8 Old-Timey General Stores In North Carolina

Ready for a little old-timey charm, Appalachian-style? These eight historic general stores in the Tar Heel State are like stepping into a time machine where creaky wooden floors, a hoop cheese sandwich, and candy barrels galore welcome you. From Washburn’s General Store in Bostic, where the locals still debate if Abraham Lincoln was born nearby, to Linville’s Old Hampton Store, where BBQ meets bluegrass, these places are as quirky as they are timeless. Whatever you’re craving, these vintage shops have it all. So pack your curiosity and a sweet tooth, and take the backroads to any one of these eight old-timey general stores in North Carolina.

Washburn’s General Store (Bostic)

Washburn’s General Store was founded in 1831 by Benjamin Washburn as a welcome stop for stagecoaches, serving as an inn, tavern, and mercantile in Bostic, right near Puzzle Creek, which is controversially rumored to be the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln (not Kentucky). For history buffs and conspiracy theorists, the nearby Bostic Lincoln Center explores this theory further and, combined with a visit to the old-timey general store, makes this the perfect pit stop for modern-day travelers along the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail, which spans over 70 cultural sites in Western North Carolina.

Remarkably, the general store has remained in the Washburn family for five generations and is recognized as the oldest continually run, family-owned, and -operated retail business in the state. In 2002, the Washburn General Store and several other buildings in the community were added to the National Register of Historic Districts.

Today, the store is a small corner of Americana, where you can still savor a Coca-Cola from a glass bottle with a made-to-order Wisconsin hoop cheese sandwich. At the same time, you can peruse the shelves stocked with vintage games and toys, iconic Radio Flyer Wagons, soaps and candles, US flags, and books by local authors.

Priddy’s General Store (Danbury)

Priddy's General Store was built in 1888 and is a historic landmark in the small town of Danbury, which was established about 30 years earlier. The store was founded by the Hartman family and has served as a bank, post office, and dry goods store. Today, the store is owned and operated by Jane Priddy, who “grew up in the store” and is the third generation of Priddys to run it. Her grandparents bought the store just after the Stock Market Crash in October 1929, and then her parents took over the store in 1960. Jane has been behind the counter for the past twenty years or so, determined to carry on the traditions that evoke a nostalgic sense of the past.

Stepping through the store’s front door from its iconic large front porch, where locals often sit and play harmonica, is like stepping back in time. The general store sells everyday essentials, housewares, vintage metal signs, various supplies for pickling, and penny candy, and is a much-loved local institution. It maintains the old-time tradition of being a gathering spot for neighbors who come together to see what’s happening in the community and to pick up one of Jane’s old-fashioned bologna sandwiches, the store's specialty. Priddy’s has live bluegrass music during October, and Santa always makes an appearance during December.

Milton General Store (Milton)

The Milton General Store was built in 1830 in the town of Milton, originally called “Mill Town,” which was incorporated in 1796 as an inspection center for the flourishing tobacco and flour industries. The general store was originally known as the Watkins Dry Goods Store, which sold a variety of goods, including clothing. It later served as a schoolroom where books could be purchased and eventually became a general merchandise store and post office in 1910, owned and operated by Walter Lea Thomas. Today, the Milton General Store is a charming antique shop featuring a variety of books, furniture, and table settings.

The town of Milton, a National Register of Historic Places site near the Dan River, is known as a “museum without walls” due to its nearly perfectly preserved nineteenth-century commercial buildings in downtown Milton, of which the old Milton General Store is one. Other important landmarks in the historic town include four architecturally significant churches, the Milton State Bank, which houses the Museum of Milton, and the Thomas Day House & Union Tavern, the former residence of a free black cabinetmaker and craftsman whose business thrived during a time when most African Americans were enslaved.

Town Hardware & General Store (Black Mountain)

The Town Hardware & General Store is situated in the village of Black Mountain, a vibrant town renowned for its rich arts and culture scene, approximately fifteen miles from the popular tourist destination of Asheville. Founded by local mayor Robert Lee Woodard in 1928 as Black Mountain Hardware, the store has been an institution in the town for almost a century. Over the years, although the store has changed hands a few times, one thing has remained constant: it has always been an old-fashioned family business owned by families like the Holmans, the Brandons, the Robinsons, and the present Ballhausen family. Calling themselves the “caretakers” of the Town Hardware & General Store, the current owners view the 97-year-old business as belonging to the community. Classic toys, games, and puzzles line the shelves, alongside old-timey candy and soda. You’ll find vinyl records, jams and jellies, seasonal gifts, and Black Mountain merch, too.

Bynum General Store (Pittsboro)

The Bynum General Store was originally the general store for the small cotton mill town of Bynum, whose history dates back to 1872. In 1934, the Bynum General Store opened, one of five or six stores in town, alongside two grist mills, a movie theater, and a school. The mill closed in the 1980s and was later destroyed by fire in March 2001. In the years since, the unincorporated town of Bynum, along with its zip code, post office, and movie theater, have all but disappeared from maps, with the store’s address now listed as Pittsboro. And while for many former mill towns, its closure would have marked the death of this little town and its once-popular general store, the community of Bynum rallied together to form Bynum Front Porch, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the town’s and the store’s history.

The Bynum Music Series launched in 2001 and runs events throughout the year, at the much-loved Bynum General Store or outdoors under the stars in front of the store, depending on the weather. The events are open to the public and feature jam circles, storytelling, family-friendly activities, and musical concerts of all genres, including gospel, folk, rock, bluegrass, and more. Most shows are free, with donations accepted in a passing hat.

Mast General Store (Valle Crucis)

The historic Mast General Store was first opened as the Taylor General Store in the 1850s, named for its owner, Henry Taylor. The store changed partners several times, becoming known as the Taylor and Mast General Store until 1913, when Mast bought out Taylor, and the Mast General Store was born. In 1973, the Mast family sold the store around the same time it was named to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1980, the store was purchased by the Coopers from St. Petersburg, Florida, who revitalized the beloved general store, reinstated the former post office at the location, and kept the widely recognized Mast name in the store’s name. They also stayed true to the store’s original motto: “If you can’t buy it here, you don’t need it.”

Today, the Mast General Stores has expanded to at least eleven locations across North Carolina, including Waynesville, Boone, Asheville, Greenville, Columbia, South Carolina, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Virginia. The stores all respect the heritage of the original store in Valle Crucis, housed in historic buildings, offering a mix of home goods, regional books and music, vintage toys, and outdoor gear, along with modern brands like Patagonia, Birkenstock, Columbia, Stanley, L.L. Bean, and more. With over 225 varieties of candy bars, barrel candy, gumballs, licorice, and much more, the selection of old-timey candy at Mast General Stores is next level.

Old Hampton Store (Linville)

The Old Hampton Store in Linville is a circa 1921 general store that was once a train stop for the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) “Tweetsie” Railroad. Back then, it was known as the Hampton and Perkins General Store and sold a wide range of goods, from cabbage to clothing. Today, the old general store is now known as the Old Hampton Store BBQ & Tavern, where it is a favorite stop for hand-pulled hickory-smoked pulled-pork barbecued sandwiches on sourdough rolls, sought after by folks traveling to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The new owners purchased the store and adjacent out buildings in 2003, and have preserved its original walls, floor, and vintage vibe, but as well as being a popular joint for BBQ, draft beer, and craft cocktails, it is also a music venue drawing crowds of up to 500 people for impromptu shows inside on stage, and at pass-the-hat concerts in the backyard. One of the old buildings, a former meatpacking house adjacent to the store, serves as a residence for visiting artists and makers of traditional Appalachian crafts. Another houses a pottery studio and kiln, while a woodworker creates art in yet another building. Finally, the old general store remains a store, featuring jars of homemade jams, cheeses, pickles, and the staples of everyday life that keep the Linville community close to one another and its roots.

Murray & Minges General Store (Catawba)

The 1890s Murray & Minges General Store has been a part of the Murray’s Mill Historic District since 1979, and includes a two-story gristmill built between 1912 and 1913, an 1880s wheat house, early 20th-century houses, barns, and other mill-related buildings. A well-preserved historic district and living museum, the store and the mill were once owned and operated by three generations of the Murray family. Today, the district is preserved by the Catawba County Historical Association, who offer guided tours of the restored buildings, the mill dam, and the 28-foot waterwheel. The store operates as the living museum’s gift shop, where you can experience the look and feel of an old-time general store, and pick up a few souvenir items like homemade jams, old-fashioned toys made by local artists, pottery, candy, and Murray Mill t-shirts, magnets, and other merch.

Who needs big parking lots and the hum of fluorescent lights when you can have old wooden floors, a penny candy jar, and a store clerk who knows your name? These eight old-timey general stores in North Carolina are the quirky, charming antidote to today’s big box stores, like at Priddy’s General Store, where bologna sandwiches rule, or at Bynum General Store, where jam sessions and storytelling under the stars are on the menu. Black Mountain’s Town Hardware has everything from candy to cast iron, proving you don’t need endless aisles of more stuff. In North Carolina, these historic gems remind us why shopping small will always feel big.