6 Old-Timey General Stores In West Virginia
The oil and railroad booms that swept through West Virginia in the late 19th century brought general stores along with them. Berdine's Five and Dime in Harrisville has operated since 1908, its candy counter and original display cases intact. Alderson's Store has been in the same family since 1887, and the founder's great-granddaughter now works behind the original walnut fixtures. All six are working stores open to visitors: one still sells hardware and household goods, another will serve you a porch meal overlooking Seneca Rocks.
O’Hurley’s General Store
O’Hurley’s General Store traces its roots to a family store founded more than 100 years ago by Milburn Glenn Hurley. Originally serving nearby orchard farmers as a supply depot, grocery store, and gasoline stop, the business was later taken over by Jay Hurley when he returned to Shepherdstown in the late 1970s. The store is divided into several rooms containing everything from hardware and vintage clothing to old-fashioned toys, vinyl records, and other traditional merchandise. O’Hurley’s General Store also hosts weekly folk music gatherings that have taken place in Shepherdstown for decades. After a vehicle struck the building in 2024, the store closed for extensive renovations and repairs. It has since reopened and continues to serve the local community.
Lost River General Store & Cafe
The Lost River General Store building was constructed in 1898 and has played a significant role in the community, earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. In its early days, the General Store served as both a retail location and a post office. The restored building now operates as the Lost River General Store, coffee shop, and café on the grounds of The Inn at Lost River. Visitors can purchase locally produced foods, baked goods, and crafts while shopping inside a structure that retains its original layout and materials.
Alderson’s Store
Originally opened in 1887 as J.M. Alderson General Merchandise, the store supplied local residents and railroad workers with groceries, clothing, and household goods. Over the years, the store has expanded its selection to include vintage antiques, jewelry, and other distinctive goods. A family business to its core, Alderson’s Store is run by the original founder’s great-granddaughter, Sarah Alderson. Inside, the general store retains its original walnut display cases and fixtures, along with vintage shelving. Today, the store continues to serve the Alderson community while preserving the historic building, designed by architect Walter F. Martens, who also designed the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion in Charleston. Its detailed woodwork, checkerboard flooring, and Art Deco influences have made the store a notable example of early twentieth-century commercial design in West Virginia.
Berdine's Five and Dime
Berdine’s Five and Dime is one of the longest continuously operating five-and-dime stores in the United States. In the early 1900s, Harrisville, West Virginia, was winding down from an oil and gas boom that had turned it into a bustling town. In 1908, K.C. Berdine and his brother opened the general store in the center of town. Residents relied on the store for affordable household goods at a time when rural communities often had limited access to larger markets. In 1915, the business relocated to its present location, and the store has maintained its original early twentieth-century features to this day. Wooden floors, glass display cases, and an old-fashioned candy counter give Berdine’s Five and Dime its nostalgic character.
Harper’s Old Country Store
Harper’s Old Country Store was established in 1902 by Joseph Harper and Anna Sites and is considered one of the oldest continuously operated retail stores in West Virginia. Operated by members of the Harper family for five generations, the store was a center of commerce for local residents and travelers passing through Seneca Rocks. In 1914, D.C. Harper made the business a Standard Oil dealer, and it later earned the distinction of Exxon’s oldest retail outlet in the state. Today, the store operates in its original building and retains many of its early features, including the original hardwood floors, pressed-tin ceilings, antique shelving, and historic memorabilia. During the 1980s, the Harper family expanded the business to include the Front Porch Restaurant on the building’s upper floor. Today, visitors can end their shopping with a meal upstairs and a view of Seneca Rocks.
Sharp's Country Store
Sharp’s Country Store was established in 1884 by Luther David Sharp, who began selling goods out of his mother’s bedroom to travelers passing through the Slaty Fork area. For more than 140 years, the business has been operated by members of the Sharp family. In the 1920s, the store relocated to a spot alongside the newly constructed Seneca Trail, where it continues to operate today. The building retains many of its historic features and now functions as both a country store and antique shop, selling modern household goods alongside local crafts and vintage collectibles. Today, Sharp’s Country Store continues to welcome visitors traveling through Pocahontas County while maintaining a visible link to the Sharp family and the Slaty Fork community.
Why West Virginia’s Old General Stores Still Matter
Many of West Virginia’s historic general stores continue to operate more than a century after they first opened. Original counters, shelving, and merchandise displays remain in place in stores that once supplied critical goods to isolated farming settlements, railroad towns, and mountain communities. Together, these businesses preserve a disappearing form of rural commerce that shaped transportation, trade, and community life across the state.
