Hopkins and Brother Store, place in Virginia listed on National Register of Historic Places
Hopkins and Brother Store is a historic commercial building in Onancock, Virginia, constructed of wood with two stories plus a smaller attached wing. The structure displays traditional features including corner pilasters, decorative roof details, and a Gothic-arched attic window that give it a formal Victorian appearance.
Captain Stephen Hopkins founded the store in 1842 as a family-run general goods business serving local residents and maritime workers. The business operated for over a century under Hopkins family control, evolving from sailing vessels to steamships to powered boats, reflecting the technological changes in maritime commerce before closing in 1965.
The store's name reflects the Hopkins family lineage that shaped the business across generations and made it part of local identity. It served as a social hub where townspeople and maritime workers gathered not just to buy goods but to exchange news and maintain community ties.
The building now operates as a restaurant, allowing you to experience the interior while dining there. The exterior is viewable from public areas, and the location sits in the heart of Onancock's historic downtown near shops and other old sites.
The building was moved several times across different locations, first built in 1842 near a large sycamore tree, relocated in the 1880s, and moved again in 1970 to its current site. These relocations reflect the community's active effort to preserve the structure and keep its story alive for future generations.
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