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Ask Matt ... What owner 'can do, will do' at historic Gudger Building

A contractor recently peeled off the old ‘cheese grater’ facade of the building at 344 N. Main St., revealing the original brick exterior and the “1917 Gudger Building” inscription. The structure will get new life when interior renovations are complete. [PHOTOS BY MCCRAY BENSON]

By MATT MATTESON, Published: May 16, 2025

Q. What are they going to do with the old Jane Asher Antiques building on North Main Street now that they pulled off the "cheese grater" façade?

“Probably it will be many things,” said Nicolle Rebolledo, an architectural designer with Peacock Architects who drew the facelift renderings. “I pulled old photos from the Baker Barber collection." One black-and-white photo showed a row of mid-1930s cars in front of the building that then bore a J.C. Penny Company sign. Of course, every parking space was taken.
Soon the bright yellow Jack Schulman sign will be gone. “The first floor will be divided into two storefronts each about the same size,” said Rebolledo. Some windows have already been replaced on the second floor.

“We are adding transom windows on Main Street. The building needs daylight.” It also needs new flooring and wiring. The fuse box still uses old-timey screw-in fuses.
Building owner Tom Lynch plans a two-phase renovation. Phase 1, the ground floor renovation, will begin in the fall. Phase 2 will add an elevator to replace the wooden staircase to the second floor.

"The current architectural plans are to subdivide the lower commercial space into two rentable units," Tamara Peacock said in a Facebook post. "The yellow portion is covering an old prism glass transom that will be restored. We are currently looking at glass which will resembles the original. In the future, the plan is to have six residential units on the upper floor."


A plaque on the building at 344 N. Main Street lists former tenants: Florida Fruit Market, J.C. Penney, Efird’s Department Store and Jack Schulman’s “Can Do – Will Do.” (Facebook commenter Terry Becker says Patterson's Department Store was the original occupant.) A plaque dates the structure circa 1920 but the now exposed stone inscription atop the building says “1917 Gudger Building.” Local folks may remember shopping at Efird’s, the Charlotte-based company that boasted 50 stores in the Carolinas until it was acquired by Belk 69 years ago.

Jack Schulman had a second department store on Main Street in a storefront now occupied by Mast General Store. The savvy Jewish businessman ran a hot dog stand in Miami before getting into the clothing business here in Hendersonville. Schulman also once had a radio talk show on WHKP.
The last building tenant was Jane Asher Antiques, where shoppers could find estate and costume jewelry, furniture, vintage clothing, china and more. Asher held the coveted corner on Main at Fourth Avenue East for 24 years before closing in 2021 —almost a lifetime in today’s retail market.