Changing commercial fashions are clearly represented in this building. Originally built by Joseph W. Lang in the 1850s, the store carried dry goods under a variety of owners, including E.C. Mansfield at the turn of the century and later Samuel Grad, an immigrant merchant who started out with a pushcart visiting outlying areas.

About 1925 Grad purchased the former Mansfield store, and Grad's became a popular clothing store into the 1990s. Other stores have also rented space here, including the Weeks Country Store and the A&P grocery store. One historical highlight of the building was its use in 1862 by Col. Ebenezer Stevens and Capt. J.W. Lang Jr. (nephew of Joseph W. Lang mentioned above) as Civil War recruiting headquarters for the 12th New Hampshire Regiment.

Original features of the building include its overall shape and the pilasters found at each front corner. A projecting storefront was added later, modernized by replacing wooden frames and sash with the existing aluminum frame. A side stairway was also annexed to the original store.