In the 18th century, when Trinity was a bustling, thriving seaport, with the shipbuilding, the fishery, and importing and exporting all taking place, the Mercantile Building was a hive of activity. This is where fishermen came from all over the Bight to trade their fish for supplies, and where the Lester-Garlands kept track of their fortune. The Mercantile Premises is one of the last buildings remaining from a complex of warehouses and workshops and that once lined Trinity’s shore.