History

House of Finery is located in the gorgeous Old Stone Store located at the crossroads of Centerville-Rosebud Road and Rosebud Road. The building was erected in 1902 as Upshaw’s General Merchandise Store, though alternate names included Upshaw’s, Rosebud Store, and, of course, the Old Stone Store.

The general store was originally founded by Preston Upshaw in 1894, and expanded into the main building seen today in 1902. In 1907, Preston’s son Olin took over the accounting for the business, and was running the store as proprietor by approximately 1911. Sometime after 1914, Olin added on the room to the left of the building as a millinery for his wife Mabel, who was known to make a $5 hat. She was so successful with her hat business, as well as the making of baby clothes and other items, that she employed a small staff of approximately 2-3 other women during her peak business operations.

Upshaw’s General Merchandise Store remained in business until sometime in the 1960’s under the guidance of Mrs. A.B. Cartwright, though the true date is relatively unknown. However, Olin and Mabel retired from the business in 1958, and the advent of more modern shopping experiences contributed to the demise of the Rosebud store as they knew it. Following an auction of the building and all of its contents in the 1970’s, the store became the home to several businesses, including a cabinet shop, a print shop, and most recently an antique store, until House of Finery moved in in May of 2017. We are truly blessed to continue the story of Rosebud Store and to work toward establishing a sense of community with our neighbors akin to that fostered by the Upshaws.

Want to know more about the history of the building and the Upshaw family? Come on in and ask!