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Old 09-01-2008, 12:03 PM   #1
angela4design
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Default I LOVE Country Stores

I grew up here, and spent years on the west coast, but always reminisced (sp?) about the Good Ol' Country Stores.

Now, Moultonborough General Store is my favorite... but what others are there? I love the old style of mom-and-pop stores. Penny candy (not pennies anymore, but still worth the change for the kids), homemade cheese, candles, root beer, etc. There really is something for everyone. Is there one in Hebron? And Gilmanton Iron Works?

I love to "find' them - they're ALL Americana. What others have I missed? What's your favorite?
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Old 09-01-2008, 01:12 PM   #2
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I really like Calef's Country Store: http://www.calefs.com/

It's located in Barrington, NH.
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Old 09-01-2008, 04:03 PM   #3
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Default cool!

I had never heard of Calef's! See, I knew there were more! I love finding these hidden gems. And, they usually stock locally-made products. Thanks!
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Old 09-01-2008, 04:45 PM   #4
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The Tuftonboro General Store is for sale.....$725,000
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Old 09-01-2008, 04:54 PM   #5
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Default love the moultonbourough general store!

We've been going there for years, and I love browsing around, some very interesting finds. My nephew particularly loves "the pickles in the barrell"! (I do too, yummy) Did anyone go upstairs to the museum? It has a very interesting history lesson. Looking forward to scoping out the other ones mentioned here.
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Old 09-01-2008, 06:09 PM   #6
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A little out of the way but on Main St in North Conway there is still a 5&10(five and dime). The stuff our grandparents used to shop for. The first time I ever went in was last fall but it just brought back the memories of years past. I probably only spent $5.00 but there was plenty to look at and ooh and aah over. It was fun just to remember and laugh at all the goodies.
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Old 09-01-2008, 06:51 PM   #7
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Default Ok, its a highjack sue me

Nichols store in Center Harbor was the epitome of a general/penny candy store. We never went to the old country store until we were adults. Nichols had: a traditional big glass case across from the front door and a long Ice Cream luncheonette bar but the glass counter was full of multitudes of penny candy. Mary Janes, Red and black Licorice Sticks, Root Beer Barrels, pixie sticks, tootsie rolls, fireballs, who can think of more? Sorry once again for the highjack, but your favorite candies can be listed here.
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Old 09-01-2008, 07:02 PM   #8
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Default ha ha ha

Licorice and barrel pickles! Ha ha! My nephew used to tease me about driving MILES to get to their barrell pickles when I was preganant (and not living in Meredith)! And the ropes of licorice! They're great, too! (I even like black licorice!)

The other thing about Moultonboro's store: Beef Jerky. Not sure if it's homemade, but it sure seems it!

Awful things for nutrition... great for nostalgia! lol
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Old 09-01-2008, 07:44 PM   #9
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The Tuftonboro General Store is for sale.....$725,000
Is that true? I can not blame the owners for wanting out. It must drain you after a while.
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Old 09-02-2008, 08:24 AM   #10
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Is that true? I can not blame the owners for wanting out. It must drain you after a while.
It does - my mom owned the Bennington Country Store (Bennington, NH) and quickly got burned out on it. I used to work the deli to help her out and found she never really get a break or day off. Of course, she also lived next door to the store.

I remember someone knocking on her door (the door to the house - not the store!) on Christmas morning to ask her to open up because they wanted batteries for their kids' toys and beer. She obliged just to be nice but quietly resented not being able to take just o-n-e holiday off.

Needless to say she didn't exactly shed a tear the day she sold the place! (And neither did I!)
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Old 09-03-2008, 12:22 PM   #11
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Chutter's in Littleton, NH is another good one - samples of their homemade fudge. I went to Calef's for the first time this weekend and loved it! I have had their ham at Easter - which was to die for - but had never visited the store. Great thread!
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Old 09-03-2008, 12:37 PM   #12
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Default if you ever get up to the north country

Harman's cheese/country store in Sugar Hill is another nice place to stop

http://www.harmanscheese.com/
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Old 09-03-2008, 01:22 PM   #13
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Default Newfields NH

Great little country store, has everything
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Old 01-25-2010, 08:37 AM   #14
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Moultonborough Country Store - from the Citizen
Quote:
Old-time country store Moultonborough:




Sunday, January 24, 2010

Kathi Hopper/For The Citizen The rambling structure of the Old Country Store beckons travelers passing through Moultonborough.








Because I have lived in the Lakes Region most of my life, I've passed by the Old Country Store and Museum at 1011 Whittier Highway in Moultonborough many times. You probably have too. You have seen the big, yellow building situated very close to the road in downtown Moultonborough (next to the town library). You may have taken your kids there for penny candy or to browse through the items, from candy to aged Vermont cheddar cheese to John Deere collectibles to moccasins and molasses and books about New Hampshire and New England history and much more.

The Old Country Store, which has been owned and operated by the Holden family for about 38 years, is always a last stop for my family when we attend the Sandwich Fair. The fair is just up the road from the store. The unique Old Country Store is a convenient stop for my daughter's favorite penny candy on the way home from a day at the fair. The store also is a wonderful place to visit on a winter day when I want to get out and do something a bit different.

One of my favorite things about the Old Country Store is the fact that there is no hurry. No hurry to shop, pay and leave; no hurry to move out of the well-stocked aisles; no hurry to get in and out. Browsing is encouraged at the store, probably because there is just so darned much to see and it is in keeping with the old-time atmosphere that makes the store a Lakes Region treasure.

Don't come to the store if you are looking for a mall-like environment. Don't come here if you want fast food. But do come here if you want to slow down, browse, buy some unique gifts, choose some penny candy that you probably won't find elsewhere, as well as some Vermont cheddar cheese and pickles from the barrel. At the store, so much is authentic and unique; you'll be dizzy trying to see it all.

The store was started by Jonathan Moulton in 1781 and has been in operation ever since. Covering two stories, the store seems to go on forever, filled with every gadget and goody imaginable, as well as a historical museum.

It would be impossible to list everything this country store stocks, and I think half the fun is in poking around for something I would not find elsewhere. Listing all the items in stock would fill a book, but a partial list includes: wood carvings, maple leaf candy, spices, New Hampshire history and humor books (and many other titles as well), T-shirts, kitchen utensils, baskets, mugs, postcards, linens, suspenders, night lights, toys, replicas of old posters, tin ware, ship bells, wrought iron pieces, aroogah horns, crackers, weather vanes, cedar wooden eggs, rubber snakes, pickles (in barrels), molasses from the barrel and honey. Beware-this is just a partial list!

One of the great things about this store is its old-fashioned atmosphere. The building is very old and upper shelves above the penny candy counter are filled with antique advertising memorabilia and other old collectibles. Small side rooms, such as a closet-sized Map Room offering all kinds of area maps, are a delight.

For those who like candles, the Candle Room will be a pleasure. It is filled with all sorts of candles in many forms and sizes.

In the entrance area/room, old wooden counters and really old cash registers (no computerized registers here) remind one of a time when a country store was the only place to shop for miles around. People gathered in such stores for local gossip and news. A huge wood stove, just like the ones in every country store painting, throws off some serious warmth in the winter months.

The rooms and aisles of merchandise seem to go on forever — just the thing for a family with children looking for something to do on a snowy afternoon. It's sure children will be fascinated with the chance to see dark, thick molasses being cranked from the barrel into jars. (The molasses is bought in bulk and aged in the wooden barrel.)

The huge, circular wheel of aged Vermont cheddar cheese is equally fascinating, as well as tasty. (This cheese comes from Cabot, Vt., in 38-pound wheels.)

I loved the old posters announcing such unusual things as the New Consolidation, the Gaiety Burlesque Co. and Lily Clay's Co. of Ladies Only, and Dr. Daniel's Veterinary Medicine.

The museum lists the population of Moultonborough at various years throughout history. In 1771 the population was 197; in 1820 it was 1,279; etc.

As a lover of odd antiques, I also fell in love with the old Moultonborough post office boxes, numbered one through 156, which were in regular use from the 1800s to 1967.

In the many times I've visited the Old Country Store and Museum, I never walked out without buying and/or learning something new about local history or a gadget I had never seen before. I challenge anyone who visits to leave without at least a few pieces of penny candy or some gift they could never, ever find elsewhere.

The Old Country Store is open seven days a week, year-round, and closed only on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call 476-5750 or visit www.nhcountrystore.com.


Blocks of cheese are among the items available at the Old Country Store in Moultonborough.

The second floor of the Old Country Store in Moultonborough is given over to a museum of old and unusual items from the past.

Jars of molasses poured from a giant barrel are among the items for sale at the Old Country Store in Moultonborough.
PS - there is no "country store" in Gilmanton Iron Works. It is merely a "convenience" store recently purchased by an Indian family.
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Old 01-25-2010, 09:22 AM   #15
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I must be in the wrong demographic for country stores because I've never set foot in either the Moultonborough Country Store or the Longview Country Store in Meredith.

Country stores are probably for people with more spendable income and higher education levels, while the rest of us local-losers get by with Wal-Mart.

You know, I bet I have driven past the Longview Country Store maybe 250 times with never once stopping while enroute to the great shopping Mecca of Gilford; home of Wal-Mart and Lowe's.
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Old 01-25-2010, 09:46 AM   #16
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Default My favorite store

It's funny that my favorite store (Moultonborough) is being discussed on the forum today since we were just having a laugh this weekend about something I purchased there back in October. I kidded that I will have to take a drive up there (325+ miles) to get a refund or exchange on a $6.50 item. Every fall, we stop at the store to get our supply of maple syrup, jams, etc. to take back to NJ to last till our mid-winter visit in Feb. or March. One of the items I bought was a linen calendar depicting a covered bridge. I get one of these calendars each year to hang on my linen closet door. Last week, I finally got around to opening the box and went to iron the new one to replace the 2009 calendar. I couldn't believe it -- the calendar was for 2008! I guess when they restocked the shelves this one got shoved to the back and lucky me, that's the one I picked up. I have no receipt -- when you check out, the person behind the counter lists all the items in pencil on the back of the brown bag and adds it all up on the bag. Wonder if they would believe me if I brought it back. It's still perfectly folded as it was in the box along with the dowel and string to hang it. Oh well, I guess I will have to buy another 2010 version when I visit in a few weeks. But we had a good laugh about it.
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Old 01-25-2010, 10:13 AM   #17
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Wouldn't a 2008 calender align correct with a 2015 calender....it should have the same exact line-up except for the year.

Wal-Mart has a 90-day return policy that is transferable to any other Wal-Mart. What's the Moultonborough C-Store return policy? Wal-Mart wants you to be happy with your purchase. ..
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Old 01-25-2010, 12:12 PM   #18
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Thumbs up Robie's Country Store

The one right on the water where the three bridges cross Merrimac river. It has quite the political history. Many presidential candidates announce their presidency there. It is worth getting off at the Hooksett toll bridge and head to 3&28 north to get there. Feels like you went back in time.
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Old 01-25-2010, 03:28 PM   #19
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Default The Brick Store

In the Town of Bath New Hampshire there is the America’s Oldest Continuously Operated General Store. http://www.thebrickstore.com/

It is quite the place to visit if you are in that neck of the woods. It is not a so called country store, not sure if there is any difference in the two.

There is a really cool covered bridge right behind the store which spans the Ammonoosuc River. http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr/bridges/p53.html
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Old 01-25-2010, 03:53 PM   #20
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Default Already taken care of.....

Quote:
Originally Posted by fatlazyless View Post
Wouldn't a 2008 calender align correct with a 2015 calender....it should have the same exact line-up except for the year.

Wal-Mart has a 90-day return policy that is transferable to any other Wal-Mart. What's the Moultonborough C-Store return policy? Wal-Mart wants you to be happy with your purchase. ..
Actually, 2015 wouldn't align with 2008 since 2015 is not a Leap Year like 2008. Since someone was nice enough to post the website for the Country Store (which I never knew), I emailed the owner this a.m. and explained the situation. She actually went and looked and found only ONE 2010 linen calendar left in their inventory with a covered bridge on it. She put it on the side for me and when I travel up there I will trade it for the 2008 still in the box. That is great customer service!

Last edited by ghfromaltonbay; 01-25-2010 at 03:54 PM. Reason: grammar
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Old 01-26-2010, 11:31 AM   #21
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Default Country store vs walmart

Lets take a look at this and what has happened around the lake. Wal-Marts are popping up near every community it seems, What does that do to the mom and pop stores that have given such great service all these years. Hmmm, and their customer service people. Seems to me that the small country stores know what there product is, where it is, and if something is wrong how to fix or replace it. Lets see you go to Walmart and most of the employees know nothing about what they are selling let alone how to correct a problem. Some employees don't even know where to look for a TV they have on sale. I would spend a little extra for the service and the knowledge that if I had a problem with a product that they would try to fix it prior to replacing it.
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Old 01-27-2010, 01:19 AM   #22
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Default Chutters General Store in Littleton

Often when I think of a country store I think about the candy counter. When I was growing up the Old Country Store in Moultonborough had a great candy counter. It has certainly changed over the years. I have had several relatives visit that have always bought candy at the Old Country Store. When they come back from the store they say" What happened to the candy"? Now don't get me wrong I like the Old Country store, but the candy counter is very limited.

If you are looking for candy a great place to visit is Chutter's General Store in Littleton. It has the world's largest candy counter and this has been certified by the 'Guinness World Records'. I use to travel through Littleton and I would stop there when passing through. You can find all the candy from the past and also suger free candy. I know candy isn't good for us, but to indulge once in awhile won't kill me. I am not affiliated with the store at all. I just think it is a fun place to go to. It is located on the main street.
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Old 01-31-2010, 07:40 PM   #23
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Default Wal-Mart v. Moultonboro Country Store

Hey, you cannot get a pickle from a barrel at Wal-Mart. You cannot get butter paddles (for making butter balls) at Wal-Mart. You cannot get purple Swedish Fish at Wal-Mart. You cannot find moose mugs at Wal-Mart. You cannot find NH bumper ovals at Wal-Mart. You cannot find wrought iron hooks in every style and size imaginable at Wal-Mart. Or Target. Or K-mart. Or Sears.

But you CAN find all those things and lots of other fun stuff at the Moultonboro Country Store. It's an event. It's not shopping.

So there, Fatlazyless!

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