Francis Marion Dampier, Jr. built this building as Dampier Department Store, and the family operated the successful department store from 1945 to 1967. Frank Dampier was remembered for spending many hours sitting on a wooden bench under an oak tree outside the store, visiting with acquaintances. The Dampier family were prominent business leaders in Inverness. Western Union was run from Dampier's for a period of time. Francis Dampier, Sr., a pioneer of Inverness, ran a general store at Tompkinsville before there was an Inverness and was related by marriage to Alf Tompkins, for whom Tompkinsville was named. Francis Dampier's brother Earl ran a grocery store before the Depression, and Earl G. Dampier was co-owner of the Evergreen Hotel on Main Street across from the Bank of Inverness. F.M. Dampier was the postmaster, had a sawmill, and was a partner in a general merchandise store. After the Dampier Department Store closed, the building housed the Western Auto Store, a carpet store, the Goodwill Store, Carolina Direct Furniture, and later Towne and Country All Wood Furniture Store.