I. M. Pearlstine & Sons
Grocery
1885-1972
493 King Street | 197-203 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29403
FAMILIES: Pearlstine
Born in Triestena, Russia, Isaac M. Pearlstine (1844-1911) immigrated to the United States as a child in 1850. By the 1880s, he was living in Charleston, South Carolina with his wife, Rebecca (1860-1961), and their children. In 1885, Isaac founded a wholesale grocery store at 493 King Street under his name. Five years later, two of his sons, Hyman (1870-1934) and Sheppard (1867-1951), joined him in business, and the store was renamed I. M. Pearlstine & Sons. In 1901, the store relocated to 201-203 East Bay Street, and in the 1910s it was expanded to include the storefront at 197 East Bay Street. Very successful, I. M. Pearlstine & Sons opened satellite locations in Hampton, Florence, and Walterboro during the mid-20th century. In 1972, the family business was reorganized under the name Pearlstine Distributors, Inc. Pearlstine Distributors remained in operation until 2016, when it was sold to Southern Eagle of Georgia.
Main Image: I. M. Pearlstine & Sons advertisement. Reprinted from The Beaufort Gazette, February 20, 1948.
Above Image: I. M. Pearlstine & Sons location on East Bay Street, c.1920. Courtesy of Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries.