26/10/2026
Do you recognise this building?
Today it trades as Priceless Furniture and has previously been the home of Carspot but who lived and traded there before them?
No 5 East Street which has also been known as Progress House, was built the early 1700's as a house for a Woollen Draper, John Smith (not the easiest name to trace!)
It may have stayed in the Smith Family because in the 1940's it was owned by the mother of Arthur Smith- was this the same Arthur Smith, solicitor who lived at Warren House?
From 1898, Frederick Austin, founder of Faversham News and Mayor of Faversham, ran his stationary and printing business there. His daughters and son took over the business over the years trading as a fancy goods and needle work shop and then wool shop.
We found a description of the shop window during carnival time-
"The town was gaily decorated and most of the shop windows displayed some sort of tableau. Austin’s wool and needlework shop in East St, where Tett’s was until recently, always showed a large dolls house with every room above stairs elegantly furnished, and below stairs, implements of domestic use – perhaps not quite as grand as Queen Mary’s dolls house at Windsor Castle but just as interesting. "
For few years from 1901 it was taken over by Arthur Filmer who also ran a photographic studio there. If your ancestors lived in Faversham at that time, you may well have photos with his name on, in your album.
Harold, Hilda and daughter Evelyn ran a wool shop there during WW2. Harold's diary from this time was discovered many years later and is available to download from the Faversham Society's website. It makes a truly fascinating read of life in Faversham during those years. He vividly describes the bombing, stock shortages and his concern whether he would be able to continue trading. It seems it was because of this he ceased trading there and it was taken over by Tetts.
Do you know who may have traded there before Frederick Austin? Have any memories or stories of any of the business that traded there? We would love to hear your stories🙂
We have used records from Newspaper Archives, genealogy websites and Faversham Society online resources to uncover the history of this building.
