David S. Brown Store

The David S. Brown Store at 8 Thomas Street stands as a vibrant example of High Victorian Gothic architecture in a city often defined by simpler lines. Constructed between 1875 and 1876, this building was designed for a successful soap manufacturer, David S. Brown, whose company was famous for products like Blizzard Soap and specialized shaving soaps. The architect, a young man named Jarvis Morgan Slade, created a striking facade that blends Romanesque and Venetian Gothic influences using red brick, sandstone, granite, and cast iron. A steep brick gable topped with a circular window sits atop the structure, serving as a reminder of the era's romantic and detailed approach to commercial design.