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.
Lang/Mansfield/Grad's
Store can be found by taking Route 3 to the lights in
Meredith. Turn left and go up the hill onto Lower Main
Street. Lang/Mansfield/Grad's Store is on the left, across
the street from Sanborn House/Drug Store.
