This was the site of the J. A. Kemp Wholesale Grocery business. If you step up to the front door you can see old historic pictures of the building and the surrounding area taped up behind the glass. And, of course, the historic marker is close by as well.
It reads:
"Built in 1892, this structure housed the J. A. Kemp Wholesale Grocery business for 35 years. The building originally measured 50 by 100 feet and contained a full basement. A two-story brick addition was completed by 1901. The Industrial Supply Company occupied the building during the oil boom of the 1930s, and continued to provide petroleum products to the area for 34 years. Another addition was built onto the rear of the structure in the 1940s. The large arched windows and doors exhibit skilled masonry in sandstone. The building contains 18,750 square feet of space. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1997"
Nearby is another another famous Wichita Falls building whose diminutive nature is its biggest trait:
The "World's Littlest Skyscraper," A.K.A. the Newby-McMahon Building, began as a swindle and ended up as an odd roadside curiosity that's been embraced by the town. The connected building looks like some kind of antiques store but I didn't have time to investigate.
So the moral of the story is that even the little buildings can have a story behind them.
