Historic Main Street Oxford

West Choccolocco Street 

Built in 1887, likely by the prominent Draper family, the Thomason Grocery Warehouse has long stood as a symbol of Oxford’s commercial and civic growth. For much of its existence, the building served as a wholesale grocery, grain, and feed warehouse—central to the city’s early economy.

Robert P. Thomason, who moved to Oxford in the 1870s with little to his name, worked in the mercantile business before founding his own grocery business in 1879. In 1891, he formally established the Thomason Grocery Company. Thomason also played a key role in Oxford’s development, serving as mayor during the 1880s and 1890s. Under his leadership, Oxford made significant infrastructure improvements, including the installation of sewer and water lines. He was also vice president of the Anniston, Oxford, & Oxanna Street Railway Company in 1890. Thomason relocated to Anniston in 1908.

Following its time as a grocery warehouse, the building was later used for storage and as a sign manufacturing facility. In 2010, it took on a new life as the home of the Terrortorium Haunted House and Amusements.

Adding to its cultural value, the “Greetings from Historic Main Street Oxford” mural was installed on the east side of the building in 2020. Designed by Stacy Booth, Marketing & Public Relations Director for the City of Oxford, the mural features iconic downtown landmarks, connecting the building’s rich past with the city’s vibrant present.