Have you ever wanted to own a slice of history? Well, now's your chance. Enclosed by the Dragoon Mountains, Pearce was home to one of the richest gold mines in all of Arizona. Founded in 1895, the Wild West town attracted adventurers seeking their fortunes, but their bounty soon dried up. The town was fast abandoned, leaving behind a bygone relic. Now, the town’s lovingly restored general store, the Old Pearce Mercantile, is on the market offering you the chance to snap up a piece of American history. Let's uncover the fascinating story behind the renovation of this unusual property and this once prosperous town...

Found within the old town of Pearce, Arizona, this general store (named The Old Pearce Mercantile or Arizona Ghost Town Museum) is over 127 years old and hosts a wealth of original features and antiquities inside. The historic property sits on a 0.64-acre lot, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

In 1996, Patricia Burris and her late husband Michael bought the building for an undisclosed price, with a view to lovingly maintain and restore the fascinating mercantile. As a historian, Michael Burris was keen to return the Old Pearce Mercantile to its former glory, and due to its local significance and historic listed status, the renovations had to be carried out with precision. After his passing in 2016, Patricia decided to finally fulfil his dying wish.

While the property is now on the market for $1.1 million (£973k) with Realty ONE Group, Patricia Burris spent three years painstakingly restoring the building, and according to the listing it has been on and off the market, since it was completed in 2019, with a number of price increases. According to Realtor, it's currently the most expensive listing in the area. Having been a one-stop-shop, “like today's department store", as realtor Patsy Nyberg told Insider, Patricia kept the store's existing old shelves, ladders, and railings while she carefully restuccoed and painted the original façade. 

The historic town of Pearce itself was once just mountains and dust, until Cornishman John James 'Jimmie' Pearce arrived on the scene. After finding his fortune as a miner in nearby Tombstone, where he moved in 1881, Jimmie retired to the Dragoon Mountains with his wife, Maria, and their three children. One day, while tending to his cattle, Jimmie purportedly discovered gold after idly picking up and breaking a rock on the ground. Overnight, the retired miner was back in business.

News of the discovery spread quickly and almost overnight, the once barren landscape became a bustling miners’ town. "Entire buildings from Tombstone were dismantled, placed into wagons, and hauled the long, dusty way to Pearce, where they were reassembled," explain Nickell, Ballard and Nickell in the book, Pearce and Sunsites. "Water haulers, wood haulers, saloon owners, shopkeepers, brothel owners, restaurateurs, purveyors of all things necessary to sustain a mine or a miner, leapt into being."

By 1894, Tombstone was in decline following flooding in the town's silver mines, so Pearce offered the town's miners another chance to find their fortunes. “Investors came from all over the country, vying for the opportunity to obtain wealth beyond a man’s dreams,” Nickell, Ballard and Nickell explain. This image shows Tombstone in 1881, when its mines were still thriving. At this time, the town is said to have had a population of around 6,000 according to documents from the National Register of Historic Places, many of which later relocated to Pearce.

Pearce attracted men not just because of its prosperity, but because of the way of life it offered. “Businesses flourished. Families grew and prospered. The year 1907 saw a population upwards of 500,” explain Nickell, Ballard and Nickell. The town had a blacksmith, restaurants, a butcher and a livery, hotels and saloons, and even an attorney’s office. Construction of a railroad also began, although it was never finished. This antique photograph from the 1890s shows the Common-Wealth Silver Mine at Pearce.

For almost a year, the town had no official name, although many locals dubbed it 'Pearceville' in Jimmie's honour. It wasn’t until March 1896 that the name Pearce was officially chosen, after Thomas Chattman became the town’s inaugural postmaster. 

Yet Jimmie wanted out of the industry. So, in 1898, just four years after discovering gold on his ranch, he sold Pearce to three investors for $250,000 (£221k). This equates to around $8.9 million (£7.8m) in today’s money—not a bad retirement package.

The town's new investors, John Brockman, Daniel Barringer and Richard Penrose, developed Pearce quickly, establishing the Common-Wealth Mining and Milling Company. Soon after, a mill capable of extracting 30 tonnes a day was built, which quickly grew to 200 tonnes a day. The mine was one of Arizona's major silver producers and it's estimated that over one million tonnes of ore were produced between 1895 and 1942.

Yet by 1927, as the quality of the ore deduced and as the Great Depression loomed, mining at Pearce all but stopped, leaving many on the brink of poverty. Keen to cling to their community, many Pearce residents stayed in the town for as long as possible. “They worked where they could and kept the school open,” Nickell, Ballard and Nickell explain. “The post office and the mercantile remained the spots to gather and enjoy the company of friends and neighbours. Pearce stubbornly hung on.” 

Pearce's decline continued and by the 1940s, when the mine closed for good, it became somewhat of a ghost town. Belongings were hastily left behind and the town's once-thriving businesses were vacated. Today, the Pearce Post Office and General Store which is currently on sale, still stand, both of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, due to their cultural and historical significance. Of the buildings relocated from Tombstone, only one remains—the Prickly Pear Emporium. 

While today Tombstone is home to around 1,300 permanent residents and is celebrated as one of Arizona's most popular tourism destinations, neighbouring Wild West towns, such as Pearce, all but faded away. So, in a bid to encourage visitors to explore the Copper State's lesser-known mining towns, the local Cochise County authorities created the Ghost Town Trail.

For the trail, a single dirt road connects three former mining communities, Gleeson, Courtland and Pearce. While the former is home to an original jail, schoolhouse and hospital, Courtland offers only scattered foundations and crumbling ruins. In 2019, thanks to Burris and her late husband Michael, the Pearce general store was restored and showcases treasures of a bygone period, offering any visitors the chance to gain an understanding of life in a Wild West town. One of the most unique artefacts in the Old Pearce Mercantile is its wooden doorway. The listing agent told Insider that it used to be the entrance to a post office from Tombstone.

Pearce is said to be much the same today as it was at the turn of the century. Positioned around an hour from Tombstone, and an hour and a half from the city of Tucson and the walking trails of Mica Mountain, this historic town offers plenty of renovation, development and commercial potential.

The general store comes complete with the restored shelves and cabinets overflowing with historic artefacts. From old books and newspapers, to canned goods, old mining carts, homewares and historic signage that once hung on the façades of Pearce's thriving businesses, the property's lucky new owner will gain space as well as an authentic picture of life back in the early 20th century. 

Burris is reportedly selling as the property is now too much for her to maintain alone, Patsy Nyberg told Insider, "An ideal buyer would be somebody that appreciates history and is going to keep it the way it is. Hopefully, they'll open it up to the community again". While Burris has hosted numerous event at the property, including weddings and street fairs, the shop certainly offers plenty of development possibilities. The new owner could create a secluded desert home, a unique business, a cultural museum, an event space, or even a wine-tasting room. There are currently dozens of wineries and tasting rooms across southeastern Arizona. 

To the rear of the store you'll find a stylish residential property with one bedroom and two bathrooms. The living quarters have been expertly updated with period pieces and fixtures, including timber barn doors, hardwood floors and elegant antique furnishings. Although currently uninhabited, Burris lived in the building for a short time while her house—the former Pearce post office building—was under renovation.

The unique home is spacious and light-filled, thanks to its simple colour palette, generously high ceilings and ample windows. The open-plan layout allows for an easy flow between rooms, while the living room's beautiful beamed ceiling acts as a focal point, anchoring the space together.

The compact home offers a chic lounge, dining area, kitchenette and bedroom, as well as plenty of space for an office and reading nook. A relative blank canvas, this private sanctuary is just waiting to be transformed into someone's dream home. Burris ensured that the antique appliances are in full working condition, including the vintage stove and refrigerator.

The one-bedroom home could easily be transformed into a multi-bed facility if the new owners desired, with plenty of space to utilise. Currently advertised as a residential property, the former department store could easily be switched back to commercial status, and according to the realtor it has a new commercial septic tank and brand-new well on site. What's more, there's even a resident cat, should you need a furry mascot for your new business venture.

According to Insider, the property’s realtor Patsy Nyberg from Realty One Group Integrity described how her husband actually carried out the carpentry on the apartment to the rear of the building. Over the years, Burris filled the store with antiques that she tracked down herself at yard sales, or were donated by local families.

As well as 3,882 square feet of usable interior space, the town also offers 0.64 acres of land with newly installed iron fencing and gates. A chic brick courtyard defines the town's outdoor living spaces. Given some TLC, this sunny spot could be transformed into a stunning backyard. Perhaps these simple yet stylish garden ideas will inspire you to take on the project...

Along with the treasure trove of antiques and a spacious family home, the sales listing also boasts a quaint exterior courtyard with plenty of historic charm. As well as numerous spots to sit back in a rocking chair and watch the world go by, this outdoor space is also home to some rather unusual additions, much like these mansions with massive secrets.

That's right, the mercantile courtyard boasts a working blacksmith shop, which could easily be reopened as a living museum or turned into a business. The blacksmiths appears untouched, as if the forgers have stepped outside for a brief break. With a furnace, old tools and work benches scattered around the outbuilding, the space paints a vivid picture of everyday life in 19th-century Pearce.

The ghost town also features an old garage on the compound that currently houses antique horse carts. From old oil drums to ageing commercial signs, dusty vehicle tyres and rusty tools, this exterior space is primed and waiting to be put to good use. Patricia Burris had plans drawn up to add guest cottages with bathrooms behind, to connect the blacksmith shop and the storage areas according to Insider.

A treasure trove of antiques and long-forgotten stories, the town of Pearce is thought to have been home to several infamous residents. Local legend suggests that the Alvord-Stiles Gang, who were responsible for numerous robberies and shootings in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, operated out of the town. Perhaps they frequented this dusty old garage to steal tools or stash their loot...

On the market with Realty ONE Group Integrity for $1.1 million (£973k), you can grab yourself a significant slice of American history while the opportunities for the old store are endless. Plus, with unforgettable desert and mountain scenery on your doorstep, the unique property offers that lucky someone the chance to escape the rat race and live the good life. We're not sure what the future holds for this former mercantile, but we're sure this Wild West town has plenty more stories to tell...

Loved this? Like and follow us on Facebook for more unusual properties for sale