respectively. Welcome to Clawson’s 1905 Restaurant on the waterfront in Historic Beaufort, North
Carolina. Our building was home originally to a grocery store and enjoys a
rich historical past. The original Clawson's grocery was owned by Charles and Mary Clawson
who were immigrants from Sweden and Ireland, respectively.
It's first location was on the south (water) side of Front St. and its bakery was
located behind our current building where Backstreet Pub is located. The Clawson’s
used the original store from 1905 until it's destruction in 1910 by a hurricane. In
1910-12 the current home to Clawson's was re-established and served as a grocery store and
bakery for the residents of Beaufort and Down East communities. It was described as the
"finest and most modern building in the area." In the building that we use
today, Mr. Clawson sold canned goods, fresh produce from local farmers and fresh baked
goods from "The Bakery" which is the oldest brick building in Beaufort
dating back at least to 1880. The fireplace served as the oven where breads, cakes,
and cookies were baked. The reputation of these baked goods grew throughout Carteret
County and perhaps 
along the East Coast, as sales to yacht
crews that navigated the Intracoastal Waterway increased. Local delivery was available to
town residents in the form of a carriage drawn by horses known by such names as "June
Bug" and "Dragonfly". Goods were also sent by mailboat to the Down East
communities. Clawson's Grocery & Bakery's business prospered for many years until The
Great Depression of 1929 hit the United States. Charles Clawson continued paying his
creditors but his customers could not pay their debts to him. This forced the closing of
Clawson's Grocery & Bakery in 1934. 
Clawson's grocery was purchased shortly thereafter and served as home to several
businesses including a hat shop (there is a picture of it in the stairwell), a dress shop,
a children's clothing shop, and a piece goods shop. It was bought and renovated into a
restaurant in 1977 by Candy and Bill Rogers. The Rogers chose to use the namesake of it's
original owners as the restaurant name. In 1985 Fred and Joyce McCune purchased the
building neighboring and Fishtowne Alley shops in the old P. H. Rose 5 and Dime store. In
1989 Joey McClure became a partner and general manager of the restaurant. The current
owners have tried to emphasize and preserve the history of the building by displaying
memorabilia from the grocery store and Beaufort's past. Pictures of the building as a
grocery store from the 1920's line the stairwell, along with copies of The Beaufort News.
Walls and shelves are filled with baskets, crates, and tins just to describe a few of the
era decorations. Renovations were made to the restaurant in the winter of 1989/90 when the
patio dining room was added and the kitchen was greatly enlarged to serve the growing
clientele more efficiently. Welcome to Clawson’s 1905
Restaurant. This building was home to a grocery store and enjoys ach historical past. The
original Clawson's
In 1996, The restaurant was expanded to include the Fishtowne Alley shops where the current entrance, Fishtowne Java and the Pub are located. This building also has its own bit of history as it was originally a P.H. Rose store built in the 30’s. In Roses' flourishing times, it was connected to the next building which now houses Beaufort Marine Discount. In 1978, old 5 & 10’s were failing, and a fire in the front of the building sealed its fate. You can still see the fire damage over the entrance area on the large wooden beam that support the roof. After the fire, there were several boutique shops and a series of bars located in what was then called Fishtowne Alley, including Y'alls, Tobacco Rosies (“to back of Roses”), and Clawson's Bar between 1978 and 1986.
The expansion in 1996 allowed Clawson’s to add the Pub, which features an antique
mahogoney back bar, Fishtowne 
Java and Ice Cream, the Emporium and additional
areas to handle guests. The original wood flooring, painted in some shops, varnished or
unvarnished in others, was relaid in a random pattern giving the entrance area a unique
appearance. The third floor dining room was also renovated and an old window reopened to
better see the views of the Beaufort waterfront and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse on Core
Banks.
You're invited to come step back in Beaufort's past at Clawson's 1905 Restaurant and Pub and make a little history of your own.