The plans for this store were drawn in about 1835, but Rufus Prince's financial problems in 1836 delayed construction of it for 17 years. Prince was a soap and tallow chandler in Bangor. The store also included dry goods.

When he was about 21, John Martin (1823-1904) began working for Prince as a bookkeeper and store tender. Martin, who began writing and illustrating a journal reflecting on his life and activities, drew this illustration of the south and eastern end Prince's brick store and factory.

He made the drawing, which appears on page 379 of the journal, on July 21, 1864 and wrote that the illustration shows the wooden store as it was in 1850 and the old factory before it was rebuilt and the brick store as it was rebuilt and as it appeared in 1864.

The journal provides detailed descriptions of the buildings and business.