8 Old-Timey General Stores In Tennessee
Once upon a time in Tennessee, old-timey general stores were the heart of its small towns. Rooted in Tennessee’s rich history as a predominantly agrarian state, these stores once served as essential hubs for rural communities, providing goods, news, and social interaction in less-served areas. The rise of general stores in the 19th century coincided with significant developments, such as the establishment of Tennessee as the 16th state to join the United States in 1796. The completion of the Tennessee State Road in the early 1800s facilitated trade and travel, and the much later Interstate Highway System further solidified the importance of these general stores along routes.
Forbus General Store (Pall Mall)
The Forbus General Store is the quintessential example of an old-timey general store typical of rural small-town Tennessee in the late 19th century. With its weathered white clapboards, iconic Pepsi-Cola sign, and welcoming front porch, it is a classic example of the time. Established in 1892, the store has been in the same location ever since and still has strong roots in the community.
W.M. Johnson built it and has served the community at one time or another as a pharmacy, a restaurant, a clothing store, and various other businesses, selling everything from hardware to guns and even caskets. The original owner’s grandson still lives next door to the store, and rented it out for years before finally selling it around 2012.
In 2019, Cheryl West purchased the store, and her son, Clint Hayes, is the current general manager of the store. Today, the old general store has an active Facebook page that lists daily specials cooked up on the in-store grill, including Philly omelets, chocolate gravy and biscuits, bacon double cheeseburgers, and all varieties of cobblers. They have soft-serve ice cream, display cases featuring slabs of homemade fudge, shelves full of local preserves, and a selection of toys and puzzles. This local landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
R.M. Brooks General Store (Rugby)
Another local landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, the R.M. Brooks General Merchandise was established in 1917. Today, the store is a living museum of rural country living, full of family memorabilia. The current owner, Tiffany Terry, took ownership of the store with a grand re-opening in 2014, but continues many of the traditions her great-grandfather, R.M. Brooks, started years ago. The store still has a working pot-bellied stove, the 1880s original Post Office where her grandmother worked behind the window as the postmistress, glass-bottled soda in an old-fashioned sliding soda cooler, old-timey candy, and lots more
The store continues to be an essential part of the community of Rugby, hosting regular events like music jams and regular Rugby Rumbles with live music, fried baloney sandwiches, hot dogs, rat cheese, milkshakes, and lots of nostalgic musings. Tiffany and the R.M. Store also make regular appearances on the popular “The Appalachian Channel with John Ward” on YouTube. The store is open 6 days a week, closed on Sundays.
The Old Mill and General Store (Pigeon Forge)
The roots of the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge can be traced back almost two hundred years to 1830, when Isaac Love saw the potential in the rushing waters of the Little Pigeon River and established a gristmill at the site. Farmers have brought corn, wheat, and other grains to the Old Mill for almost two centuries for grinding and left with grainmeal and flour. The mill quickly became a community hub, and today, that spirit of community continues at one of the oldest continuously working gristmills in the U.S., which has grown into the Old Mill Square. Other shops and restaurants include the Old Mill Restaurant, serving rustic Southern classics with a spectacular view of the river and mill wheel, the Pottery House Café, the Old Mill Creamery, and the Old Forge Distillery.
Next door to the Old Mill, the general store opened in the mid-1950s, a decade after President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the area became a mecca for tourists visiting the Great Smoky Mountains and Dollywood. The original general store building, once just a place to store grain for the mill, is now an integral part of the Old Mill, with the entire Old Mill Square attracting over one million visitors annually. The Old Mill General Store sells hundreds of Smoky Mountain-themed souvenirs, flours and grains, sweet jams and jellies, baking mixes, and a bespoke range of salad dressings and vinegrettes.
T.B. Sutton General Store (Granville)
The historic town of Granville is the home of the two-story living history museum known as the T.B. Sutton General Store, a much-loved landmark since the 1800s. It was built by William H. Ragland, who quickly sold it to B.F. Cooper after construction.
The store changed hands a few more times until 1925, when Thomas Benjamin Sutton became the owner of what quickly became Granville's most prosperous commercial center. During the forty-three years Ben Sutton ran the store, it sold a wide variety of goods and services, including food, clothing, fertilizer, and tools. In the general store’s basement, records show that Sutton kept chickens, which were sold locally and shipped across the Volunteer State by steamboat.
Today, the charming old-timey general store sells memorabilia, nostalgic toys, cookbooks, old-fashioned candy, t-shirts, and more. Upstairs, shoppers can discover the Granville Artisan’s Gallery, with its handmade baskets, pottery, and woven fabric creations from ten local artisans. Downstairs, Southern-style country cooking is on the menu for breakfast and lunch from Wednesday to Saturday. Old-fashioned root beer floats and milkshakes are available at the ice cream counter. Finally, on Saturday nights, the general store hosts the “Sutton Ole Time Music Hour,” starring regional bluegrass bands, where music fans can gather for dinner and a show, or simply listen to the music.
Webb Brothers General Store (Reliance)
The Webb Brothers General Store opened on the banks of the Hiwasse River in Reliance on May 15, 1936. Amid the challenges of the Great Depression, when jobs were scarce and economic uncertainty loomed large, brothers Oliver and Harold Webb became young entrepreneurs of the general store and Texaco gas station. Back then, the store sold everyday items like stove polish, ammunition, beans, and potatoes, but when Oliver became the Reliance postmaster, they also opened a post office in the store.
Today, the small store has grown into a one-stop shop for outdoor enthusiasts heading to the challenging whitewater rapids of the Ocoee River, selling gas, camping, and picnicking essentials. The brothers also offer a guided Float Service down the scenic Hiwassee River as it winds through the Cherokee National Forest, one of the largest national forests in the southern U.S. The Hiwassee River is rated Class II and III, ideal for beginners and families with kids.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
The first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store opened on September 19, 1969, on Highway 109 in Lebanon, Tennessee. The brains behind what has become a massively successful chain of restaurants in the U.S. was Dan Evins, who quickly recognized the potential of the combination of old-timey country store + homey restaurant. In 1969, the Interstate Highway System was expanding rapidly, revolutionizing how people traveled in the U.S., taking them further away from the notion of “home.”
Enter the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, whose concept is deeply rooted in the idea of recreating the charm, nostalgia, and warmth of an old-timey general store and roadside eatery where travelers could enjoy hearty, home-cooked meals while also shopping for unique, nostalgic goods reminiscent of a bygone era. By 1977, Evins had opened 13 more stores from Kentucky to Georgia. Today, there are nearly 660 Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores in 44 states.
Salt House (Jonesborough)
The historic building now known as the “Salt House” was built in 1840 in Tennessee’s oldest town, Jonesborough, by William Crouch. Originally, it was a general store, grocery, wholesale warehouse, and a post office where Crouch was the postmaster until he went bankrupt in 1860. The store’s proximity to the railroad tracks made it a perfect location for storing salt, which was used to preserve food during the Civil War, so it became the Salt House.
The Salt House changed hands several times, becoming a Masonic Lodge in 1875. In 1905, it was the Hickey-McCorkle Wholesale Grocery until 1930. It was then used to store hardware supplies for a local hardware business until 1975. In 2014, the building was purchased by Stephen and Jessica Callahan. Today, the Salt House is the original location of the Tennessee Hills Distillery, producing award-winning spirits, like whiskey, vodka, gin, cream liqueurs, and more. Visitors can visit the one-time general store and experience tastings, sit at the bar, and enjoy a plate of bar bites or sliders.
From the rustic porches of the Forbus General Store in Pall Mall to the historic ambiance of the Big Red Store in Appleton, these beloved landmarks have evolved into treasured destinations that preserve local culture. Whether exploring the handmade goods of Granville's T.B. Sutton General Store, savoring homemade fudge at Forbus, or stepping back in time at the R.M. Brooks General Store in Rugby, these eight iconic old-timey general stores invite travelers to stop the car and experience Tennessee's rich history, warm hospitality, and enduring small-town spirit.
