10 Commerce St
Waynesville, NC 28786

10 Commerce St Two-story brick, flat roof, Commercial Style building, divided into three distinct storefront bays. One of the largest buildings in the district, the storefronts and front and north sides of the first floor of the building have all been altered with modem changes. These changes include, on the front, the addition of stone veneer framing which divides the storefront bays and covers the original kick: plates, and the addition of modem doors and new display windows. In addition, new stone planters protrude out from the building onto the sidewalk. Modem storefronts are flush with the facade, rather than recessed as they were originally. On the first floor of the north side, one doorway has been bricked in, and another has a modern door in-filled within the original opening. Two windows are boarded over, and a large original arched brick bay has been in-filled with brick on the lower half with a modem multi-light window above. The second-story facade is still intact, with three single one-over-one windows with brick lintels and sills in each bay. Bays are divided by brick pilasters. One-over-one windows also pierce the northeast side of the building facing Depot Street and on the rear elevation. An intact door, in the center of the building, is single-light-over-panel plus-transom, and leads to the second floor. A modem decorative iron security door has been added in front of it. On the alley side (facing southwest), there is an arched loading area and doorway which have been bricked in. Windows here are also boarded up. “Farmer’s Federation” is still visible, painted along the cornice across the facade. In the mid to late 1910s the armory was located upstairs. Members of the National Guard practiced drills here, and community dances were held. This was used as the armory until the new building was constructed in 1936. In 1924 an auto repair shop wing was built at the rear of the building, and became a feed warehouse by 1931. The wing has been torn down. The Farmers Federation came to Waynesville in the mid-1930s and moved into the second floor. In 1945, a freezer locker was located in the southwest side of the building, a service offered by the Farmers Federation to store frozen meats, vegetables, and fruits. Richland Supply company, farm supplies, operated here in the 1950s.