The Old Thomas James Store is an excellent example of an early-19th-century commercial building now long absent from the rural Virginia landscape. Researchers have identified this building in the Mathews Downtown Historic District as being one of a few surviving antebellum commercial buildings in the South today, and a rare example of a basic commercial establishment. Thomas James appears to have been a prominent citizen in Mathews County, serving as both justice of the peace and postmaster at various times. Early rural stores such as the James Store provided a place for the exchange of crops for goods and a place for socializing with rarely seen neighbors. The store was moved from its original location on Thomas James’s property sometime in the 19th century and then moved again in 1899 to become a secondary building to the Sibley’s Store.  Dendrochronological testing has determined that the likely construction date for the Old Thomas James Store was ca. 1820.