Our Heritage

Hale’s has marked the significant moments in people’s lives for over a century and a half. To us, those are the stories that matter and give us the most pride. However, when you have served a community as dynamic and unique as Greenville for 162 years, you’re bound to have a story of your own to share. Here are the highlights of our history.

1850’s
James Hunter Randolph opens his own business engraving and selling watches and fine jewelry in a wooden structure on Main Street. Randolph soon hires his first employee, B. Wehrle, a watchmaker from Philadelphia and veteran of the Civil War, who later takes responsibility for the business.

1887
Randolph’s grandson, William Randolph Hale, takes over the family business, renaming it Hale’s Jewelers.

1907
Hale’s son, William Randolph Hale, Jr. becomes proprietor following his father’s death.

1910
Hale Jr. installs the famous Hale’s Clock, a community timepiece and landmark which served as the standard time for the residents of Greenville.

1923
Hale Jr. sells the business to Hewlett Sullivan, Sr., and Hale’s remains with the Sullivan family for the remainder of the 20^th century.

1939
Hale’s moves to 12 South Main Street.

1940’s
Way before his time, Hewlett begins importing watches from Europe, making Hale’s Jewelers one of the first businesses in the entire U.S. to offer the Swiss watches that would soon come to dominate the market.

1962
Hewlett’s sons, Heyward and Hewlett, Jr., take over the business after their father’s death. The Sullivan brothers usher in an era of unprecedented growth and expansion for Hale’s.

1969
Hale’s opens a second location in McAllister Square Mall.

1982
Hale’s moves to its present day location; a free-standing location on Haywood Road.

1990s
The downtown store merges with the Haywood Road location, bringing its merchandise and employees with it.

2000
Lucian Lee buys Hale’s from the Sullivan family. An employee of the business for twenty seven years, Lucian walked in to Hale’s in 1973 to buy a ring, walked out with a job to help pay for his purchase, and hasn’t left since.

2018
Under Lee, Hale’s Jewelers continues to be recognized for its knowledge and professionalism, for understanding how to balance trends – both unique and appealing – with the time-honored value of classic elegance.