Hidden away in the ghost town of Pierce, Arizona, is a 127-year-old general store. Patricia Burris purchased the building with her late husband Michael in 1996. Now, more than two decades later, she’s listed it for $1.1 million.
Also known as the Old Pearce Mercantile or the Arizona Ghost Town Museum, the property is located on a 0.64-acre lot, in existing. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1978, as recorded by document.
“The seller has been standing there in the same place since 1895. It was your one-stop shop, like today’s department store,” listing agent Patsy Nyberg of Realty One Group Integrity told Insider. “There was even a Wells Fargo bank inside.”
The couple bought the old general store in 1996, under a property insurance policy that Nyberg sent to Insider. Boris refused to share the purchase price.
The 19th-century mining town of Peres flourished until the 1930s Arizona Department of Transportation. It’s now part of the Arizona Ghost Town Trail – a popular road trip route that links three former mining towns together.
Today there Less than 2000 people Living in Perse.
As a historian, Michael’s dream was to restore Old Pearce Mercantile to its former glory. After his death, Patricia spent three years to fulfill his wishes.
“He passed away several years ago, so his wife finished his job,” Nyberg said. “It took about three years and it ended around 2019.”
She added that all the old store shelves, stairs, and handrails are still there today. Even the facade has been carefully restored and painted.
Burris decorated the place with antiques and old furniture, making it a one-bedroom home with a museum dedicated to the history of the former mining town.
“Patty has filled this place up with antiques she’s sought out over the years, many of which will carry over from the property sale,” Nyberg said.
Some of these items include historical documents, old food packaging, signs, and hardware such as weighing scales and oil lamps.
These vintage items help tell the city’s history, Nyberg said: “Most of the items in the house have been donated by old families who have lived in the area for generations, while others have been collected from yard sales.”
She added that even Nyberg has personal ties to the restoration process – her husband, a carpenter, worked with Boris to create a one-bedroom apartment in the back of the building.
One of the most unique artifacts in the Old Pearce Mercantile, Nyberg said, is the wooden entrance. It used to be the entrance to a post office from the nearby town of Tombstone.
“It looks like a box, but it’s actually the old post office facade that was brought over the hill from the nearby town of Tombstone,” Nyberg said.
There is also a renovated Studebaker carriage that sits above the wooden entrance.
The one-bedroom apartment is located at the back of the building.
Although Old Pearce Mercantile is currently uninhabited, Burris lived there for a short period of time while her home — the former Pearce Post Office building — was under renovation, Nyberg said.
Nyberg said Boris still went every day to check on things. “There is a cat residing there who will also be transported with the property,” she added.
Boris confirmed that old appliances, including the old stove and refrigerator, are in working condition, Nyberg said.
The property has been both on and off the market since Boris completed the restoration in 2019. List the records turns out. The Old Bear Mercantile first went on sale in May 2020 for $944,000. Over the next two years, its price was gradually increased to currently $1.1 million.
Homes in Pierce, Arizona, have a median listed home price of $215,000, per data from the real estate platform Realtor.com.
There are currently 20 single-family homes for sale in the area, with prices ranging from $56,000 to $1.1 million. The Old Pearce Mercantile, at $1.1 million, is Most expensive list in the neighborhood.
While the apartment only has one bedroom, future owners can add more rooms and turn the place into a vacation rental.
“Patty has made plans to add guest huts with bathrooms behind, to connect the blacksmith shop and all those storage areas,” Nyberg said.
Although Old Pearce Mercantile is currently registered as a residential property, future owners can easily return it to commercial status, Nyberg added.
“It’s a very easy change because it was commercial property initially,” Nyberg said. “It has a new commercial septic tank set up alongside a new well, so the place is ready for anything new buyers might want to use it for.”
Boris told Insider via Nyberg that one of her favorite memories from the renovation was when the building inspector came in.
Boris said that while the inspector was checking the structure and making strict demands, he discovered a rattlesnake slithering into the courtyard from under the building.
“The inspection was interrupted and the men went back to work, laughing,” she added.
Now that she has completed her late husband’s dream, Boris is looking forward to handing Old Pierce Mercantile to her new caretaker.
Boris hosted weddings and other events at the property. Thanksgiving, in particular, is a big community event: In the past, I opened the place up for street fairs with vendors, Nyberg said.
“We’ve used it over the years in town, and the townspeople are really hoping someone will buy it,” Nyberg added.
Nyberg said Boris is selling the property because it takes a lot of work on her to keep her on her own.
“The ideal buyer is someone who values history and will keep it the way it is,” Nyberg said. “And hopefully, they’ll open it up to society again.”
“It’s a museum that people should be able to see,” she added.
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