Mamie Porter opened the doors to Porter's Gift Shop in her Dargan Street home during the early fifties. Her son, Haigh, remembers his father turning the family breakfast room into a small gift shop where his mother sold gifts and needlepoint supplies. Customers entered through a side door from a lovely walkway. Mrs. Porter traveled to New York in the early years and handpicked each item for her store. Her son remembers going with her on the exhausting buying trips. As the business grew, she moved the store into a building across from Central United Methodist Church on Irby Street. She continued to sell gifts and expanded the inventory to include china, crystal, fine linens, and silver. She often taught needlepoint classes to ladies in the Pee Dee area. The store was later moved into a building built specifically for Porter's Gift Shop on Cheves Street. Eventually, the store moved to the new Florence Mall at Five Points. The store began with a staff of two, Mamie Porter and Mary Lee Haynesworth.

In 1977, Angelyn Bridges purchased the store. Angelyn continued the tradition of selling fine gifts, linens, china, crystal silver and needlepoint. She opened and introduced the Waterford crystal line to the store and the Pee Dee area. In 1978 the store moved to the Palmetto Plaza. Mamie Porter and Mary Lee Haynesworth continued working in the store with Angelyn. Angelyn remembers being new to Florence. Working in the store was a wonderful way to meet new people and make long lasting friendships.

Eleanor Carson, Elaine Morehead, Jenny Reynolds and Barbara Anne Willis purchased the store in 1982. The new owners expanded the china, crystal and silver lines and added baby and toy collections. Stationeries, including Crane & Co. were added to the store, as well. The Vera Bradley line was introduced to the store and the rest is "handbag history". Neelepoint classes and actual sewing circles were a weekly happening at Porter's Gift Shop. Mary Lee Haynesworth continued working in the store.

On September 15th 2005, Amy McEachin and Vickie Greenan purchased the store. Mary Lee Haynesworth continued working for the new owners until her retirement in 2006.

Porter's Gift Shop continues its long history of involvement in the Florence Community and the Greater Pee Dee Area through their support of local events and community involvement. Recently, the store was named Best Gift Shop of The Pee Dee for the 6th consecutive year in honor of their community commitment.

While business needs constantly change... Amy and Vickie made a decision to move the store back to The Florence Mall into a bigger and better space in the summer of 2010. It was a month long act of work that saw the store closed for only 3 days. It took a village and a lot of energy but the new store reopened on their 5th anniversary. Their new space is everything they hoped it would be as they find themselves a mere 25 feet from the location in which Mamie Porter relocated the store in the early seventies.

Being aware that Porter's Gift Shop is the oldest gift shop in Florence, the present owners want to embrace and blend the traditions of the past fifty plus years with hope and progress for the future.

Our Staff
Jane Chapman  and  Pinkie Samra	Vickie Greenan and Amy McEachin	Susan Cantey
Kristina Chandler and Erin Tarte	Best of the Pee Dee 2005-2011	Mary Ann Clark and Lucille Speights