Historians say they're thrilled about the work.
"We always love it when buildings are preserved," said Robbie Niles, secretary of the Lumpkin County Historical Society.
It was built as a general store by John Parker around 1858, though the precise date isn't known, Lynn said.
By then, Dahlonega had already grown into a busy center of commerce to support gold mining around nearby Auraria, which is now a ghost town, after the Georgia gold rush began in 1828.
The building's owners over the years include Nelson Nix, who purchased it in 1936 and ran a grocery store for the next 46 years. It became known as the Parker-Nix Storehouse after those two early owners.
Townspeople say the building once housed a brothel.
"That's one of the favorite lies about the building," Lynn said. "People in Lumpkin County love to tell stories and they don't want to disappoint anybody."
There were living quarters in the upstairs, "but that was not for that purpose, as far as I know," Lynn said. "It could have been, but we don't have any documentation on that, shall we say."
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