Roanoke Route Stop 11: Jones' Grocery Store

Jones’ Grocery Store, 1910

115 N. Oak St.

In the early days of Roanoke, the west side of Oak Street housed such businesses as Lane’s Grocery, Robinson’s Drug Store, Prewitt’s Dry Goods, Horton & Son Dry Goods, Cade’s Dry Goods, and Seagraves’ Hardware. (A little farther south was Mrs. Raibourn’s Pacific Hotel, which is now a private residence.) In 1910 a major fire started in Mr. Lane’s store. It destroyed those six businesses, badly damaged Smith’s barber shop, and completely leveled a house. J.H. Jones rebuilt one of the businesses as Jones’ Grocery Store, and eventually the old structure was replaced with the current building. A covered patio was added in recent years. 

The original business at this location was C.E. Robinson’s Drug Store, which was completely destroyed in a fire on May 13, 1910. 

The entire block was rebuilt after the fire, and J.H. Jones opened a grocery store on the north end. 

The Busy Bee Club parades down Oak Street on Old Fashioned Day circa 1945. In the background is Mr. Jones’ Grocery Store, rebuilt as a separate building now from the rest of the block. The second photo from 1953 also shows it as a free-standing structure. 

A catering business operated in the back portion of the building in 2006. This section of the building remains today.