Epstin’s Daylight Department Store

Epstin’s Daylight Department Store was established by Moses S. Epstin (1864-1954) in 1910. Moses was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Columbia, South Carolina where his father, Philip (1836-1921), served as founder and president of the Tree of Life Congregation and co-owner of D. Epstin’s Clothing Store. As a young adult, Moses moved to Newberry where he married Pauline Mittle (1868-1948) in 1891. Moses and Pauline later moved to Beaufort, where Moses purchased 113 and 115 Bay Street from George Holmes in June 1910. Over the course of the next several months, Moses overhauled the property and redesigned the fifty-foot storefront. There, he eventually sold fabric, clothing, shoes, and accessories and offered both ready-to-wear and tailored suits. While he likely offered tailoring in-house, Moses also hosted seamsters from Baltimore—such as Schloss Bros. & Co.—to launch his spring collections. In 1919, he announced the sale of his stock to W. A. McDaniel and retired to Greenville, South Carolina where he was affectionately known as “Brother Moses.”¹

¹ “Moses S. Epstin Dies at Age 88,” Greenville News, May 9, 1954, 10.