After having withstood the storms and ravages of nearly half a century, the building lately vacated by J. C. Hamliln, on the corner of Main and Church streets, has at last been forced to give way to the march of improvement, and is being removed to make place fo the handsome edifice to be erected for the congregation of St. Lukes Episcopal Church.
     The old building was erected by John Holmes in 1842, at which time there were but two stores in the town, one on the site of the present magnificent residence of Hon. Henry Hamiln, which was occupied as a general store by the late Orlo J. Hamlin, father of Henry and J. C. Hamlin, the other in what was known as the Astor House building, where the fine residence of Mr. Wm. Haskel now stands , and which was occupied  by Mr. Nelson Richmond.  The building was used as a general store by Ford & Holmes, dealers in general merchancdise, and as Mr. Ford was then postmaster, the post office had a place in the store.  After three years the buisiness passed into the hands of Byron D. and Henry Hamlin, who conducted the business until 1857, when they  in turn gave way to J. C. Hamlin who has occupied the building ever since, a period of 34 years, first as a general store for nine years, then as an exclusive hardware, the first of the kind in the town, and which he still continues.