Abe Ephraim Goldstein was the first merchant in Punta Gorda to build a small furniture store on this site. In 1887, he also persuaded carpenters working on the new Hotel Punta Gorda to devote one day to building a two-story home next door for his wife and son who were arriving unexpectedly the next day. The present structure is constructed of patent stone concrete blocks with rusticated faces to mimic stone. This was the first store constructed with masonry as opposed to wood.
Over the years many retail establishments have occupied the building including Vasco Peeples’s IGA store during which time Mr. Peeple’s family lived in the upstairs apartment. Later businesses included a bakery and an ice-cream sandwich shop (Cubby’s). Cubby's closed in 2023 and a new establishment called Punta Gorda Deli Co. and Mercantile opened in 2023.
