The north side of Main Street in Stockbridge is shown in the circa 1906 winter view shown above. It features one of the more popular stores in downtown at that time: Clarke’s Drug Store, later Benjamin’s Rexall Pharmacy. The store included a popular soda fountain and ice cream parlor frequented by locals and visitors. The building was erected in 1884 and was originally located immediately to the right of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. A portion of the building also served as the Post Office for a time, as well as the Western Union.
Historical records suggest that around 1917 there was a swapping of building lots between the drug store and the two white homes shown to its right. In short, the drug store structure was moved to the right as the two white houses were moved to the left side of the drug store, next to the church. They now serve as the church parish hall and rectory.
The upper floors of the drug store were revamped with the roof configuration completely changed to a Colonial Revival style, as shown in the present-day photograph below. The angled front bay windows were retained. For many years, the building served as the headquarters for Minkler Insurance Agency and is presently home to MountainOne Insurance and The Lost Lamb Patisserie. In 2003, the structure appeared in a television commercial for the Walgreens’ Pharmacy chain.
