Built for the Cairoga Club in 1920, this commercial block originally housed three businesses downstairs [Britt’s Gent Shop; the Sanitary Barber Shop, later Graco; and Tony Mike’s California Fruit Company], while the club was located upstairs. The club featured a basketball court, bleachers, a dressing room and showers, a kitchen, and a banquet room. There were also billiard tables.

From 1932-1970, the offices of the W. R. Roddenberry Company, known nationwide for its food products, from syrups to pickles, was located on the second floor. W. R. Roddenbery improved upon his father’s cane syrup recipe and in 1890 began commercial production. Roddenbery’s was sold to Dean Foods in 1993, the local factory was sold ten years later, and no Roddenbery pickles or peanut butter are to be found today. Cane Patch Syrup is still around, though,  and the Cairo football team is still known as the Syrupmakers.

Today, it’s home to the Grady County History Museum. It’s free to the public and its director, Don Nickerson, is very enthusiastic about sharing his community’s history.

Cairo Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places