Embedded in our Community

A General Store was first built at Murray’s Corners in 1888 – it sold everything including dry goods, clothing and food. After working in the store for some time, P.Y. Porter bought the store in 1916 and the Porter name has been associated with the building ever since!

The store remained open even during the Great Depression. During this time, many customers were unable to pay their bills – and some of those unpaid bills can still be seen in the McCaskey Files (on site).

Following the Great Depression (prior to World War II), the store was rebuilt. In 1947, after serving 2 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, Eldon (Eldy) Porter took over the store and operated it until his sudden passing in 1997.

This building has been in the Porter family for over 90 years, and still has all the original fixtures, floors, and cabinetry. You may notice some dips here and there in the floor; some of these were caused by the weight of the store counters.

Porter’s was a Canada Post Office for 80 years until its closure in 1998 and in January of 2009, Porter’s received its official Heritage Building Status.

In 1997 the name on the front changed to Porter’s Coffee & Tea House and today, Bill and Karin Buurmeester operate a Bistro and Coffee House that carries on the tradition of serving the community of Langley and beyond!