For many years this was the Damascus General Store. In 1955, the Freeport Journal-Standard reported that George Phillips and his wife had owned and operated the store for 60 years (Journal-Standard, 3/11/1955). The building in the photo which looks like a house was the original store. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips bought the store/house in 1895 when they were in their 20s and lived in the building. Four years later their growing family needed more space, and the narrow building was constructed to the left of the house. This became the store, while the Phillips family took over the entire house.

George Phillips retired from the store in 1956, at the age of 89. He and his wife then moved to Freeport.