‘We were in limbo’: Hendersonville bookstore reopens months after tornado outbreak

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nine months after a devastating tornado, Hendersonville’s one and only bookstore is back open at a new location.

Last December, Steve Vallar was set to relocate his bookstore, which was previously known as “Walton Ferry Books and Music,” along Main Street in Hendersonville. In fact, Dec. 10 was going to be moving day for him, but Dec. 9 happened.

“The roof came off the building, the air conditioning units were in the parking lot, there was debris all over the place and water on the floor,” explained Vallar. “We were in limbo for a while, like a lot of other people.”

It took plenty of patience and community support for him to get to this point, but he never doubted that his business— one of a dying breed nowadays— would turn the page on a new chapter.

“A bookstore on Main Street used to be a staple of America,” Vallar told News 2. “People still like to read books. There’s a little bit of nostalgia, just depends on how far back it goes. I have 100-year-old books that people enjoy reading and information and history. It’s just an entertainment.”

With more space than he had before, Vallar has big plans for his bookstore, including a coffee bar, music nights, and a spotlight on local authors.

His business is truly one of a kind in Hendersonville. He told News 2 he plans to lean into that.

“I want it to be a little bit more of a community meeting center and a place where people can feel comfortable coming to,” he described. “Sometimes if you’re having a bad day, you go to a place that’s comfortable for you and you hang out there, and it makes you feel better. And I think that’s what a bookstore and a record store can be for a lot of people.”

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City Square Books and Music is open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday, and is located in the 200 block of Main Street next to the Roma Pizza.

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