FAIRHOPE — In a city where author W.E.B Griffin jokingly proposed a welcome sign that reads "Welcome to Fairhope, Where We Have More Writers Than Readers," being the de facto headquarters for local authors means you must be doing something right.

Especially after 60 years.

Page & Palette has operated within owner Karin Wilson's family for 53 of those years, and she plans for her daughters to take over when the time comes. The independent bookstore in the heart of downtown Fairhope is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, being the oldest independent continously family-owned general bookstore in the South.

Wilson said Page & Palette is a place that has evolved with Fairhope, a city known for its history of artists and authors. Fairhope itself was founded on the concept of a book, "Progress and Poverty" by economist Henry George, whose economic philosophy, known as Georgism, inspired the people who created the Fairhope Single Tax Colony. The city has also seen many famous authors come and go, such as Upton Sinclair and Winston Groom.

"Being able to grow in a town that has always catered to those things, to me, that's why we're still here," Wilson said.

A FAMILY BUSINESS

Page & Palette opened in 1966 on Fairhope Avenue. Originally, it was an art supply store. It came into the family in 1973 when Wilson's grandmother, Betty Joe Wolff, starting running it. It has moved three times, including when Wolff bought the building it remains in today at 32 S. Section St., which at the time was a department store.

Wilson spent her childhood in the business along with her twin sister, Kelley Wolff Lyons. During this time, Wilson's father, Robbie Wolff, would enter the family business, opening Wolff Gallery in 1978 in what is now Latte Da, the coffee shop connected to the bookstore on the corner of the street. He had a frame shop upstairs. The gallery would later be sold to Lyons, who renamed it Lyons Share Custom Framing and Gallery and eventually moved it into a new building just next door.

In 1997, Wilson and her husband, Kiefer Wilson, purchased Page & Palette from her grandmother Wolff.

Wilson said one of the advantages of being independent is they can change faster than chains and bigger stores.

"We don't have to have a lot of things happen before," Wilson said. "For instance, when the big book stores suddenly have to close 50 stores, we're way ahead of that. Yes, we have gone through hard times, but we are able to immediately address those because we're small and more in tune with all the details and intricacies of the business."

She also said their close relationship with the community is another advantage their independence brings.

"My husband, my daughters, Tyler and Tanner, and myself, most people know us and they know that we're attached to this business," said, who also served as mayor for a term from 2016 to 2020. "It's just more personal, and that's one of the reasons why we have such a strong tie to the community is because of that."

A FAIRHOPE LITERARY STAPLE

Page & Palette has expanded significantly since the days when Betty Joe Wolff first ran the business, now offering space for more than just books.

Latee Da opened in 1999. Wilson said the menu has barely changed, offering both hot and cold coffee along with baked goods. It is an ideal spot to catch up on a book or get some work done. The cafe has always used coffee beans from Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co. in Mobile. Wilson said they were their original wholesale customer.

There is also The Book Cellar. Housed inside the bookstore, it serves as an event space as well as a bar that offers beer, wine and cocktails. The establishment hosts hundreds of events a year, from live music to author talks.

In celebration of their 60th anniversary, Page & Palette is developing a literary walk around the building honoring several notable authors who have lived in Fairhope and their contributions to the city's literary history, spanning from 1874 to 2006. It begins with Henry George's "Progress and Poverty," the ideas that lead to Fairhope's creation, and ends with Sonny Brewer, author of "The Poet of Tolstoy Park," which is about Henry Stuart and his Round House in Montrose.

Wilson said she had just had her daughter Tyler and was living in Colorado when she started thinking about buying the business from her grandmother in 1997. She liked the idea of being able to make her own schedule and spend more time with her children, though she ended up finding out that was not true after gaining ownership.

"It's a lot of work. It's a lot of detail. There's a lot of stress, but you have those short moments of pure bliss that make up for it all," Wilson said. "It's just those things that you're like, 'I failed 99 times and we had this small success, and it really was very rewarding.' Those are the things you count on, and you deal with all the other stuff. Also having something that my kids are interested in that they can also find joy in and fulfillment, that's the biggest for me."

Editor’s note: The original version of this story named the Lyons’ upstairs gallery as Lyons Share Customer Framing and Gallery, though it is reflected accurately now as Lyons Share Custom Framing and Gallery. Also, to clarify, Page & Palette came into the family business in 1973 after opening in 1966. Also, in 1997, while initially the article said Karin Wilson bought the business from her grandmother, Wolff, she and her husband, Kiefer Wilson, purchased it.