Description of Historic Place

The James Bean Store is situated on the west side of Main Street's north end business district in the Village of Blackville. Built circa the 1890's, it is a one-and-half storey commercial storefront, vernacular in design with Classical elements.

Heritage Value

James Bean Store is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with local merchants James Bean and his wife, Jane MacRae. MacRae, a descendant of a longstanding name in the Village of Blackville, along with her first husband James Bean, operated this storefront under his name for several decades. Her matriarchal qualities and her astute business resulted in the establishment of a compliment of influential properties within the family merchant business trade. In 1944, Roy MacRae purchased the storefront and, along with Walter MacRae, operated W. A. & R. L. MacRae, offering delivery service to the rural area. The latter remained in business here for five decades. The storefront has remained occupied by the MacRae family.

Source: Village of Blackville, Village Office, Historic Places site file #08-04

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the vernacular architecture of the James Bean Store include:
- rectangular one-and-a-half storey form and massing;
- front gable roof of medium pitch;
- one-storey lateral addition with shed roof;
- recessed entry;
- balanced window placement.

The character-defining elements relating to the location of the James Bean Store include:
- its strategic placement relative to the road junction;
- its placement relative to Bean/MacRae bordering properties.