1544 Main Street
Duffie’s Bookstore Building
Repeated renovations to this circa-1871, Reconstruction-era building parallel the evolution of Main Street. During the 20th century, various property owners modernized this structure to reflect then-current architectural and fashion trends. The property’s current owners are in the process of restoring the structure’s façade to better represent a 1938 renovation designed by James B. Urquhart. Urquhart’s plan incorporated original cast-iron decorative ventilators above the second-story windows, but heavily altered the façade through more sophisticated brickwork and the installation of a new storefront. Historically, the building was home to Duffie & Chapman’s Bookstore and a confectioner; later occupants included Rose Hill Greenhouses, the Metropolitan Café, two beauty salons—Darling and Mayfair—and several shoe stores, including Cannon, Marilyn and Endicott-Johnson. Since 1996, it has been home to Drake’s Duck-In, a popular Main Street fast-food restaurant.
