Downtown in Matthews in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Heath and Reid General Store

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 12, 2023

1. Heath and Reid General Store Marker

Inscription.
This property
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 1888.

Location. 35° 7.004′ N, 80° 43.287′ W. Marker is in Matthews, North Carolina, in Mecklenburg County. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of North Trade Street and East Charles Street, on the right when traveling north on North Trade Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 196 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. Renfrow Hardware (a few steps from this marker); E.J. Funderburk General Merchandise Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Former U.S. Post Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Funderburk Brothers Dry Goods Store (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

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(approx. 4.2 miles away); John Flennegin (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Matthews.

Regarding Heath and Reid General Store. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:

Heath and Reid General Store. 196 N. Trade St., 1888. One of the oldest and most architecturally distinctive structure in downtown Matthews, this two-and-one-half-story painted brick building, three bays wide and eight bays deep, serves as a prominent anchor of the north end of the district with decorative facades on both N. Trade and E. Charles streets. … Everard Jefferson Heath (1851-1912) and Edward Solomon Reid (1864-1934) purchased this property in 1888 and were operating their business in this building by 1889. An advertisement for Heath & Reid in the 1889 Charlotte city directory states that they were bankers, cotton buyers, and wholesale and retail merchants. After Reid moved to Charlotte, Heath took his eldest son as his partner and changed the name of the business to E.J. Heath [&] Son. The elder Heath died in 1912 and in 1919 his wife sold the building to J.B. Hemby and W.L. Hemby, who continued to operate a store here. Subsequent tenants included John Paxton who operated a
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 12, 2023

2. Heath and Reid General Store Marker
grocery store from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Also see . . .
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. The Heath and Reid General Store (PDF). Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission landmark designation report includes a historical sketch and architectural description of the property. (Prepared by Dan L. Morrill, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, 1980) (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 47 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.