Cana Store and Post Office
Why it's listed
Built around 1875 by James Harrison Cain and local carpenters, this two-story weatherboarded building in the Cana community of Davie County served as a general store and post office for decades. It sits on the Cain family farm, and the lumber came from family land and the family sawmill. The frame structure has a tin gable roof, dry-stacked stone piers and a 1930s shed addition that housed the post office, plus a canopy added to the front. Inside, the original pine floors, long shelves, counters, display cases and a cast-iron stove remain largely unchanged. The store took in eggs, corn and wheat as payment, sold household goods, and brokered lumber. The post office operated from 1875 to 1954 and was the last fourth-class post office to close in North Carolina. The store also hosted community gatherings and installed the area's first telephone and gasoline pump. It is recognized for commerce, communications and social history from 1875 to 1951.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion A for its roles in commerce, communications and social history in a rural community. It served as a general store and fourth-class post office, and it is described as one of few surviving, virtually unaltered late nineteenth-century frame commercial buildings in Davie County. Its post office, which closed in 1954, was the last fourth-class post office in North Carolina to close.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 01001073, listed October 5, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1411, 0.2 mi. N of NC 1406, Mocksville |
|---|---|
| County | Davie County |
| Listed | October 5, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001073 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1875-1951 |
| Architect / builder | Cain, James Harrison |
| Architectural style | Other: Gable-front commercial building |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Communications, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant/not in use; the description says the building remains in good condition. The store operated until 1965 and the post office until 1954. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.97353, -80.57698 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 01001073.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18386342
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.