The half-dozen two- and three-story brick buildings that occupy this block are remnants of Matewan's commercial center. The block angles near its center because of the course of the railroad tracks and the line of Mate Street. Many were built to house commercial establishments on the first floor and apartments above. During the Matewan massacre, stray bullets punctured the windows of the Matewan National Bank and Post Office (1913; west end of the block). The depot, demolished in 1960, stood opposite the block on the north side of the tracks.