mast general store - Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem Store
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516 N. TRADE ST. WINSTON SALEM, NC 27101 Plus-code-icon4Q23+4G Winston-Salem, North Carolina

STORE HOURS

mon10AM - 6PM

tue10AM - 6PM

wed10AM - 6PM

thu10AM - 6PM

fri10AM - 8PM

sat10AM - 8PM

sun11AM - 6PM

Pride in the Piedmont

Winston-Salem is at a crossroads, really. Let’s remember a time when travel was via oxen cart, horseback, or on foot. A map was an important tool, and the one drawn by Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s father, documenting the Great Wagon Road was one of the first based upon first-person surveys.

Salem, founded in 1766, was the southern terminus of the Great Wagon Road. Travel in the 1700s was arduous, but you could say that this Road was a super highway of its time. It connected Philadelphia and the Moravian settlements of Bethlehem and Nazareth in Pennsylvania to the southern outpost in Salem. People were flowing south and goods from North Carolina were headed north.

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Story behind the store logo

The history of the building at 516 North Trade Street actually begins in 1880 when Thomas Jethro Brown, Mitchell Rogers, and William Carter saw the needs of a growing trade center in Winston. Brown and Carter were involved in the tobacco industry, so Rogers managed the growing business. Brown-Rogers & Co. had its first building at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets.

Their business instincts were right. Hardware was in great need for the burgeoning tobacco industry. In the early 1900s, Brown-Rogers & Co. occupied most of the block between Liberty, Fourth, and Main Streets. A second building was built on North Liberty Street to handle the growing business. It opened in 1905. That building came in handy when a fire destroyed the Main and Fourth location in 1913.

 

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The history of the building at 516 North Trade Street actually begins in 1880 when Thomas Jethro Brown, Mitchell Rogers, and William Carter saw the needs of a growing trade center in Winston. Brown and Carter were involved in the tobacco industry, so Rogers managed the growing business. Brown-Rogers & Co. had its first building at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets.

Their business instincts were right. Hardware was in great need for the burgeoning tobacco industry. In the early 1900s, Brown-Rogers & Co. occupied most of the block between Liberty, Fourth, and Main Streets. A second building was built on North Liberty Street to handle the growing business. It opened in 1905. That building came in handy when a fire destroyed the Main and Fourth location in 1913.

 

In 1915, W. N. Dixson joined the company as vice-president and general manager. With the passing of Carter in 1924, Dixson purchased his shares and became the president. The company became known as Brown-Rogers-Dixson.

Winston-Salem’s population was growing by leaps and bounds, so a new, larger building was commissioned to be designed by Northup & O’Brien, an architectural firm that designed several prominent buildings in the city. When the B-R-D building opened in March of 1928, it was Winston Salem’s largest business. With 70,000 square feet of space, it was also one of the largest retail/wholesale spaces in the South.

The original flooring in the fashion and mercantile departments was harvested from the Pisgah Forest by the Carr Lumber Company. George Vanderbilt, of Biltmore Estate fame, sold acreage to the Carr Lumber Company for $12 per acre. He could have made much more per acre, but he insisted that the weak trees be taken first and then the rest of the forest would be selectively harvested and new trees planted to replace those that were taken.

B-R-D dominated the retail scene in Winston-Salem through World War II and lived up to its slogan as the best place to get it. Its stock included everything from nuts and bolts to sporting goods, like metal roller skates. They even manufactured their own wooden wagons for children to enjoy when steel wasn’t available during the war. Warehouses throughout the Carolinas were added to service its wholesale customers. With locations in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Columbia, many customers could have their orders the next day.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it became evident that B-R-D could better serve its clients through the wholesale side of their business, rather than maintaining both a retail and wholesale presence. The retail side was discontinued in the 1970s. Unlike other stores that become Mast Store locations, B-R-D is still in business with a location on Cloverleaf Drive here in Winston-Salem. It services independent dealers in appliances, bedding, etc. and helps them remain competitive in a “big-box” world.

When B-R-D left this building, it went through a series of owners and housed offices and a satellite police department.

It is now listed as a contributing property for the Arts District Historic District and became a part of the Mast Store Family in May of 2015.

** Historic photos, except the lunch counter, are courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.

** Photo of the lunch counter is courtesy of Ronny Dixson.

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Plan your visit to Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is a city filled with heritage attractions just waiting to help you discover our shared past. It is also a city re-inventing itself. Part of its fuel is its creativity. You’ll see it in the Downtown Arts District along with the Innovation Corridor and in its contribution to medical care. While you’re here, there are lots of things you won’t want to miss – a visit to the Old Salem Museums and Gardens, a baseball game under the lights, the First Friday Gallery Hop, or enjoy a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut where this tasty treat got its start (be sure to watch for the Hot Now sign!).
Winston-Salem is a city filled with heritage attractions just waiting to help you discover our shared past. It is also a city re-inventing itself. Part of its fuel is its creativity. You’ll see it in the Downtown Arts District along with the Innovation Corridor and in its contribution to medical care. While you’re here, there are lots of things you won’t want to miss – a visit to the Old Salem Museums and Gardens, a baseball game under the lights, the First Friday Gallery Hop, or enjoy a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut where this tasty treat got its start (be sure to watch for the Hot Now sign!). Read less ...
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LOCAL FLAVOR

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FROM OUR BLOG

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    Tastes of the Season: Fall Farmers' Markets

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    Fall is here! The bridge between summer and fall is full of delicious possibilities: the last heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn linger, pears and sweet potatoes start to arrive, and more apples than you can name can all be found at your local farmers’ market. ...read more

    tags Local Flavor | Gardening | At Home

    locations Asheville | Annex - Valle Crucis | Boone | Columbia | Greenville | Hendersonville | Knoxville | Roanoke | Original - Valle Crucis | Waynesville | Winston-Salem

  • July 6, 2023 20 minute READ
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    In 2021, House Bill 554 was introduced and easily passed in the North Carolina House of Representatives. It designates 2023 as North Carolina’s Year of the Trail with the aim of encouraging North Carolinians (and visitors) to use and enjoy the trail networks that are available locally and regionally and to celebrate the groups who create and maintain the trail systems. Of course, we wouldn’t want you to be in violation of the law, so we’ve put together a listing of some of our favorite trails in North Carolina for your reference.   ...read more

    tags Adventure | Inspiration | Local Flavor

    locations Asheville | Annex - Valle Crucis | Boone | Hendersonville | Original - Valle Crucis | Waynesville | Winston-Salem

  • April 29, 2022 4 minute READ
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area-events

AREA EVENTS

Mar 23, 2024

Event:
Cobblestone Farmers Market
TIME:
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Place:
1007 S. Marshall Street

Apr 20, 2024

Event:
Piedmont Earth Day Fair
TIME:
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Place:
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds
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