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28 West Main St. Yanceyville, NC 27379
(919) 423-3463

 

Historic Building
For Sale


QUAINT & CHARMING. Built in 1817, it is the oldest commercial building in use in Caswell County, North Carolina

Azariah's Olde Storehouse, located at 28 West Main Street in Yanceyville's Historic District, was built in 1817 by a local lawyer and businessman. This is the oldest commercial building in Yanceyville and is believed to be the oldest building being used commercially in Caswell County. The upstairs was used as a personal residence, and each floor of the building contains an original fireplace - still intact, although no longer in service. The original fireplace mantels are still in place as well.

The double doors located between the first floor fireplace room and the old tavern, have been stripped of many decades of paint and restored to their original natural wood finish. These doors are original to the building, and the wooden pegs and through-mortises can be seen easily now that the paint has been removed.

During the period of the Confederacy, it is believed that N. P. Oliver operated a tavern in the building. He had two taverns in Yanceyville and his name is written on the plaster walls in the old tavern and is present today - as the recent renovation preserved this valuable piece of history. Other examples of bar tabs are present on the walls of the old tavern as well.

Shortly after 1855, W.H. Thompson began publishing the Caswell News in the building. In 1906, for $300.00, A. Yancey Kerr purchased the storehouse from W.C. Martin, took over the printing presses from Thompson, and began publishing the Caswell County Democrat. He printed the Democrat until his death in 1942. During the Wilson presidency (1913-1921), the building was used as the Yanceyville Post Office with Kerr as postmaster.

Since the mid-twentieth century, the building has been used for various businesses: during WWII, it was the office of the OPA (Office of Price Administration). It has also been a dress shop, a laundry, an attorney's office, and from 1988 to 2007 operated as "Brown's Seafood Restaurant".

The current owners from Yanceyville purchased the building in October 2008, and began an extensive 6-month renovation that resulted in the formation of Azariah's Olde Storehouse featuring an old-fashioned Country Store and Restaurant.