Built in 1836 by Joseph Solomon as the Clarendon Stores. For the next 130 years, it was atypical country general store selling just about anything you could need. In the early years a bakehouse was at the rear of the store and supplied bread for many of the early settlers, the local garrison soldiers and the local convict station.
Henry Butler Dowie, who was elected to the first municipal council leased the building from George Collins and operated the store for many years. In later years, the store was operated by the Perkins family and then by the Fair family. Descendants of both of these families still live in the district.
Since being sold by the Fair family, the building has had a variety of uses, including an antique shop, The Horseless Carriage Museum and Casey's restaurant. The bread oven was removed at some stage from the old bakehouse at the rear of the building and the bakehouse building has now been converted into self contained colonial accomodation and is known as "Solomon Cottage" Other small businesses continue to operate in the main house. A very well preserved old house in a prime location in Evandale, Solomon House is listed on the Register of the National estate and also on the Australian Heritage Database. It is an interesting example of an early Georgian Commercial building.
Main Text & Information Source -
"Evandale Heritage Walk" brochure - Evandale Community Centre
