About this location
A few stories people tell about this place
1. One morning, a little girl walked into Merchant & Rhoades and asked the stylist, ‘Do you see ghosts here?’ The hairstylist looked puzzled but replied calmly, ‘No, why do you ask?’ The girl pointed towards the mirror, where an old man with a top hat seemed to be watching them. The stylist smiled and said, 'Oh, that's just Mr. Top Hat, our resident ghost.' She adjusted her scissors and continued working on another client's hair. Turning back to the girl she added, 'He’s been coming in every Tuesday for years—never misses!' And indeed, from that day onwards, whenever anyone mentioned Mr. Top Hat, everyone would laugh and say, 'I wonder what he’d look like with a new haircut?'
2. One day, an old man entered Merchant & Rhoades and asked the stylist, ‘Do you think I look like Abraham Lincoln?’ The stylist replied, ‘Not quite, sir—more like Abe’s barber!’ The stylist laughed heartily and said, ‘Sir, if anyone ever sees Abraham Lincoln in a mirror, please tell him his barber retired to Merchant & Rhoades!’ The old man left smiling, and from then on, everyone who visited the salon joked that they might just see Honest Abe’s reflection one day.
3. One afternoon, while styling a customer’s hair, the stylist heard a voice from behind her chair: ‘Excuse me, miss, but could you please make my hair look like that?’ The stylist turned around and saw an elderly gentleman with a twinkle in his eye. 'Certainly, sir,' she smiled, adjusting her scissors. After a few minutes, he nodded approvingly. ‘Much obliged, luv,’ he said as he left, leaving behind not just a perfect coiffure, but also a note for the owner: “To Merchant & Rhoades—thanks for making my day!”
4. One night, a delivery driver pulled up outside Merchant & Rhoades and noticed something strange—all the lights were on, but no one seemed to be inside. Curious, he knocked on the door, but only silence greeted him. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a soft voice from within: 'Finally! Someone brought us some supplies!' Turning around, he saw an old man peering out from behind the counter—a regular who always got his haircut there. 'We’ve been here all along,' the man said with a smile, 'just waiting for you.'