I admit it was the Chepachet Cemetery which initially drew us in but after that there was the entire center of this little village was was supposed to be just as haunted and even better it was mostly antique shops that were said to be “very affordable” according to the reviews online. How could we resist?
But before we even got that far we checked out Brown’s and Hopkin’s: the US’s “oldest consecutively run general store.” It started its life as a residence and hattery in 1799 but switched over to a general store with new owners in 1809 which it has stayed until this day.
As you can see the outside of it still screams general store and the inside has a warm and inviting feeling of stepping into the past. It has the sweet worn hardwood floors of a life well lived and I was delighted to find it still had a penny candy counter. In fact the whole place was just adorable with two floors of random country chic products from homemade soaps to farm décor. As always I loved the variety of cast iron items and ended up with a little cast iron hare magnet. My companion gleefully bought some amusing tea towels and we both had fun guessing who the historical figures the little felted dolls were supposed to represent.
And to top of the experience the staff here were as cheerful as the day was sunny. It was al together a great experience even without meeting the ghosts that are supposed to haunt the property. It was only a hop and a skip to the antique stores which made it all the better.
I love the exterior. Being a Brit, it looks to me like a set from a western. The idea that such a place is real in the 21st century is delightful.
Another thing that strikes me is how often American streets look really clean and well maintained. Like Disneyland. Where I live, admittedly the building are often a good deal older, dating back to the 12th century in one or two cases, many buildings are seriously delapidated.
The interior of the shop is awesome as well. In fairness, many of our little shops are equally well presented inside, but that takes nothing from the charm of this place. Love the sign on the sweets.
Thanks! A lot of the cities here aren’t quite so clean or charming but the little touristy towns (especially their main street) tend to be this way. I can only imagine what trouble I’d get into if I had buildings from the 12th century to poke around in!