The century-old Whistle Stop building, a former train depot, is one of Ferguson’s historic landmarks. Law enforcement reported that someone had doused the outside of the building with gasoline.

Nearby, at Ferguson Optical, manager Tim Marrah said he was surprised about the racial tone the protests have taken. He said one of Ferguson’s charms was that it had always been a place where different races mixed.

Of the protesters, Marrah said he didn’t see a need for them to leave but rather to weed out the troublemakers.

“The protests don’t need to go anywhere,” he said. “This thing needs to be resolved. The violence and the property damage is the problem, not the protests.”

Down the street, at Natalie’s Cakes & More, owner Natalie Dubose said she supported people’s right to protest, while acknowledging that the same unrest had essentially dried up the foot traffic that she relies on along South Florissant.

Business really took a dive when the farmers market down the street shut for the season earlier than usual because of the protests.

At one point, Dubose said, she went two weeks without a single customer.