The store was built in 1893 by Lawrence Geissler, a 38-year-old German immigrant who had arrived in Wyoming at the age of 18 to work as a cowboy.

The couple opened a store in Atlantic City the following year on land owned by Emile Granier, a mining speculator who owned most of the land in Atlantic City.

The establishment has been profiled in a variety of media, including National Geographic and Esquire.

The building's principal characteristic is its front facade, with large display windows and a formed metal cornice.

[2] The Mercantile is the oldest surviving building in Atlantic City, with the exception of Hyde's Hall.