These two stores are really one building, with no firewall between and a common stairway. William P. Lockhart operated a general store on this site for many years, and in early times county government met upstairs in his "courting room." In the 1880's Mason had nine individuals who styled themselves doctors, and many had their offices in these buildings; sort of a 19th century medical center. Note the Mesker Brothers cast-iron fronts on these buildings.

Originally the structures had wooden "western-style" fronts. The cast-iron fronts were added after 1900. If you look closely at the cast-iron fronts, especially those you will see further down this block, you'll see that the decorative parts are bolted onto plain columns. In this way customers could choose different styles, while the manufacturer kept costs down by producing only a limited number of column styles. When considering these columns, it is worth remembering that Mason has never been served by a railroad. All the massive cast-iron work had to be freighted in by wagon.