The history behind a Little Mountain business

LITTLE MOUNTAIN — In the town of Little Mountain, the municipality’s oldest business, with the original ownership, is also located in a building over 100 years old.

Arthur Jayroe Certified Public Accountant has called 824 Main Street, Little Mountain, home since 1984; however, the building they call home has been located in the heart of Little Mountain since somewhere between 1905-1910.

“It was originally built as a doctor’s office,” said Arthur Jayroe, the current occupant of the historic building.

Jana Jayroe, Arthur “Art” Jayroe’s coworker and wife, said they found a picture of Main Street from 1904, and the building was not there — so they know for sure the building was constructed sometime after.

“Ralph Epting, who has passed away, told me his dad worked on this building,” Arthur Jayroe said.

After serving as a doctor’s office, date of closure unknown, it served as a church fellowship hall, a shop for lawn mowers and chainsaws, and a travelling salesman, who came through Little Mountain, would set up on Saturday afternoons, according to the Jayroes.

“I’ve heard stories, from people now deceased, that they would come here, when they were young, and play records and dance,” Jana Jayroe said.

An interesting fact about the building is that the room where they now keep their files, is where surgeries were held when it was a doctor’s office.

“We’ve been told the file room is where they did surgery. Had a gentleman, that is long deceased now, had his hand operated on,” Jana Jayroe said.

Arthur Jayroe recalled a story from another individual who remembered getting their tonsils removed in that room.

Another interesting feature of their building is a trap door that takes you underneath the building. Arthur Jayroe believes this is where they kept medicine, since the doctor’s office operated before refrigeration.

“I think they use to keep whatever medicine they had on the floor where it would stay cooler and last longer,” he said. “Found some old glass bottles, some were broken, some weren’t.”

Arthur Jayroe became the most recent professional to go into the building in 1984 — after he was already in business for one year.

“Well, I did it out of the basement of the house for one year and she (Jana) said that was the first and last year I’d be doing taxes and meeting clients all hours of the day at our house,” Arthur Jayroe joked.

Arthur Jayroe then moved into his downtown Little Mountain location, he believes having the business downtown is a plus for Little Mountain.

“I’ve always said we are close enough to our clients to be convenient, but not so close to be a nuisance. It’s a nice equal distance from all the local towns and businesses,” Arthur Jayroe said.

Arthur Jayroe said as a licensed professional firm, they can offer what the online tax programs cannot — proper knowledge of the law.

“People come to us because they want results and we minimize taxes, that computer program that does your taxes does not know the law. It does not know how to apply the law and you’re not going to get the same product doing it yourself, as you are going to get if you go to a licensed professional firm — and the key word is licensed,” Arthur Jayroe said.

Arthur Jayroe said they have grown every year they have been in business. For example, they’ve grown from a staff of one, to now a staff of four.

Jana Jayroe said they have been very fortunate their business has grown.

“We’ve seen a lot of clients come and go over the years, and the reason most are no longer here is because they have sadly passed away,” she said.

Arthur Jayroe said he started this business in his early 30s, he said he is now closer to 70 than he is 60 and they have been fortunate in that time.

“We’ve had children of clients and maybe, in some cases, grandchildren of clients,” he said. “I”ve never come to work a day in my life, this is something I’ve enjoyed doing and I still do. To me it is fun — the majority of people do not stay in public accounting this long.”

“We’ve discovered if you are nice to people and kind to people your business will grow. Always try to be respectful to everyone. It has made a wonderful business model for us,” Jana Jayroe said.