7 Old-Timey General Stores In Maine
Once as quintessentially American as baseball and apple pie, both of which could be procured at such establishments, general stores have disappeared from most communities! In their stead are big box chains with all of the supplies and none of the charm.
Even Maine, which, relative to other states, is rustic and replete with mom and pop shops, has lost many of its old-timey Main Street general stores. However, several have survived the test of time. Honor these last guards of classic Americana in our list of Maine's 7 best old-timey general stores!
Wayne General Store - Wayne
Lain on 506 Main in Wayne, Maine, the Wayne General Store has never waned, only maintained. Neither freezing rain nor flame nor stolen malted grain felled this sentinel, which, according to Zillow, has stood since 1860. It functioned as a storage building before 1923, when Allen Stinchfield revived his burned general store inside its walls. After a couple of ownership changes, Vernon Lovejoy moved in and suffered myriad robberies, namely a $100 beer, cigarettes, and meat heist in 1972. Eventually, Mike and Pat Murray took it over and kept it open during the 1998 North American Ice Storm, even donating food for Wayne's makeshift shelter. More owners came and left before Julie Baker arrived in 2010. She remains the proprietor, having survived her own perils like COVID-19 and major surgeries to sweeten up the shop. Now known as A Small Town Bakery at Wayne General Store, it sells delectable treats alongside old-timey provisions.
Monson General Store - Monson
Built in circa 1910, the Monson General Store has served residents and tourists of Maine's Moosehead Lake Region for over 100 years. However, as the 20th century closed, the store fell on hard times and became vacant by the 2010s. Enter the Libra Foundation. Noticing the decline of not just the general store but much of Monson's downtown, Libra bought and restored around 30 buildings. The fully refurbished Monson General Store reopened in 2017. Besides being a general store, it is a deli with meats and cheeses supplied by Pineland Farms. It also manages an ice cream shop and art gallery on either side of the building. Moreover, as it did before, the Monson General Store refuels hikers from the Appalachian Trail who visit Monson before concluding their trek in the Hundred-Mile Wilderness.
Wallace's Market - Friendship
Named for former proprietor Archie Wallace, Wallace's Market has existed as a general store for at least 65 years and as an attraction for around 165. Its green-framed building, which centers the town of Friendship, is a beacon for coastal Mainers. They come for food, drink, fuel, gifts, and general respite. Like other surviving general stores, Wallace's Market combines old-timey charm with modern flair that keeps it relevant in the 21st century. After buying Wallace's in 2004, current owners Ernie and Joan Coletti Italianized the joint, adding specialty pizza, subs, cold cuts, and, for the first time since Prohibition, alcohol. Friendship was a dry town until 2009 when the Colettis led a successful petition to sell beer and wine in their store. In 2022, Wallace earned gold in the deli category during Maine's annual Best of the 207 contest.
Fayette General Store - Fayette
"Serving the town of Fayette since 1850," reads a sign on an expansive edifice along Route 17. It is called the Fayette General Store, but until Tim and Meredith Pepper took over in 2019, it went by the Fayette Country Store. Before the Peppers added their seasoning, there were many other cook couples in the kitchen, including LeeAnn and Archie Miller in the 2000s and Walter and Jean Hewett from 1961 to 1985. Now under even newer ownership, the Fayette General Store serves classic sandwiches, dagwoods, specialty wraps, fried foods, grilled foods, salads, and specialty pizzas. It also sells essential supplies for backwoods living since Fayette occupies the rustic yet ravishing Winthrop Lakes Region.
Alfred Country Store - Alfred
Off Route 202 in Alfred, Maine, the Alfred Country Store offers eats, provisions, and sundries 363 days a year. It does so from a two-and-a-half-story Greek Revival building that dates to circa 1841. Allegedly always a store, but not always a country/general store, it was a primitive mercantile under William Conant, a drug store under Fayette Brown, and a grain and grocery store under Harry Littlefield. For the last several decades, however, it has served its presently stated function under Sumner Marshall, Thomas Chapais, Rene Blouin, Phil Cheverie, and many others. Cheverie made extensive renovations, so the store, despite its old age and old soul, has a fresh face to greet weary travelers.
Monmouth General Store - Monmouth
Another staple of the Winthrop Lakes Region, the Monmouth General Store, is a mammoth structure serving the small lakeside town of Monmouth. Sold inside its 5,000-plus square feet are everything from sandwiches to coffee to ice cream to alcohol to bait to power tools. It was built circa 1890 and appears, much like it does today, in a 1908 Independence Day photo. That means none of its owners, ranging from Ed and Mary Dudley to Jessica and Martin Gawron, have made transformative renovations. The Monmouth General Store is a true turn-of-the-century throwback.
Owls Head General Store - Owls Head
In 2017, the general store that had enlivened Owls Head, Maine, for nearly a century closed its doors. It not only provided essential goods but served a state-renowned slider called the Seven Napkin Burger. Three years later, 26-year-old Maya Newsam Sousa bought the esteemed establishment and revived the famously grubby burg. The Owls Head General Store has since won the 2023 and 2024 DownEast Best of Maine burger contests and stocked up travelers with groceries, gifts, coffee, booze, and oft-neglected necessities courtesy of a 鈥淲ould You Happen to Have . . ?鈥� section. The store is currently on winter break but is set to reopen on April 2, 2025.
Owing to Maine's sprawling landscape and isolated towns, general stores exist in some capacity. They still serve basic goods like groceries and gas from historic buildings, but in order to survive through the 21st century, many have modernized in certain ways. Thus, you can sample eclectic sweets at the Wayne General Store, Italian subs at Wallace's Market, and award-winning burgers at the Owls Head General Store, all the while fueling up on old-timey vibes and supplies.
