Attorney, Texas legislator, and public official Benjamin Franklin Cathey purchased several lots from Thomas Stephens on the north side of the public square. By 1922, he had built several commercial brick buildings there, including a post office and a mercantile, while the same block also housed the Pastime Theatre and the local newspaper and printing house. Fire destroyed three of these buildings in 1932. A new law office was rebuilt first, followed by the post office, and the last destroyed building was rebuilt in 1941 with four separate spaces. These buildings reflect the growth of Quitman's commercial district in the 20th century.