General Stores

Visit the general stores

BY NATHAN HAM

Shopping at a general store is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. There are still several local general stores that are thriving in the High Country.

In Beech Mountain, at an elevation of 5,506 feet, you’ll find another landmark that many have visited in the High Country. Fred’s General Mercantile, owned and operated by Fred Pfohl, opened its doors in February of 1979 and has been family owned and operated ever since. Fred’s General Mercantile offers hardware supplies, groceries, clothes, shoes and lots of other goodies that you might find interesting.

Three general stores operating in Ashe County have continued to treat guests to the same southern charm that people have grown accustomed to experiencing when visiting a general store over the years.

The Old Store in Grassy Creek, located right near the state line between North Carolina and Virginia, was recently renovated and reopened after it was first built around 1900. The general store offers a wide variety of items to purchase and even feature some local musicians and other small events that take place throughout the year.

Old Orchard Creek General Store can be found on Highway 194 in Lansing. The store offers some of the most popular jams, honey and other food items that you’ll find in the High Country. The store also serves coffee from Hatchet Coffee in Boone and local pastries from Boone’s very own Stick Boy Bakery. The store went through an extensive refurbishing in 2020 and will be sure to bring delight to all the visitors that make their way to Ashe County.

The Vintage Farmhouse, located just

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The Vintage Farmhouse in West Jefferson.

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The Old Store at Grassy Creek was recently renovated and reopened in Ashe County.

PHOTO SUBMITTED The candy barrels from the Mast General Store in Winston-Salem. PHOTO SUBMITTED The Old Orchard Creek General Store can be found in the quiet town of Lansing in Ashe County.

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outside of downtown West Jefferson, has lots of food items including baked goods, coffee and ice cream. The store also sells numerous home décor items as well as men’s and women’s apparel.

With store locations in Boone and Valle Crucis, Mast General Store has always been an iconic piece of history in the High Country. Originally founded in the 1850s as the Taylor & Moore General Store, W.W. Mast purchased half of the store in 1897. The store would then be known as Taylor and Mast General Store until Mast purchased the remaining half of the store in 1913. The original Mast General Store was located in Valle Crucis and has since added an annex location in Valle Crucis, the store on King Street in downtown Boone as well as locations in Asheville, Hendersonville, Waynesville, Winston-Salem, Columbia, S.C., Greenville, S.C., Roanoke, Va., and Knoxville, Tenn.

Fred’s General Mercantile in Beech Mountain. PHOTO SUBMITTED