MARSHALL, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The reopening of French Broad Exchange marks another step forward in Marshall’s recovery from Tropical Storm Helene nearly two years after flooding forced the downtown bookstore to close.
French Broad Exchange, a used bookstore on South Main Street, reopened June 6 during Marshall’s annual Mermaid Day Parade. Its return brought another sense of normalcy to downtown. The business has been part of Marshall for nearly a decade, offering used books, music and funky clothes.
“Being a river town, you’re subject to the whims of Mother Nature,” owner Jamey Smith said.
Like many other business owners in town, Smith was forced to close after the September 2024 flooding, losing much of what he had built over the years. The building had to be rehabilitated, and everything that could be salvaged went into storage. The store remained empty for more than a year and a half.
“I was, all of a sudden, retired,” he said.
Aside from a few pop-up sales and selling some books at neighboring Ginny Lou’s, a home goods store and tea shop, Smith focused on making his own space usable again.
He collected books everywhere he could, from buying them to receiving donations from the local library and community. Since May, Smith has also rebuilt and painted every bookshelf that now stands in his store.
Smith took over the store, then called Marshall Junk Shop, in January 2016. That year marked the 100th anniversary of Marshall’s historic 1916 flood.
Helene’s flooding approached the level of that historic flood. U.S. Geological Survey records put the French Broad River at 22 feet at Marshall during the 1916 flood. The National Weather Service gauge near Marshall recorded a 21.36-foot crest during Helene.
Over the next several years, the business gradually shifted from a junk shop to a used bookstore and was renamed French Broad Exchange in January 2017. When the store closed for several months during the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith used the downtime to rearrange the space into what he had originally envisioned — a shop focused mostly on used books and vinyl records.
“I haven’t looked back,” he said.
Other changes taking shape
French Broad Exchange isn’t the only part of Marshall moving forward.
Madison County broke ground Aug. 7 on an $88 million Public Service Complex on Medical Park Drive. Planning for the facility began in 2022, but county officials said the damage Tropical Storm Helene caused to Marshall’s historic courthouse underscored the need for the project.
The courthouse has remained unusable since the storm, forcing Madison County’s court system to operate from a temporary facility.
The new complex will bring a number of county and court services under one roof, including Tax, Register of Deeds, Planning and Zoning, Building Permitting, County Administration, Board of Elections, Social Services, N.C. court offices and the Clerk of Court.
The August groundbreaking marked the beginning of Phase III of the project. Phase IV is expected to begin in 2027, with completion scheduled for 2029. Madison County officials say it will be the county’s first new court facility since 1907.
The future of the historic downtown courthouse remains uncertain.
Another familiar service is also preparing to return. Marshall’s post office, which has been closed since Helene and deemed beyond repair, is being relocated to the Marshall bypass across from Madison High School. The new location could open by Dec. 1.
Looking ahead
Over the next two years, Smith hopes to see Marshall continue to grow and thrive. He sees the town as a place people want to visit for its food, atmosphere and distinctive character. Day-trippers come for hiking, rafting and fishing, he said, while cabins around Madison County give visitors options for longer stays.
As businesses return, Smith hopes tourism will grow with them. But he doesn’t expect Marshall to lose the character that attracted people in the first place. Smith said the French Broad River on one side and the mountains on the other naturally limit how much — and how quickly — downtown can grow.
