The Guilty Librarian Bookstore Opens in Historic Downtown Flomaton Building Vacant for 30 Years

FLOMATON, Ala. — The Guilty Librarian bookstore opens its doors Saturday, Oct. 3, in downtown Flomaton, bringing new life to a historic corner building that has sat empty for roughly three decades and giving North Escambia readers a place of their own to browse, linger and find their next favorite book.

The shop is run by a mother-daughter team from North Escambia, Chandra Rigby and her daughter, Tori Walker. The two say they are fulfilling a longtime dream while also hoping to help the small town grow.

The grand opening begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and will feature book signings by several authors, swag bags for the first 50 people through the door and more.

A Lifelong Love of Books

For Rigby, the bookstore grew out of a passion that runs through generations of her family. She said the idea started small.

“I’ve always loved books and I approached my husband last year about getting the cart to do on the weekends,” Rigby said. “It’s my love of books runs deep. My mom’s always been a reader, I’ve been a reader and my girls are readers, and my granddaughters are readers.”

That weekend book cart idea eventually became a full brick-and-mortar store, and Rigby said the setting was just as important as the books on the shelves.

“We wanted that Hallmark town feel to the store, and we wanted it in a community that we thought would really support us. This community has gone above and beyond here; they have wholeheartedly supported us even before we are open,” she said.

A Historic Building With a Story to Tell

Rigby and Walker said they fell in love with their building right away. It stands on the corner of Palafox and Ringold streets in the heart of downtown Flomaton and was built sometime in the 1880s.

The building had been vacant for about 30 years, ever since Coleman’s Drugs and its soda fountain closed. Over its long history, the structure has served the community in a variety of ways:

• It housed the town’s telephone switchboard
• It served as a hospital
• Its second story became a safe haven when downtown Flomaton flooded
• It was home to Coleman’s Drugs and its soda fountain

Other chapters in the building’s past remain a mystery, a fitting detail for a structure that now holds shelves of stories.

Renovation work also turned up some surprises. Crews uncovered the building’s original tile floors and a solid wood ceiling, features that help give the new bookstore its character.

Buildings like this one are a hallmark of small Southern downtowns that grew up around railroads and main streets in the late 19th century. Bringing a long-vacant storefront back into use can add foot traffic to a downtown block and preserve a piece of local history at the same time.

Building Buzz Online and Lifting Neighbors

Even before the doors opened, The Guilty Librarian had a following. Walker has used social media to attract thousands of followers ahead of the opening, and she often uses that platform to promote other Flomaton businesses, too.

“I know if I bring people in for me, I’m going to bring them in for other businesses down here,” Walker said. “And I want all of us to survive and succeed. And I want to be able to stay here for a while.”

That spirit has caught the attention of town leaders. Flomaton Mayor Arthur Odom praised the owners’ approach to joining the downtown community.

“They came to downtown with the attitude that they want to help and have bent over backwards to become involved,” Odom said. “What they are doing will benefit all of Flomaton, not just the bookstore.”

‘Miracle on Palafox’ Planned for Small Business Saturday

The bookstore is already looking ahead to the holiday season. On Saturday, Nov. 28, which is Small Business Saturday nationwide, The Guilty Librarian and the Town of Flomaton will team up to host “Miracle on Palafox,” a holiday market in downtown Flomaton.

All vendor fees from the market will be donated to the town.

Small Business Saturday, held each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, was launched by American Express in 2010 to encourage shoppers to support independent, locally owned businesses during the busy holiday shopping weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Events like Miracle on Palafox aim to turn that national campaign into a local celebration that draws shoppers to a single downtown street.

Why a Small-Town Bookstore Can Thrive

Both owners said they believe a bookstore can succeed in a town the size of Flomaton because it will draw readers from surrounding areas.

“A lot of people don’t understand the book community. I’ve been a part of the book community for 15-plus years,” Rigby said. “The book community is unlike any community out there and independent bookstores are on the rise. People are putting down a Kindle, and they’re wanting to read a book. They are wanting to hold a book; they are wanting the experience.”

She said the store is designed to be more than a place to make a purchase.

“And when you come in here, it’s not just about buying a book. It’s about the whole experience,” Rigby added. “It’s about the whole experience you get when you are here; it’s about the vibe, and it is about feeling.”

Walker described the atmosphere she hopes customers will find.

“We want people to walk in here, and everything out here is quiet,” Walker said. “They’ve escaped their own reality and just hung out with us for a little while. It’s like the whole thing, and also I don’t know of any other bookstores around here that are like this.”

Independent bookstores often succeed by offering what online retailers cannot: a curated selection, personal recommendations, author events and a welcoming place to spend time. For readers in rural areas, a local shop can also save a long drive to a larger city.

What’s on the Shelves

The Guilty Librarian carries a wide range of genres, including:

• Romance
• Classics
• Self-help and religious titles
• Best sellers
• New releases
• Children’s books for all ages

Store Hours and Location

The Guilty Librarian is located at 331 Palafox Street in downtown Flomaton, at the corner of Palafox and Ringold streets.

After Saturday’s grand opening, the store’s regular hours will be:

• Tuesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Sunday and Monday: Closed

About Flomaton

Flomaton is a small town in Escambia County, Alabama, sitting right on the Alabama-Florida state line just across from Century, Florida. The community has deep roots as a railroad town, and its downtown streets, including Palafox, reflect that history.

Like many small towns across South Alabama, Flomaton has seen downtown storefronts sit empty over the years. New businesses that reuse historic buildings can help restore activity to those blocks and give residents a reason to shop, gather and spend time close to home.

What It Means for the Community

For North Escambia residents, The Guilty Librarian offers a new local option for buying books, meeting authors and connecting with other readers. For downtown Flomaton, the store represents a long-vacant historic building returning to use and a pair of owners who have made a point of promoting their neighbors.

The Nov. 28 Miracle on Palafox holiday market will be the next opportunity for the community to rally around downtown, with every vendor fee going back to the Town of Flomaton.

As Walker put it, bringing people downtown for one business can mean bringing them in for all of them, and the owners say they hope to be part of downtown Flomaton for a long time.

Update: Building Owners See Potential Downtown

Rigby and Walker purchased their building from Melissa Jernigan, who with her husband has bought several properties in downtown Flomaton and on adjacent Ringo Street. Jernigan said that when they began buying, only a few storefronts were functional.

“Lots of people were like, ‘What are y’all doing?’ Even I asked my husband, ‘What are we doing?’ But I mean, he sees potential, and there is potential,” Jernigan said. “We do hope to get a grant writer so we can bring a lot more to Flomaton. With grant money, we can do it and make Flomaton a successful place to be.”

For a town of just over 1,400 people, each new business is a visible step. “If we’re growing, they’re growing, and that’s what we want,” Rigby said.