Davidson Mayor John Woods (left), Dr. Tom Clark (center) and Davidson College President Tom Ross formally opened Cats on Main. (Bill Giduz photo)

A crowd of Davidson Wildcats fans, college and public officials and shoppers gathered at 131 N. Main St. Saturday morning to dedicate Davidson College’s Cats on Main souvenir and clothing shop. Dr. Tom Clark, a former Davidson professor and founder of Cairn Studios, helped cut a ribbon at the shop, which is the former Tom Clark Museum.

Dr. Clark is a sculptor and was a religion professor at the college from 1958 to 1985. He owns the storefront, which formerly displayed and sold the whimsical gnome figurines created for his company, Cairn Studios.

The shop once was a downtown Davidson landmark, attracting shoppers and even tour buses to town. But business declined in recent years, and the shop/museum closed about two years ago.

Cats on Main has been open since Aug. 17. Davidson College announced in June that it had taken a lease on the building.

The retail outlet sells college logo clothing and merchandise, which has become a booming business because of the Wildcat basketball team’s success in recent years.

For more about the shop, see our June 10 article, “Goodbye gnomes, hello Wildcat spirit shop.”

Tom Clark (right speaks to the crowd inside the shop before a ribbon cutting, as Davidson Mayor John Woods (left) and Davidson College president Tom Ross listened. (Bill Giduz photo)