Never have we seen an otherwise ordinary historic building with so many nicknames:
Parberry Brick Block, Parberry Brick Building, McDonald & Armitage, Coad & McDonald Store, Wilts Bros. Building, the Edwards, Library, the Western Building, the Scoop, Parberry East.
One might take this to mean that it has had a long and interesting history, which was the case.
The first business to open in the building was a clothing store, owned by the Wiltze brothers. The store went on to change hands through a long series of proprietors. Amazingly, through all the economic ups and downs of White Sulphur Springs, the final clothing store in the building closed in 2007, leaving behind an unbroken string of clothing stores in the building 116 years long, quite possibly the longest in the state.
The clothing stores all occupied the east bay of the building. The history of the west bay is much less well documented. We know that is was, for much of the twentieth century, a grocery store, with brief stints as the town library and of vacancy. A sign reading "R&R Sports & Western Wear" still hangs over the east bay while a small sign reading "Bliss Crafters" hangs in the window of the west bay. Beyond that, we know nothing of the current status of the building.
On the east wall of the building, facing an alley, are two painted ghost signs. The upper one is that of the the original owners of the original clothing store in the building, the Wiltze brothers. Near the bottom of the wall, below the Wiltze brothers sign, is a Levi Strauss sign, nearly as old as the Wiltze brothers sign. You'll notice that Strauss was sufficiently confident in the quality of their overalls that they would replace, free of charge, any pair that ripped.
PARBERRY BLOCK EAST
Dr. William Parberry, who constructed this two-story business block in 1891, was one of White Sulphur Springs’ founders and biggest boosters. The Parberry Block East’s upper story features many Romanesque Revival elements including rounded arches over the windows, intricate stone panel insets within the arches, rough-cut sandstone capitals and lintels, and a decorative pressed-iron pediment. Frontier communities mimicked the Romanesque Revival style for its suggestion of permanence. By incorporating elements from this architectural style, Parberry asserted his belief that this small startup community would prosper for centuries, just as had the buildings of eleventh- and twelfth-century Europe. The first story features plate-glass display windows set in cast-iron frames. Commercial storefronts in larger communities commonly featured large display windows to attract shoppers, but their appearance here is remarkable because the glass likely was transported by ox-drawn wagons from the nearest railhead, forty miles away. In 1893, during a nationwide depression, Parberry’s expectations for the town received a setback. That year, the U.S. government stopped purchasing silver to mint coins, causing the area’s silver mines to close and White Sulphur Springs’ population to fall. Nonetheless, this well-constructed building seldom lacked for tenants. George and Jesse Wiltse opened the first of several clothing stores to occupy the east storefront; their painted business sign is still visible on the east elevation. The west storefront housed various other businesses, including the city’s first major grocery store. Upstairs offered residential rooms and professional offices, including those of the city’s first telephone exchange.
From the NRHP plaque at the building