Carmel Magazine

076-82 Carmel 100 Years_152-161 Garcia story 4/24/13 4:14 PM Page 6 operation since then. Alan Williams picked up the name as part of a rebranding of Carmel Design, the privately held business he founded in 1971, and today's Carmel Development stays true to the goals of the original. Devendorf insisted on preserving trees as the city grew and, according to the City of Carmelby-the-Sea's Historical Context Statement, "his passion was for building communities." Williams takes a similar approach to his renovation, restoration and building projects, which include work at Tehama, the Hog's Breath Inn and sevOcean Avenue's Carmel Drug Store opened in 1910. One of California's first female pharmacists worked there, and it is still owned by her family. Carmel Drug blends traditional and modern, providing personalized service, unusual soaps and perfumes, souvenir keychains, and more. eral other downtown Carmel properties. He spent more than seven years refurbishing Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch, matching original Arnold. "They come in after school and say architectural details right down to the hardware to Carmel Realty. hello, and it gives it that mom-and-pop feeling. and doorframes. CARMEL DRUG It's a family-run business." Mitchell Group in 2005, Mitchell Lynch held on Carmel Drug has played a role in local and pharmaceutical history since opening on Ocean C A R M E L D E V E LO P M E N T C O M PA N Y "Carmel is a great place to live," says Williams. "The real task is to be as gentle to the land as you can, and to create an environment Avenue in 1910 (or, possibly as early as 1905, After forming Carmel Development Co- where people can enjoy the community with- suggest some documents). Virginia Harris Burke, mpany in 1902, James Franklin Devendorf and out modifying it greatly. That means preserving one of California's first female pharmacists, built Frank Powers set about establishing a town in something like Mission Ranch, where there is a her career here, and her granddaughters still the hills above Carmel Bay. Though the compa- heritage you want to maintain, but also creat- own the property. ny's creation predates Carmel-by-the-Sea's ing things like Tehama, which is a new heritage incorporation, it has not been in continuous in itself." Current business owners Ross and Erin Arnold purchased Carmel Drug in 2003—Ross worked with the previous owner for seven years before that—and they've made a point of preserving the old-time feel. Many of the building's original fixtures are still in place, including 1920s shelves and drawers, vintage display cases and antique ceiling lamps hanging from chains. The pharmacy's personal service also calls to mind days gone by. Store managers Aaron Wolovsky and Junior Silva know many shoppers by name, and long-time customers maintain instore charge accounts so they can pop in and grab what they need without a wait. Carmel Drug also offers delivery service, and the young Arnold boys occasionally hang around the store, as well. "It's my responsibility to take care of this Carmel tradition and hopefully pass it on to one of my three sons down the road," says Ross 82 C ARMEL Carmel's pioneers, James Devendorf and Frank Powers, opened Carmel Development Company in 1902 to begin creating the village. Devendorf designed the subdivision and a park, insisting on preserving local trees. Bay Area artists and writers began arriving. MAGAZINE•SPRING/SUMMER 2013

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