In our first Glimpse of History with The Barton Chronicle, we presented a mystery photo, suspected to be part of a little store that was once in Irasburg, Vermont.

This copy was found by Theresa Perron upstairs in the Pierce Pharmacy Building in Barton, Vermont. We also included a photograph of the Pierce Block from the early days when it was known as the Owen Block. It was built for Oscar D. Owen in 1885, and was designed by noted Saint Johnsbury Architect Lambert Packard. It replaced an older building which was destroyed in a disastrous fire that also took an adjacent drugstore owned by E.F. Dutton.

Dutton’s son-in-law Horace C. Pierce agreed to open a drugstore in the new building. Charles A. Barrows of North Troy came to Barton and bought the Owen Store in 1903, and in 1909 Charles A. Barrows and Fred D. Pierce purchased the building from the Owen estate. Rural Edge, the current owners of the building have just completed painting the building and are making repairs to the foundation.

Finally, we included an interior photograph of the Barrows Store that was located in the Pierce Block. Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Pierce are on the left with store employee George King to the right of the central counter. Fred was the son of H.C. Pierce and took over the Pierce pharmacy in 1906.