Scott and Joyce Owen stand in front of Matthews’ Gifts pose in front of the renovated and relocated business in downtown Clinton.
Joyce and Scott garner Main Street recognition
Joyce and Scott Owen pose with their state awards recognizing them statewide as Main Street Champions
A look at Matthews’ Gifts, which reopened last year in downtown Clinton after a sizable project.
The owners behind a massive relocation project for a beloved, long-standing business in Clinton have been heralded at the state level, one of 40 Main Street champions recently honored statewide.
The Clinton Main Street Program and City of Clinton honored Joyce and Scott Owen of Matthews’ Gifts as the NC Main Street Champions during the 2024 NC Main Street conference last week in downtown Goldsboro.
“We are pleased to have Joyce and Scott Owen as our 2023 champions and appreciate their investment in making Downtown Clinton a vibrant area in our community,” said Main Street director Mary Rose, the City of Clinton’s planning director. “Champions care about their communities and work with others to make their communities stronger.”
Joyce and Scott Owen were at the heart of the Matthews’ Gifts endeavor, a sweeping project that relocated and transformed the business before ultimately seeing it reopened in May 2023 in downtown Clinton. It was located for many years in Jordan Shopping Plaza off Northeast Boulevard before moving to its current site, at 308 College St., Clinton.
Joyce Owen worked for Matthews’ Gifts for 33 years, the first 30 spent learning the business from store owner Jim Matthews. In August 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, Joyce and husband Scott purchased the business from Matthews and,in 2022, after considering what the downtown had to offer, the couple decided to purchase the former Bee Hive building and move the business there.
Since her takeover, Owen has been working hard to elevate the legacy that has become Matthews’ Gifts. While it kept the name, the store moved away from the shadow of Matthews’ Drug, overhauling and expanding the former site of the Bee Hive, which was in disrepair. The renovations made to the old Bee Hive building were considerable, with drastic changes necessary both inside and outside the building, including to the facade and parking, to add the desired aesthetic for the store.
The location, across the street from Clinton’s award-winning Milling Around art piece, offered the Owens opportunities for increased pedestrian traffic, participation in downtown events, and closer proximity to other retail establishments.
“Even though they were located outside the Clinton National Register Historic District and under no obligation to comply with the Secretary of the Interior Standards, Joyce and Scott embraced the historic mid-century character of their building,” a message from the N.C. Main Street Program noted.
The 40 Main Street Champions honored from across the street were bestowed accolades for their contributions to downtown revitalization and community building in 2023. With the addition of this year’s honorees, 415 Main Street Champions have now been recognized by the N.C. Department of Commerce since 2000.
“Main Street Champions are invaluable assets to their communities,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Whether through advancing local economic opportunities or creating beautiful public spaces, our Champions are deeply committed to the betterment of their world.”
The Owens are the latest Main Street Champions for Clinton, which has had two dozen such champions locally since 2000. Last year, the project was bestowed the Mayor’s Community Appearance Award from Mayor Lew Starling, recognizing the work done by the Owens and others.
“This is truly an honor — this took a lot of effort and a lot of help from a lot of very caring and smart people,” Owen said at the time.
State officials said it was people like Joyce and Scott Owens, who invest their time, effort and resources in their community, who embody what the “Champions” recognition is all about.
“Successful economic development depends on community development — and that begins with the people that call North Carolina home,” said Kenny Flowers, assistant secretary of Rural Economic Development at the N.C. Department of Commerce. “Main Street Champions embody that connection, channeling their love for their community into strategic economic partnerships and initiatives, and ultimately creating healthier downtown districts.”
“We are so pleased to recognize the people that are making a difference in Main Street communities,” said Liz Parham, director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center. “Main Street Champions come from all walks of life, but they share common traits. They roll up their sleeves, invest time and money in their communities, and lead by example.”
For the full list of the 2023 North Carolina Main Street Champions, visit www.commerce.nc.gov/news.