As early as 1866, Rodney Street was Helena’s primary north-south connection and thus supported a variety of early businesses. It was also an area better protected from the fires that constantly threatened downtown commerce. This building, constructed circa 1880, was one of Rodney Street’s first brick business blocks, housing the Rodney Street Market in 1883. A bakery with upstairs living quarters was attached to the back of the grocery. By 1890, it had become the Weinstein Grocery Store and Pacific Tea Company with furnished rooms above. The Weinstein brothers were typical of a number of Jewish merchants, vital to the town’s early economy, who operated Rodney Street businesses. When the Weinsteins opened a grand downtown emporium in 1894, grocer L. H. Schaeffer bought the business. Although stucco cladding and 1940s Art Deco style decorative details are reminiscent of period theaters, the building never served that purpose. Its historic use as a grocery store continued until 1960.
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