'More than a bookstore': Shop on Capitol Street in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä turns 30

In 1958, Saville and her husband, Dr. Paul Saville, a rheumatologist, immigrated to the United States from London, gaining citizenship in 1964. The couple moved to ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä in 1975.

After about 20 years in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and having raised four sons and a daughter, Saville decided she wanted to live downtown above a business — the “British style."

Saville bought the building that is now Taylor Books and turned the upstairs into her apartment. As a book lover, she decided she wanted to live above a bookstore, so she opened her own.

Taylor Books has always been more than books and coffee, and also a labor of love. For 25 years, Saville would get up at 5 a.m. every day and make baked goods for the bakery, bringing them down a spiral staircase at the back of the store.

"Every day, we make a cranberry scone and a blueberry muffin," said Dan Carlisle, the current owner. "That's the same scone that we've been serving for 30 years. It's the same recipe that Ann used."

Carlisle plans to give out those scones for free Friday as part of the store's anniversary celebration.

One chapter ends, another begins

In 2021, Carlisle bought the business from Saville. But his connection to Taylor Books went back long before he took ownership.

Carlisle began working at the shop in 2009. He grew up in Minnesota and attended college in Los Angeles, where he met his wife, who grew up in Fayette County. The couple moved to ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä for what was meant to be short period but ended up building their lives in West Virginia.

"In 2009, we were going to try it for a year, move here for a year, and now she's a professor at Marshall and I do this," Carlisle said about how the couple settled down in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä.

Carlisle started out as a bookseller working under Saville. But when Saville approached him about taking over the business, he knew it was something he wanted to pursue.Ìý 

"I was immediately just like, 'OK,'" Carlisle said, "because that's just kind of my approach to things. I'm more of a spontaneous, try-it-and-see [person]."

Carlisle said his stance on the business as owner is to "preserve and improve," by maintaining Saville's original vision but making changes to allow for growth. He plans to update some of the counters and seating areas in the coming years.

"She built this," Carlisle said, "and, as far as the design and the concept — like really just nailed it."

A well-bookmarked spot

Being a central spot in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Taylor Books stays busy, with some customers coming back to the shop on a daily basis or even visiting from hundreds of miles away.Ìý

"People come here who are from Cleveland or Pittsburgh or Chicago and say, 'We don't have anything like this at home,'" said Arnold Harrison, a regular who has been stopping into Taylor Books to read and sip coffee since 1997.

Some people even use Taylor Books as a makeshift office.Ìý

Benjamin Mason, his sister, Rachel, and colleague Caleb Akers work with local marketing company Filmanatix. The company has been using Taylor Books as a temporary office since its Capitol Street location closed. Since Filmanatix employees have become frequent visitors, Taylor Books commissioned them to do advertising work with them.Ìý

"We’ve had business meetings here. We bring in the clients and talk with them. We’ll do live editing with them here," Benjamin Mason said. "I think it’s got good internet connection. It’s definitely a value to us. It’s kind of just like office space."

'More than a bookstore'

As Taylor Books begins its 30th year, it remains a cherished part of downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä life — a gathering place for readers, artists, businesspeople and anyone looking for something a little more meaningful than a quick cup of coffee.

Kenneth Lisenbee's twin brother, Barry, who lived in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, died in April and was a frequent visitor to the bookshop. Kenneth Lisenbee, who lives in Morocco, is in town handling his brother's affairs and continues to visit the shop in remembrance of his brother.

"It's more than a bookstore," Lisenbee said.