McAree Brothers have had a shop at numbers 55 to 59 King Street since 1893 and are a well-loved Stirling landmark. William, David and John McAree set up their first draper’s shop at 80 Baker Street in Stirling in 1878. It is known that John had served his apprenticeship as a Draper with Messrs Inglis and Smith who also had premises on Baker Street. In 1879, the business moved to 64 Baker Street by which time they had 3 staff described as a man, a woman and a girl in the wages accounts for that year. In 1881, William left the firm and set up on his own in Perth. Sadly, William was to die later the same year in a drowning accident. After this, younger brother Robert joined the firm.
In 1893, the brothers sought to expand their business and purchased the property at 55 to 59 King Street. The premises were renovated and improved and the plan here dates from the installation of a new shop front. The business has since been handed down through 3 generations of the McAree family and continues to be a thriving concern now specialising in knitting materials, haberdashery and crafts.
