Yates Market--It's all about family...

Yes, of course the two buildings on the right, Yates Hardware and Market--located on Main Street in Ellicott City's Historic District--are materials with form and features.


But the real meaning of Yates Market and Hardware Store resides in the word "family."


Yates has owned and operated the market and hardware store (which no longer functions as a hardware supplier) for over 100 years now and it would appear that its life will continue for many years.


Yates Market


...sells many items you can find in small or even larger markets--bread, milk, detergents, canned items, and on and on. But...it is the unforgettable experience of being inside Yates Market that you are buying.


Shown here is just a small section of the shelving and contents you will see when you go into the store at 8249 Main Street.




If you live outside the area--or are even in it--don't forget to stop by to see the many shelves stocked with food and to absorb that sense of being in the past and present simultaneously.

None of this would have happened if it were not for the strong sense of family--the Yates family. They have preserved the building for over 100 years. As far as preservation goes, this is "the real thing." You can sense it as soon as you enter the door. It takes your breath away with its authenticity.

I asked Betty Jacobs, whose real name is Pauline Yates Jacobs to tell me who had served as storekeepers over time. She responded, "Of course, since they overlapped...father and son working together, it is not simple." History books sometimes overlook that fact.

Here is what she told me:

Samuel James Yates, was the original owner and shop keeper in 1885. Shown to the right is a wagon he used to deliver groceries. Seamlessly, Yates Market still delivers groceries.

Samuel Irving Yates was next,


followed by Samuel Bladen Yates (Betty's father, generally known as Bladen).



Which takes us...with all the complexities of life...to the present.


Pauline (Betty) Yates Jacobs is the current owner and store manager. She can be found on most days behind the counter, whether you want a loaf of bread or some of the specialty meat the market features.







So, if you are walking down Main Street from the Post Office or Tersiguels or from the public parking lot--or Mon Petit Amie or from Good News, this is what Yates will look like, on the corner.

Drop in...buy a newspaper, or perhaps a small pot of flowers (in season). Then go inside and leave the store with more than a product. You will leave knowing that you have walked through history.














Web page, photos, content by Kay Weeks
Re-posted as feature on November 30, 2009

Please be sure to visit Jeremy Kipp Clark's comprehensive web site on Historic Ellicott City at: http://www.ellicottcity.net/