As early as 1856 there was a butcher's shop on this site, owned by John Smith, the father of James Smith of Brookside. It was later occupied by Alexander Smith, James' cousin, who ran it as a general store. Alexander Smith probably made improvements to the building about 1883.

Alexander Smith had arrived in South Australia in 1854 on the 'Fitzjames'. He married Ann Brice, the daughter of Daniel Brice, Robert Norman's brickmaker, in 1862 and they had five sons and three daughters. Smith died on 30 December 1904, and he and his wife are buried in Yankalilla cemetery.

After the death of Alexander Smith, his son George Hamilton Smith carried on the business. He sold it to Alfred Stock in 1916, who continued the general store. Later uses of the building were for a dressmaking shop, a hairdresser, and a quilt shop. From 1994 to 2014 it was the home of Bill Bradfield (world renowned for discovery of a record number of comets) and his wife Eileen.