The building was constructed in 1902 by Wilson and Ralph Hawkes, a father-son pair the elder of whom had operate a pharmacy in York Beach since 1899. The building initially housed the pharmacy in one storefront, and a dry goods store in the other, with the proprietor living upstairs. Ralph Hawkes continued to operate the pharmacy until the 1940s, when a fire extensively damaged the interior. The building was rehabilitated in the 1900s, with the upstairs converted into small hotel. The building is the only known non-residential design of architect Fred Watson, who moved to York Beach from New York City in 1899.
