New and used bookstore Pretty Good Books reopened last Friday in its new, larger location in downtown LaGrange, Ga., LaGrange News reported.
The bookstore moved from its old home on Vernon St. to a new location at 118 Church St. that was once a Presbyterian Church. Owner Joshua Rigsby said the first full weekend went well, and about three-quarters of the store's visitors were new customers who never shopped at the old location.
The Church St. location is about three times the size of the old Vernon St. spot and split across two floors. Rigsby has used the additional space to create a children's area on the second floor and a "grand salon" with plenty of seating near the store's entrance. He is expanding the store's inventory, and the new location gives him plenty of room to host book clubs, author readings and other community events.
Built in 1844, the building is considered the oldest non-residential building in LaGrange. Over the years it saw use as a church, a Civil War hospital, a public library, a funeral home and more. Rigsby added that the building's history serves as a nice draw for customers.