Lumberyard crafting good times in Clinton, Vintage Market Friday

Lumberyard owners Charlie and Stacey Michaels are partnering with others to host  Gary Street Vintage Market Friday evening, April 28. Photo – Judith Brown.

Clinton, South Carolina – Months spent on vacation mode at their lake house and befriending folks at CrossFit 864 inspired a Hilton Head couple to not only relocate to the county full time but also to join the Clinton business community by opening Lumberyard Craft Beer and Wine Bar.

The couple felt Clinton could use a place for friends to gather, and so they’ve filled the space with tables and chairs, stools at the bar, all in an effort to make customers feel welcome, said Stacey Michaels, who has opened the taproom with her husband, Charlie.

They’ve had a great response since its opening earlier this month. Their community involvement is already strong, and from 4 – 9 p.m. this Friday, April 28, in partnership with The Vintage Fest and BlackSheep Vintage, Lumberyard will host The Gary Street Vintage Market with live music and more than a dozen vintage clothing vendors along with vinyl records, antiques and food trucks.

It hasn’t been a quick process to get to this point, but the Michaels are glad to see their business open.

The City of Clinton had purchased The Tribble Buildings years ago and acquired grant funds to shore them up to prevent further deterioration. A lot more work was needed to restore the former hardware store once the Michaels closed on the building late last summer.

“At Cross Fit 864 we had really enjoyed the community and their efforts to bring the community together,” Michaels said. “That has definitely been substantiated by the reception we’ve gotten from the community already.”

On social media they’ve seen some negativity, but overall there has been much more support.

“We have heard even from individuals who have asked, ‘What can we do to help you succeed?’ That’s not what you typically hear from a patron so it’s solidified what we had already felt about coming to Clinton,” Michaels said. “It just takes one person to put something in motion and bring change.”

This story originally ran page 3, in the Wednesday, April 12, 2023 issue of The Laurens County Advertiser. Updated Thursday, April 27.