The Smith Building: Five-and-Ten on Water Street
On Water Street, the two-story brick Smith Building preserves a chapter in the changing commercial life of downtown Exeter. Its name remains above the storefronts, identifying a building whose opening introduced a new shopping experience to the town. In October 1915, the Smith Block welcomed a Woolworth’s five-and-ten-cent store.
The arrival of Woolworth’s connected Exeter with a growing national retail chain. Five-and-ten-cent stores brought a wide assortment of inexpensive merchandise into one place, encouraging customers to browse goods for household use, personal needs, and small purchases. The Exeter Historical Society describes the store’s opening as bringing mass marketing to town.
That development added another layer to Water Street’s history as a commercial center. Shopping downtown meant moving among neighboring businesses, combining errands with opportunities to encounter friends and acquaintances. A national chain became part of this local setting, serving customers within an established streetscape.
The Smith Building’s architecture reflects its practical commercial purpose. Broad ground-floor windows provide space for displaying merchandise, while the upper story presents a regular arrangement of windows beneath a stepped brick parapet. Lighter masonry accents and the central name tablet give the façade an identity without the elaborate ornament of some neighboring buildings.
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