Seemingly frozen in time the Original Mast General Store has been serving the surrounding rural community since 1883. Tucked away high in the Blue Ridge Mountains the Mast General Store is the anchor of Valle Crucis and is one the National Register of Historic Places as one of the finest examples of an old country general store.
Stepping through the front doors of the country store you’re instantly transported back to a simpler time. The creak of the floorboards betray your location as you wander through the Mast General Store’s mix of vintage Americana, hardware, furniture, home decor and kitchen goods. The Mast General Store has also housed the Post Office for the community of Valle Crucis for decades and the vintage post boxes are still in currently in use. In days past patrons could barter for goods; produce, herbs and even chickens were accepted. In fact a hatch in the floor located in the back of the store leads to a chicken coop where traded chickens were kept.
A chicken coop in the floor?
Apparently a couple of young boys took a chicken to another nearby store and and traded with them for goods. After their chicken was weighed and placed in the coop out back the young boys snuck out back and took their just bartered chicken and brought it to the Mast Store to trade it again. After hearing word of the boys’ hijinks the Mast General Store placed their coop in the floor to prevent any other chicken trading shenanigans. While no longer housing chickens this hatch in is just one of the many stories this old general store could tell.
Today visitors flock to the original Mast General Store (there are now eight locations throughout southern Appalachia) to browse through the wide selection of American made items while enjoying a 5 cent cup of coffee with a side of nostalgia. Kids (and kids at heart) are drawn to the penny candy and classic toys but I was particularly drawn to the wide variety of local artisan goods. The handcrafted rocking chairs immediately brought to mind visions of front porch sittin’ and sweet tea sippin’.
On my way out I struck up a conversation with the gentlemen of Route 94, a local bluegrass trio. These guys have been playing weekends at the Mast General Store for years and were as friendly as could be. My disclosure of my upright bass playing days in high school was met with an invitation to jam. I politely declined as sadly I have not touched a bass in over 15 years, maybe I’ll brush up my musical skills before my next trip to the North Carolina Highlands.
Vintage signs, well worn from the elements, dot the exterior of the Mast General Store. At any moment I expected Mike and Frank from American Pickers to show up.
Chains and corporations continue to propogate, slowly stealing the identity of towns and cities along the way.I think its important to maintain the history of an area and what make it unique, my hat goes off to the folks at the Mast General store for doing just that.
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Tim says
Great post and the associated photos. If I am not sleepy at night I often watch American Pickers and this kind of road trip reminds me exactly of that and the characters they come across.
Brianna says
Thanks Tim, it was refreshing to see a store maintain and celebrate its heritage. It was so much fun to photograph!
Andrea says
Love the old post office! The mail boxes are so intricate!
Brianna says
That was one of my favorite parts too!
Kelly says
We’re lucky here in New England to have a few general stores left. Although they are starting the modernize, you can still find some great treasures, reminiscent of life long ago. Great post!
Brianna says
Thanks Kelly, New England is one of my favorite regions in the US with a lot of character and charm.
Esther says
This looks amazing. I love places like this! Thanx for sharing!
Brianna says
Esther, it was so much fun to photograph!
Valerie says
Oh my gosh, I love all the old signs!! Very cool place
Brianna says
Me too, it was such a fun place to wander around.
Michelle says
We have one of the eight Mast’s in Greenville, SC and while it has some of the same things you describe, ours is relatively new, located on Main St, and is mostly a tourist attraction. I do like to go stock up on the candy though.
Brianna says
I like that there are committed to providing American made goods. The location of the original is just gorgeous.
Cory Lee says
How cool!! I visited the Mast General Store in Asheville last month and LOVED it! I bought way too much old time candy though. haha
Brianna says
It’s way too easy to by a lot of that classic Candy isn’t it? BTW Asheville is such a fun city and definitely one of my favorites 🙂
Emily says
Wow, it looks like something out of a movie! How awesome! Is the coffee really 5 cents?
Brianna says
It sure was! It was such a fun store to walk around.
Francesca One Girl: One World says
How fun! I love places like this where you can step back in time for a bit. That’s cool that they even keep the prices frozen in time!
Brianna says
It really was like stepping back in time.
Mags says
What a cool place. There were a few stores like this in the town I grew up in in Tennessee. Sadly they’ve mostly closed down. Good to see there are still places like this being preserved.
Brianna says
The owners have done so much to preserve its rural heritage.
Clelia Mattana says
Oh I seriously LOVE these places! it really looks like you are back in time, so vintage! They remind me a lot of the old spaghetti western movies 🙂
Brianna says
Seriously, it looks like I completely stepped into another decade.
Emily Ray says
Wow, now this is the kind of place I’d love to visit on my travels – how quaint! Gorgeous photos, and I know exactly what you mean about American Pickers (love that show :))
Brianna says
I would love to meet Mike and Frank one day, they seem like such down to Earth guys.
Sarah Ebner says
What a really incredible place, full of history. I love the places you find and write about Brianna
Brianna says
Thanks Sarah, yours is one of my favorite blogs for family travel 🙂
Roaming Renegades says
Love stuff like this, those rusting enamel signs are amazing! This is one of the reason why we do so much urban exploring because we love that forgotten history and the aesthetic of it. Looking forward to visiting the US at some point again and seeing places like this!
Brianna says
Be sure to get out into the American countryside too!
Kate says
Great post and I love your photos. So good to see people preserving heritage like this and taking such care and selling local American made things. Definitely my kind of place
Brianna says
Thanks Kate, this was such a fun place to take pictures.
Jessica @She Dreams of Travel says
Can’t get any more vintage than that place! Looks great! And that 5 cent coffee and the penny games would probably be my favorite part of a visit to that general store 🙂
Brianna says
I really loved the general vibe of this place.
christine says
Great story! Very interesting 🙂
Brianna says
Thanks Christine!
Alli says
I love this. It reminds me of when I was roadtripping along Route 66 and they had so many shops like this full of character and rustic charm!
alison abbott says
Great post. I’m all over the artisan, shop local when you travel {and at home}. Have never been to this area of the US, but am thinking a long road trip might be in my future.
Brianna says
Thanks Alison, this area is beautiful and steeped in history. The Blue Ridge is just perfect for a road trip!
Revati Victor says
Wow! This is right out of those crazy TV shows about tiny lost in time US towns (or one of those antique hunter shows) that I sit and watch here in India. It’s amazing the way you guys manage to hold on to places that remain unchanged in this way. As a nation that’s shrugging off its roots at breakneck speed in an effort to modernize I don’t see much of this remaining in India for our next generation.
Katie says
This was so cool to read! I love experiencing history like this (not in museums)! Talking to people, exploring old artifacts and eating food at the price a long time ago (1cent candy? 5 cent coffee? Yes please!) My parents are in the process of moving from Massachusetts to western South Carolina…way out in the boonies, but definitely filled with interesting places to explore! I look forward to finding places like this!
Brianna says
There are so many interesting finds throughout the back roads of the South.