The War Between the States had ended, and the Piedmont area of North Carolina was struggling. At the time, cotton was king, and getting the cotton to market was the problem. Mr. John Franklin Moore offered land for a train depot, and the short run of the Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio Railroad sprouted from Charlotte to Statesville. As they say… the rest is history!

Mooresville was incorporated as a village in 1873. The depot was in the same spot as the existing Artist’s Guild, with the cotton loading dock occupying the adjacent park across the street from Soirée. At the time Mooresville was founded, a saloon sat on the current site of Soirée. The saloon was torn down in 1888 to make way for a modern dry goods store named the Rankin Store. The store was divided into 5 sections, with a portion of the current main dining room used for cloth, notions, shoes and general merchandise. The bar area was used as the men’s department, and the area over the main dining room was used as the women’s and children’s department. A millinery department was located at the rear of the women’s department; where only the finest and latest ladies’ hat styles were crafted. The section now occupied as the banquet room served as the merchandise unpacking and pricing area. The present day kitchen housed feed and seed, and the mezzanine was used to display rugs and provide storage. The large octagon floor area featured an opening called a well. This allowed light and heat to penetrate the upper floor while providing better circulation during hot summer months.

The original building contained a rope elevator furnished by the J.B. Westbrook Company of Danville, Virginia. In 1907, this was replaced with an electric elevator built by the Park Elevator Company of Charlotte. Both elevators are available for viewing on the 2nd floor of Soirée. A 21st century environmentally friendly elevator was installed in 2005. There are three centuries of elevators within 30 feet!

The founder of the Rankin Store died in 1906, and the store was reorganized as W.W. Rankin Company, which stayed in operation until the 1950s. The building then became Morrow Brothers Furniture Company until around 1980. Today, this wonderful historic building is home to Soirée… a casual upscale dining experience. The combination of exquisite food, along with the ambiance and history of the surroundings, will create many memorable occasions for you and your family and friends.