Matthews Commercial Historic District

Along the north end of North Trade Street in downtown Matthews stands a compact row of brick storefronts, a grist mill and a few related buildings built between 1888 and 1939. Ten of the eleven resources contribute to the district's character, and the only later addition is a ca. 1970 cinder block building. The group includes the 1888 Heath and Reid General Store, the Funderburk Brothers stores and mill complex, Renfrow Hardware with its ca. 1900 and 1930s sections, an 1892 frame building that served as the post office, and a 1939 Neoclassical Revival post office designed by W. Alexis Hood. Several interiors keep original wooden floors, display shelves and pressed tin ceilings. The district reflects Matthews' role as a railroad town where merchants bought cotton, ran stores and gins, and founded banks. Its modest decorative brickwork, intact storefronts and high degree of integrity underpin its listing as a historic commercial center.