In 1888, James C. Gray purchased Brock and Tabor Hardware at 1950 Montgomery Street, including the lot where the later building stood. In 1898 he built a 50 by 100 foot brick building there to house Ophir Hardware; it was originally a single-story structure with a covered porch, made of brick manufactured at the Table Mountain clay quarry. About 1912 Gray became the Studebaker and Fish Brothers wagon dealer, and the building was modified with a second floor for wagon assembly and a showroom, along with an elevator said to be the first in Butte County. In 1928 Harry C. Gray, his grandson, sold his interest in the hardware business to Roy M. Nurse, though Gray retained ownership of the building. The business was then renamed Gray Nurse Hardware, and after standing empty from 1977 until 1996, the building was purchased by Sean and Lori Pierce and renovated into a community center used for social gatherings.