August Groppe, Sr. (1840-1919), one of the first German settlers in the area, had this structure built in 1892, the year the town of West was incorporated. A prominent cotton farmer and businessman, he hired local brickmasons and used bricks made near West to construct the first brick building in the town's business district. This late 19th-century structure has housed numerous businesses, including a dry goods store, grocery, and drugstore.