Hopkins and Brother Store
Why it's listed
Hopkins and Brother Store is a modest frame commercial building on Market Street in Onancock, standing beside the North Branch of Onancock Creek. It has a two-story main block, a slightly lower two-story ell and a lean-to, painted yellow and white, with corner pilasters, a bracketed cornice and a single Gothic-style window in the attic. Although the building was moved to its present spot on the creek, it keeps the waterfront setting associated with its working years. Captain Stephen Hopkins founded the business in 1842, and the Hopkins family ran it until it closed in 1965. On the isolated Eastern Shore, a store like this acted as both banker and trading agent, making it one of the area's commercial and maritime centers. Detailed business records from 1839 to 1965 survive and were donated to the Virginia Historical Society. The building also still holds most of its nineteenth-century furnishings and accessories.
Significance in brief: The store was one of the commercial and maritime trading centers of Virginia's Eastern Shore and operated under the Hopkins family from 1842 until 1965. It functioned as both banker and trading agent for an isolated region. Detailed records from 1839 to 1965 survive, and the building retains most of its nineteenth-century furnishings and accessories.
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 69000217, listed November 12, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Market St., Onancock |
|---|---|
| County | Accomack County |
| Listed | November 12, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000217 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered, and the building has been moved. The business was discontinued in 1965. The form's later notes record a change in ownership to a preservation association. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.71244, -75.75525 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 69000217.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14691994
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.