UG White Mercantile

I have long appreciated the terra cotta tiles on the façade of the historic Mason’s Furniture building (built in 1927) in downtown Huntsville. The furniture store went out of business in 1977. Most recently, it had been used as the Crossroads Music Hall, but it has been empty since 2013. I was happy to get the chance to see the refurbished interior this past winter when UG White Mercantile opened in the bottom floor of the building (which also has a mezzanine).

Ulysses Grant White created his business in 1917 in Athens, Alabama. It is still thriving on the downtown square in Athens and has now expanded to this second store in downtown Huntsville. It is sort of a cross between the nearby historic Harrison Brothers Hardware Store and a modern clothing store. They have camping, gardening, and cooking supplies; old-fashioned toys; pocket knives; honey, jams and jellies; pricey name-brand outdoor apparel (Patagonia, Wolverine, Filson…); baskets full of taffy, and more.

I am always amazed by how large the interiors of these old buildings are; they just don’t look that big from the outside. This one is over 22,000 square feet.

Next time I’m in Athens I'm going to check out the original UG White store!