On the morning of Feb. 7, the Abingdon Volunteer Fire Department responded to a commercial fire on Route 17 at Gloucester Point. The building, mostly recently an auction house, was the old Poland’s Supermarket, a Gloucester landmark with a rich history. History In 1926, John and Mary “Mae” Poland, along with their son, Bernard J. “Jack” Poland, moved to open a dry goods store in Mae’s hometown of Gloucester Point. The store was originally housed in a little building along the York River that was leased from the county, according to the couple’s grandson, Gary Poland. “The first store began under the name J.P. Ashe and Company,” added granddaughter Peggy Poland Lewis. James Poke “J.P.” Ashe Jr., Mae’s father, owned a local seasonal crop farm and the couple thought a familiar name might be beneficial, as the Poland name was not yet known in the area. Over the next few years, while running the physical store, John and Mae began taking orders from, and delivering to, an area at the Point c...