Old Hargrove & Murdock Grocery - 502 Bank Street

On the corner of Bank and Cherry Streets is a charming building built in 1897 on land owned by the Decatur Mineral and Land Company. For “old timers” it is best remembered as the location of Hargrove & Murdock Grocery circa 1925 until 1942. During Decatur’s earlier and wilder days, though, the building housed a brothel. The nine upstairs rooms were named after flowers, identifying the women who worked there. The main level features original arched windows on the west side and oval windows – believed to be original – on the south side. On the inside walls where the exterior brick is exposed visitors might see fibers in the plaster. They are horsehair, used in the late 19th century as a support and bonding material in plaster applications.