Chase City traces back to a mid-1700s crossroads community in northwest Mecklenburg County. The arrival in 1883 of the Atlantic, Richmond and Danville Railroad to Chase City catalyzed rapid commercial development with the town serving the Piedmont area’s tobacco trade, lumber mills, and other agricultural activities. Today’s Chase City Warehouse and Commercial Historic District, consisting of nearly 27 acres, arose quickly along Main Street (Route 47) and rail lines and reflects the town’s emergence by the early 20th century as the county’s largest center of population and employment for many decades. It also reflects development after a 1903 fire that devastated the town and resulted in an ordinance mandating the use of masonry in building construction. Main Street Commercial-style architecture dominates the district with interspersed examples of Italianate, Queen Anne, Industrial Commercial, Gothic Revival, Art Deco, and Moderne architecture. The earliest commercial building in the district dates to 1905, and of particular note are the Southside Roller Mills, circa 1912, and the large Banner Tobacco Warehouse, circa 1915. The circa-1834 Shadow Lawn, a previously listed residence, is the only antebellum building in the Chase City Warehouse and Commercial Historic District. Incorporated in 1873, the town saw its population begin declining by the late 1960s as economic trends shifted away.