Built in 1882 by Barney Mergen, this was the first of three buildings constructed on Division Street by the Mergen estate. The others, constructed in 1886 and 1901 respectively, still stand—the Second directly adjacent to the right and the Third across the street. The First Mergen Building has a long history of commercial activity in the downtown. It was initially home to the Mergen family’s liquor store and living space, and later John J. Sletten, a prominent figure in Northfield’s early economic history, held a store here for a time.

In the 1960s, the storefront found an ownership that would go on to last for 45 years. Headed by Timothy Sellers, Tiny’s Smoke Shop was a beloved and well-known spot downtown, one where it seems just about every Northfielder who was around at the time stopped by to grab a hot dog at one time or another. The community felt the loss when it went out of business in 2010, but it was soon replaced by a new Northfield staple: Tom’s Downtown Bicycles (first established as Fit to be Tri’d), which continues to reside at 321 Division.