Squares of change

Downtown Bowling Green is officially known as the Fountain Square but every local calls it the “square” and it’s a always changing and developing area of the Bowling Green.

According to visitbgky.com, two brothers, George and Robert Moore, designed the square. They laid out a two-acre for the Fountain Square Park.

Since its creation it has hosted many holiday events, weddings, concerts and parades. All of which bring the community of Bowling Green together.

Besides hosting community events, the square also plays host to many long-standing businesses.  Those places include

A hair salons, and down the street is a tea store.

TeaBayou is a locally owned tea and pastry store. Next door to it is a men’s wear shop.

Golden-Farley sells high-quality men’s wear as well as tailored suits, ties and tiebars.

Then there is The Pots Place that sells pottery.

“It’s one of my places in the square because of all the beautiful pottery,” said Cassidy Johnson, 20, of Clarksville, Tenn. The Pots Place also offers classes.  Next door to that you have the Capitol Theatre, which host many events, such as Rock Horror Picture Show.

Then if you round and take a left you find one of the most popular stores in the square, Spencer’s Coffee.

“I love the fair trade coffee,” said Kasey Long.

Now if you cross the street and walk past Subway you find yourself at the bright yellow doors of Candle Makers on the Square. 

“It’s cute and cozy and there are a lot of scents in there,” said Johnson. Two doors down is the Dollar Bros Shoe Company.

John Williams has worked on the square for over 48 years, selling high quality shoes. Over that time he has seen the square change.

“It has changed tremendously in a lot of ways, but it is always going to continue to change because it’s trying to find its position in the area and in this world,” said Williams.

“At the moment, you’ve got a ready-to-wear jewelry store, a home interior place, an Apple distributor, food, an art gallery, a salon, basically everything except a drug store. There are only two chains down here: Mellow Mushroom - which really isn’t on the square - and Subway,” Williams said.

“To me, the square thrives off of having multiple things to do such as eat, hang out, and grab coffee, but also keeps that small, hometown feeling. For someone who comes from a smaller city like Paducah, it really reminds me of home with it's class and charm,” said Mathew Langston, 23, of Paducah, Ky.

Langston isn’t the only the only that noticed that not everyone is looking for the small town feel.

“Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, the square was one of those places that most days of the week - especially the weekend - you couldn’t walk up and down the streets hardly. It was jammed packed full of people that’s why most people still to this day still talk about it. And you did have drugstores on about every corner and all your better-graded stuff was down here ever now a day’s what’s down here is still your better-graded merchants. From back then you didn’t have many of the major discounters you have today,” Williams said. He knows that the square isn’t what it used to be. He thinks it’s because of changing times and a lack of knowledge.

All downtowns are evolving to hit the consumer’s attention. Part of it is the baby boomers know what down own can do, but the two generations after have no clue what downtown can do. Williams realizes that the square is a very important part of Bowling Green.

If Bowling Green lost the square, Williams said it would “lose all of its heritage” with the business sector.

But there’s a future believes William, “Well its hard to say. I don’t understand a lot of people who think that the square downtown is old with nothing interesting. It’s funny because if there’s a quality commercial or quality camera shoot or pictures or commercial work where they want a high grade look there always out here in the square.” Says William.

But the square has lasted this long for a reason it has a god mixture of everything. But Williams believes that

“If they can make it this thing a point of destination if they can make a balance between retail food and entertainment they would have the best destination in the state of Kentucky”

John Williams Stands in the back room of Dollar Bros Shoe Company where he as worked for over 48 years.