Geo. W. Parks General Merchandise, built by George Washington Parks in 1901 when Stuart, originally named Potsdam, lay within Dade County, was one of the few remaining examples in Florida of Dade County Pine Frame Vernacular commercial architecture and became a pioneer-built historic anchor for downtown Stuart. As the second store to operate in Stuart along the St. Lucie River, it opened as a grocery store in July 1901 with the Parks residence on the second floor, and it also served as the town's gathering hub as the popular People's store. George's brother Noah joined the business in 1902, and the store was named Parks Brothers. Additions in 1902, 1906, and 1913 expanded it to four times its original size, and a second-floor veranda added in 1902 was enclosed in 1911. In 1924, after George Parks partnered with C. E. "Riley" Christenson, the store was renamed the Stuart Mercantile Company. In 1925, R. L. Robb Construction moved the structure 40 feet closer to the St. Lucie River to make room for widening the road. Charles T. Kemble opened the Stuart Feed Store there in July 1941, though members of the Parks family owned the structure until 1948. The store remained open for business until 1988, when the City of Stuart purchased the site. The city later funded repairs and a new roof and received grants in 1990 and 1998 from the Division of Historical Resources for fire sprinklers, structural restoration, and stabilization for adaptive use by the Stuart Heritage Museum. George W. Parks, who lived from 1875 to 1943, was a highly regarded proprietor and civic leader; in 1920 it was said that Stuart would not be Stuart without him. He served as alderman and was elected mayor of Stuart for 1918 and 1919. He also represented the Gulf Refining Co., which supplied kerosene, lubricating oil, and gasoline shipped from Jacksonville in 55 gallon drums weighing up to 400 pounds to his long dock by freighters up to 170 feet long. He died in 1943 from injuries caused by an explosion.