Coca-Cola Bottling Plant home to Hill Street Mall

Built in 1916, the colorful building on Hill street is one of Globe’s Historic Buildings that often attracts one’s eye as they turn off Ash street to go downtown. Sitting just a block from the historic downtown district, this unique building has charm and history to rival many of its’ downtown brethern.

Built in 1916 of poured concrete, one of the most novel aspects of this building is one you would only notice if you were able to fly over it in a plane. The building itself is shaped like the State of Arizona.

Often referred to as the Old Coca Cola Bottling Plant, the building which houses Hill Street Antique Mall has a much more varied and interesting history than just a bottling plant.

It initially served as a grocery store for the Pay-N-Takit grocery chain: a precursor to Safeway

The building was also used for a time by Irene Vickery, who supervised the excavation of Besh Ba Gowah. Here she would house the pottery shards and other artifacts she discovered while uncovering this 700- year-old Salado pueblo. *When she died young in 1946 the museum and it’s contents was packed away and would not be reopened until the City established the original dig site as a museum and funded the Besh Ba Gowah museum and visitor center in the ’80s. 

After Pay’n Takit moved out and the museum was packed away, the Schminke family purchased the building and operated a Chevrolet dealership in the location before building a new complex for the dealership on US Hwy 60.

It wasn’t until 1954, that the Coca-Cola Bottling Company took over the space and used it for their distribution/bottling facility for what was then called the “3G District” – for Gila, Graham and Greenlee Counties. The manager was Harley Dallas. It later moved to a more central location in Safford.

In 1956, Johnny and Janice McInturff moved to Globe and owned and operated the JoAnn Motel.  In 1960, Johnny’s Trading Post was opened on North Broad Street and became a fact of life for the growing community as Johnny’s became the go-to place for hardware and all types of items needed for town, country and ranching.  If you didn’t find it anywhere else, try Johnny’s Trading Post.

But by 1985, it was time to retire except after a year, they decided to purchase the old Coca-Cola Bottling building and open Country Corner. Janice had the Hill Street side of the building for an extended antique store and quilt shop, while Johnny filled the other part of the building on Sutherland with his inventory of just about everything. Johnny’s Corner was well known for it’s Quilting center and drew customers from all over the State.

The McInturff’s closed their store in 2004 due to deteriorating health and it sat empty for a few years before new owners purchased the building in 2006 and opened up Hill Street Mall: an antiques mall which has a large fabric selection as well.