The old Thomas James Store, located behind the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center, will be featured on the website of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources this month.

Randy Jones, spokesman for DHR, said that the department tries to feature a different historic Virginia site each month to help local historical societies publicize their projects. He found the c. 1810 Thomas James Store interesting because it’s considered one of the oldest general stores in the South and "it looks like it has a lot of historical fabric still intact."

In addition, Jones has a personal connection to Mathews because his grandmother used to live at Cobbs Creek.

Mathews County Historical Society member Graham Hood, retired after serving as curator for Colonial Williamsburg for nearly three decades, said he’s pleased that the property will be given such widespread publicity. He has compiled more than 300 photos along with information for the slide show that will tell the story of the historical property.

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