Downtown in Matthews in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Renfrow Hardware
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 12, 2023
1. Renfrow Hardware Marker
contributes to the
Matthews Commercial
Historic District
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
1996
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.
Location. 35° 7′ N, 80° 43.292′ W. Marker is in Matthews, North Carolina, in Mecklenburg County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on North Trade Street south of East Charles Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 188 N Trade St, Matthews NC 28105, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Heath and Reid General Store (a few steps from this marker); E.J. Funderburk General Merchandise Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Funderburk Brothers Dry Goods Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Former U.S. Post Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Grier-Rea House (approx. 3.3 miles away); Trading Path (approx. 4.1 miles away); In Memory of John Rea (approx. 4.2 miles away); John Flennegin (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Matthews.
Regarding Renfrow Hardware.
this page online
Renfrow Hardware. 188 N. Trade St., ca. 1900 and 1930s. Occupying a large portion of the east side of N. Trade St.'s 100 block, Renfrow Hardware gives the appearance of two buildings – a turn-of-the-century building with two storefronts to the north and a larger 1930s building with three storefronts to the south – but the development of the property is more complicated than the appearance suggests. The original portion of Renfrow Hardware is the single storefront at the north end … It was built around 1900 by Thomas Jefferson Renfrow (1847-1935) as a typical country store selling feed, seed, supplies, and implements to area residents (Renfrow also operated a cotton gin in a detached building behind the store that was active until 1965 and razed in the late 1980s.) Early in this century Renfrow enlarged his building with an almost identical unit distinguished from the original by the deeper red of its brickwork…
When Thomas Jefferson Renfrow died in 1935, his son Richard McDowell "Dow" Renfrow inherited the business. R. M. Renfrow (d. 1963) also farmed, was a salesman for the American Agriculture Company, and served as mayor of Matthews from 1943 to 1945. R.M.'s son and current owner Frank Renfrow began operating the store in 1957.
The Renfrow family sold the business in 1984.
Also see . . .
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 12, 2023
2. Renfrow Hardware Marker
Marker is at the left edge of the building.
1. Matthews Commercial Historic District (PDF). National Register nomination for the district, which was listed in 1996. (Prepared by Claudia R. Brown and Richard L. Mattson; via National Archives) (Submitted on December 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. How It All Began. Renfrow General Merchandise got its start before 1900 with Thomas Jefferson “Captain” Renfrow, a mining engineer. (Renfrow Hardware and General Merchandise) (Submitted on December 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Renfrow Hardware Store. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission report on the business. (Prepared by Dan L. Morrill and Nora M. Black, 1991) (Submitted on December 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
