Maple Street Book Shop 1964 Pin

In 1964, Mary and Rhoda Kellogg opened Maple Street Book Shop at 7527 Maple Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. The store specialized in selling paperbacks and built a cult following for their mission to “fight the stupids.” In 1970, Rhoda Faust bought the shop from her mother, Mary, and grew it over the next 30 years, expanding into multiple locations. The 2000s saw things shift as chain book stores and online shopping began taking a toll on traditional book stores, and eventually, Maple Street would be back to their roots with a single location. Despite further ownership changes and extensive community support, Maple Street Book Shop closed its doors in 2017 after 53 years, leaving a huge hole in the hearts of New Orleans book lovers.