto the sidewalk below and other structural damage made it unsafe to occupy.

One of the longest hold-outs among Jewish-owned stores on King Street, with a large and devoted clientele, Read Brothers was a magnet for photographers, such as Robert Epps, seeking visual reminders of old-style King Street businesses. As of spring 2021, stabilization by new owners and a National Register nomination were underway.

Read & Dumas, exterior, 1912

Read & Dumas, “Red Parasol With White Carnation,” 2013

Read & Dumas, “The Doctor With Punch And Judy,” 2013

Read & Dumas, “Covey Of Handkerchiefs,” 2013

Read & Dumas, “Lion With A Ray Of Hope,” 2013