The Building's Evolution:

Dating to circa 1810-15, the Thomas James Store is one of the oldest and best-preserved stores in the entire South—and is likely the oldest building in the downtown commercial district of the village of Mathews. Encapsulated within the structure shown here is the original store—an excellent example of an early 19th-century rural commercial building. The early store's floor plan measured approximately 375-square feet, with an attic of similar dimension. The shed roof rectangular wings that give the building its current shape were later added (at least 100-years ago) to the east and west facades of the original building. Although it has undergone alterations and been relocated on its lot, the store retains much of its historic fabric.