Firefighters from at least six fire departments throughout Halifax and Charlotte counties were called to a fire that destroyed two buildings in downtown Clover yesterday and heavily damaged another.
Firefighters were still on the scene at press time.
Fire swept through the former Jack Canada Store building owned by Van Pleasant and the former Abbott's Men's Shop, which is owned by the Coleman Estate.
Both of the vacant buildings were destroyed.
Rosie's Diner, owned by Roosevelt Garrett, was also damaged. Firemen said the majority of the damage there was due to heat and smoke.
The buildings were located in an area of the town known as Townsend's Corner.
Clover fire chief Bert Martin said damages will run between $50,000 and $100,000.
Firefighters were called to the scene early Thursday afternoon and, upon arrival, immediately called for assistance.
At approximately 4 p.m., firefighters at the scene asked Halifax County dispatchers to call any experienced firefighters to the scene to assist in controlling the blaze.
Among the fire departments that sent firefighters to battle the blaze were the Clover, Scottsburg, Triangle, Halifax, South Boston and Bacon District volunteer fire departments.
The county's aerial ladder truck was also put into service.
Despite the damage, members of the community expressed appreciation to county firefighters.
"It was just awesome to see all the firefighters come running," said a bystander at the scene.

For the 3,700 striking workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 50, it's time to get back to work.
"We will sign a tentative settlement agreement, let our members vote on it and call an end to the strike," Brad Stevens, spokesman for the IBEW said late yesterday.
"We are going to let our people get back to work," he added.
But Stevens was quick to point out that the settlement was tentative until voted on by the members.
Workers will return to their jobs at an as-yet-undetermined time.
Union and company workers were meeting at press time to work out the details to end the strike.
Dominion Virginia Power offered the striking workers the five-year contract proposal Wednesday.
According to a company spokesman, the proposal provides a better pension plan than their current contract.
The company's offer was an effort to settle a 13-day strike by the workers.
It also includes the same improvements in medical, dental and vision care made in a previously rejected settlement offer.
Under the settlement agreement, guaranteed annual pay increases would total nearly 15 percent over the life of the contract, bringing the average base wage to more than $51,000 before overtime, supplements and shift differentials.
"The difference between this salary increase proposal and the previous one of 16.5 percent would be used to fund an enhanced early retirement supplement," said Dominion spokesman Jim Norvelle.
He added that when employees combine the supplement with the existing retirement supplement, a veteran employee could receive up to $50,000 in additional retirement benefits.
Another improvement offered by the company would shift the annual Success Sharing incentive payment of up to $15 million into the retirement package.
One of the main points of contention had been the company's removal of the incentive plan from its previous offer.
Company representatives said they feel the offer represents everything the union is asking for.
"For the past few weeks, the union leadership and striking employees have asked us to improve their retirement," said Edgar M. Roach Jr., president and CEO of Dominion Virginia Power.
"We appreciate the unique retirement needs that many of our employees have because of the physically demanding nature of their work," he added.
"The plan we presented includes a better retirement package than they presently have, while the total offer remains in line with the pay and benefits of our other 13,000 union and non-union employees," Roach concluded.
About 3,700 power plant operators, maintenance personnel, linemen, meter readers and other workers walked off their jobs on Aug. 2 after seven months of negotiations failed to produce a contract.
Dominion Virginia Power is a division of Richmond-based Dominion Resources Ind.
This is the first strike against the company since 1964.
Contract talks between the company and the IBEW Local 50 began in January. The union's previous contract was a three-year deal from 1995 that was extended twice, each time for two years.

With the water level dropping three inches per day at Banister Lake, Halifax Town Council is asking residents to voluntarily conserve water.
"By Friday, we are expecting to be two feet down," Ned Strange, the town's water plant operator told councilmen during their Tuesday night session.
"We need to practice public voluntary conservation due to the drought," Strange added.
"It's the watershed," said Carl Espy, planning commission chairman. "Springs and creeks that would normally empty there are not" (because of the drought).
Strange told councilmen that Synergics has not produced electricity at its Banister location for several months due to the drought.
Although Strange emphasized there is no present water crisis, he urged town residents to practice voluntary conservation of water.
In other business, Mayor-elect Leon Plaster said that the town was inundated with deer and asked that the issue be put on the towns/county joint meeting Monday night.
"I have herds of them in my yard. They're eating everything," Plaster said.
Plaster suggested county and state help might be order. "It's not just a town problem," he added.
Town Manager Bob Greene reported to council that sewer plant renovation is complete except one item.
Council also set 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, to administer the oath of office for the mayor-elect and councilmen.
New officials will take office in September.
"It's been an honor to have been your mayor," Mayor Dennis Osborne, told councilmen.
The mayor said that he attended his first council meeting in May of 1992, recalling it was a large public hearing about the budget, one so large it had to be held in the courtroom.
"It was a challenge," he added with a smile.
Osborne also recalled the installation of the town's first traffic light, the purchase of the Halifax Administration Building, which has been paid for, and the town's successful boundary expansion.
He thanked the town manager, financial officer and office manager for their support.
"It's really been an experience," Osborne said. "But 10 years is long enough. I appreciate the honor to have been your mayor."

Ronald Lynn Lacks II, a 20-year-old Halifax man, pleaded guilty last week in Halifax County Circuit Court to the murder of Douglas Witcher during a driveby shooting last June 25 in the Meadville community.
Lacks also pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm from a vehicle and to the malicious wounding of Luther Powell during a bench trial before Judge Charles L. McCormick III.
The commonwealth nol prossed six additional charges against Lacks, including use of a firearm to commit murder, and use of a firearm to commit malicious wounding.
Three conspiracy charges, one alleging Lacks conspired to commit murder, one alleging he conspired to discharge a firearm from a vehicle, and one alleging he conspired to shoot at or against an occupied building, were also nol prossed.
A final charge against Lacks, alleging he shot at or against an occupied building was nol prossed.
Lacks was the last of four defendants to be tried in connection with the driveby shooting of Witcher at a residence on Beulah Road during the early morning hours of June 25, 2001.
Powell, who according to prosecutors was standing near Witcher inside the residence at the time of the incident, was also shot, but recovered from his wounds.
David Logan Hodge Jr. and Brandi Michelle Brown were each convicted of the second degree murder of Witcher after separate jury trials, while James Hodge was convicted of the second degree murder of Witcher after a bench trial.
Judge William L. Wellons, who presided at Brown's trial, did not affirm that jury's verdict, instead ordering a juvenile evaluation for Brown before a future sentencing date.
David Logan Hodge Jr. was also a juvenile at the time of the driveby shooting.
Judge McCormick remanded Lacks to custody following the proceedings.
· Bryan Lee McKinney, 22, of Halifax, Jason Tyler McKinney, 19, of Halifax, and Clinton Wayne McKinney, 21, of Halifax, each entered an Alford plea Wednesday to an amended charge of the assault and battery of Michael Douglas Sharp.
Under terms of the Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but realizes prosecution evidence would make a guilty finding at trial almost a certainty.
Judge Leslie M. Osborn sentenced Bryan McKinney to 12 months in jail, and additionally ordered him to attend an Anger Management class.
An additional charge against Bryan McKinney alleging misdemeanor assault and battery was nol prossed by the commonwealth.
Judge Osborn sentenced Clinton McKinney to six months in jail, with all suspended to time served, and sentenced Jason McKinney to six months in jail.
The court ordered Bryan, Jason and Clinton McKinney to pay restitution to their victim through Halifax-Pittsylvania Court Services, both jointly and separately, within six months.
· John Stephen Watts, 39, of Scottsburg, was sentenced Tuesday to three years each in prison for a third offense of DUI and for driving after having been declared an habitual offender.
Judge Osborn suspended all but one year in jail for each of the convictions, to run consecutively, for a total of two years in prison.
The court additionally ordered Watts to be placed on probation for one year upon his release, suspended his driver's license indefinitely, and ordered him to undergo substance abuse testing.
· McKinley Smith Jr., 20, of Nathalie, was convicted Wednesday of breaking and entering a manufactured house, the property of Clayton Homes Inc. between October 3 and October 4, 2000.
Judge Osborn additionally convicted Smith of the grand larceny of items belonging to Clayton Homes Inc.
The court revoked Smith's prior bond and remanded him to custody to await sentencing in a future term of court.
· Joe Lewis Leigh Jr., 39, of Halifax, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison, with all but four months suspended, for cocaine possession.
Judge Osborn ordered the suspended portions of Leigh's sentence be conditioned on his good behavior for five years, starting immediately.
The court ordered Leigh to be placed on probation for one year following his release, to undergo substance abuse testing by the Probation Department, and suspended his operator's license for six months.
Leigh received credit for time served, with work release authorized by the court if he is employed.
· Jason Aaron Crews, 18, of Halifax, was convicted Wednesday of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and of possessing a firearm while possessing cocaine.
Judge Osborn remanded Crews to custody to await sentencing in the September term of court.
· Deborah Clay Wilmoth, 40, of Halifax, pleaded guilty Wednesday to an amended indictment of misdemeanor unauthorized use of an auto.The court sentenced Wilmoth to 60 days in jail, to run together with another sentence, and to pay restitution in the amount of $88 within six months.
· Bobby Ray Jackson, 39, of Halifax, was convicted Wednesday of a probation violation.
Judge Osborn revoked, reimposed and resuspended all but one year and three months of Jackson's previously suspended prison sentence.
· Rebecca Sue Phelps, 41, of Vernon Hill, was convicted Wednesday of a probation violation.
Judge Osborn revoked, reimposed and resuspended all but 30 days of Phelps' previously suspended prison sentence, and authorized her to serve her sentence on weekends.
· Robert Junior Kaywood, 23, of South Boston, was convicted Wednesday of a probation violation.
Judge Osborn revoked, reimposed and resuspended all but 60 days of Kaywood's previously suspended prison sentence, authorizing Kaywood to serve his sentence on weekends, or through work release.
· Paulette Bryant, 40, of Vernon Hill, was convicted Wednesday of a probation violation.
Judge Osborn revoked, reimposed and resuspended all but 30 days in jail, authorizing her to serve her sentence on weekends.
· Tamecia Donnea Clark, 26, of South Boston, was convicted Wednesday of a probation violation.
The court deferred imposition of any sentence until the opening day of the January term of court.
· Bruce Wayne Jennings, 45, of Nathalie, was convicted Wednesday of misdemeanor reckless driving- speeding 73 MPH/35 MPH zone.
The court fined Jennings $100 and court costs.