South Side of Pulaski Square

In 1862, the south side of the square burned, all except the far southeast corner. Another fire swept the block in 1878, burning all of the buildings on the south side except the east and west corners. Many more fires came to this side of the square, but the southeast corner survived them all!

(see below for additional information)

(West to East)

People's Bank Building, 108 W. Madison St., southwest corner

Best Theater, 113 W. Madison St.

• The Best Theater was established in 1909, well before any other theaters in Pulaski, and it cost 5 cents to watch a film. The theater seated 300 people and showed silent films until 1927. The first full-length movie with sound was shown in January 1929, "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson, costing 10 cents per ticket. The first color movie was shown in 1930.
• The owner of the Best Theater didn't have her own popcorn machine, so once the Sam Davis Theater opened (northwest corner of the square) the Best Theater owner would buy popcorn from the Sam Davis theater to sell at her shows!
• The Pigg & Parsons department store replaced the theater, and the theater stage remains to this day in the back of the building.

Rost Jewelers

• Rost Jewelers served Pulaski as a family-owned jewelry store for 94 years, from 1928 to 2022.

Loyd Drug Building

• The first structure on this location was the brick law office of Governor Aaron Venable Brown.
• There have been four fires in this location since 1819.
• There was a drug store in this location from 1879 to 1982, mostly known as the Loyd Drug Store.
• Currently The Clothes Pen children's & women's boutique.

Rosenau's Corner (southeast corner)

• Rosenau was a Bavarian (German) who had served in a Texas Confederate regiment during the Civil War and settled in Pulaski after the war. In 1868 he began selling clothing and dry goods in the southeast corner building, and soon expanded into the building next to him.
• Fires on this block in 1862 and 1878 luckily missed this building.
• Currently C&C Printing.

Giles County Historical Society