Shaftsbury Country Store Feasibility StudyBackground

The Shaftsbury Selectboard has tasked the Planning Commission with examining prospects for reviving a general store type business that could serve as a community gathering place as well as a commercial enter-prise. We have researched the history of revived general stores around the state. We find that the traditional business model of a general merchandise emporium has been modified to reflect the 21st century market-place. A large component of all the examples we studied is prepared food/deli often with a focus on local ingredients. Along with this, local crafts and artwork are popular. Local beer is an important component to some businesses. Cafe seating is another. Since the closing of the Shaftsbury Country Store, the Market Wagon has emerged as major new business filling the same niche. We wonder if this business along with Paulins has saturated the market.

In examining the case studies of other general stores, we find that ownership structure varies greatly. The Putney General Store was revived thru community fundraising and is owned by the Putney Historical Society. The tiny village of West Townsend relaunched their general store with a similar community effort combining it with a commercial food prep kitchen, a farmers market, a post office and lots of scheduled community ac-tivities. Hubbard’s Country Store in Hancock reflects the traditional “mom and pop” proprietorship. Funding sources we have identified include small grants from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, USDA Rural Develop-ment block grants and Department of the Interior Historic Tax Credits.

The Planning Commission has identified three properties in South Shaftsbury village that are available and which we believe could serve as a location for a revived general store.

Shaftsbury Country Store buildingThis building sits on a tiny .15 acre lot. It contains 2,923 square feet of commercial space on the first floor complete with walk-in coolers, display cases and much of the store fixtures needed. The second floor con-tains two apartments which could serve as a diversified income stream to help support the business. Loading dock facilities are cramped and parking is very problematic requiring backing out into busy Route 7A in some cases. This could be solved by renting parking space from adjacent properties. The 1500 gallon capacity septic tank was installed in 2001. It has reportedly failed.

Mattison buildingLocated across Route 7A from the Country Store, this handsome if somewhat rundown Greek Revival build-ing has served as a general store and laundromat within living memory. Owned by Peter Cross, the first floor commercial space of about 3,277 square feet has stood empty for decades while the upper floor is occupied as a residence. Commercial fit-up and building code compliance would be a major expense. Parking is limit-ed but could be augmented by renting from adjacent properties. A new 1,000 gallon septic tank was installed in 2000. The lot area of .28 acres probably doesn’t allow for septic expansion.

MSK Building (Former Bank of Bennington building)

Located on Church Street adjacent to the Post Office this former bank/office building sits on a 1.1 acre lot. The single story building contains 1,515 square feet. This is not enough area to house the business con-templated. However the lot is large enough to allow for a sizable addition which could house a commercial kitchen. The existing septic has unknown capacity. This could possibly be expanded. The site is constrained by the driveway serving the post office which could possibly be reorganized. Plenty of parking with room for more.. The property is owned by James Secor and has been for sale for a few years.

October 16, 2017

Case Studies Putney General StoreWhen this town’s centuries-old general store went up in flames a decade ago, the local historical society decided the best way to preserve its memory wouldn’t be to archive old photos but instead to acquire the charred frame and bring it back to life. Members didn’t anticipate they’d raise upwards of $1 million to do so.

Or see the restored structure burn down again just before its reopening.

Or reap enough insurance money to rebuild once more.

Or sign a lease with a storekeeper, only to have him die of cancer, leaving them without a tenant.

That’s why the Putney Historical Society is believed to be Vermont’s first such volunteer nonprofit organization set to not only own but also operate its downtown’s biggest business.

“What does a general store mean to small-town America?” says Lyssa Papazian, a member of the society’s board of directors. “They may not make sense in the modern marketplace, but they’re essential to a community.”

Could the precedent-setting example, preservationists wonder, offer a plan to save similar landmarks?

A half-century ago, when the late, legendary governor and U.S. senator George Aiken lived here, Putney was the epitome of village life. Want to shop or socialize? You just walked to the center of town. But in the fast-forward age of the inter-state and internet, a series of setbacks has given this 2,702-resident community pause.

The Putney General Store, opened on Main Street in 1796 and billed as the state’s “longest-running general merchandise store,” was gutted by an electrical fire one dark night in 2008. Some 18 different owners had run the business over two centuries. But after the blaze, no one wanted to tackle the costly cleanup or competition from supermarkets 10 miles south in Brattleboro.

“We were looking at the possibility of someone tearing it down and building a one-story convenience store,” recalls Pa-pazian, an architectural historian and preservation consultant.

That’s when the society, ready for a new project after publishing a 160-page history for the town’s 250th anniversary, cooked up the seemingly pie-in-the-sky idea of buying and restoring the structure to lease to a mom-and-pop grocer.

“Our intention is that the building, when renovated, will stay on the tax rolls and remain a key part of Putney’s village commercial center,” members wrote on their website. Teaming with the Preservation Trust of Vermont, the society col-lected upwards of $1 million in public and private grants, loans, tax credits and gifts.

Feeling confident, members also decided to take over the two-century-old former United Church of Putney meeting-house after its congregation, facing declining attendance and increasing expenses, disbanded in a move the pastor described as “death with dignity.”

That’s when a second fire — this one said to be arson — incinerated the nearly restored store in 2009. Devastated but undaunted, the society raised enough money to rebuild again and reopen the business in 2011. But a little more than a year later, the initial storekeeper became ill, turning over the lease to a successor who was diagnosed with cancer last August before dying in December.

The society, facing a mortgage and other bills, hoped publicizing its story would spark outside interest. Instead, a na-tionally distributed Associated Press article this winter delivered the headline, “Is there a curse on the Putney General Store?”

For the record, Papazian says no. To prove it, she has volunteered to run the place until the society can find a new oper-ator.

“We want to be very careful about how we choose the next proprietor,” she says. “We need to make this a healthy, suc-cessful business so we have an asset to sell.”

Papazian and fellow society director and store co-manager Betsy MacIsaac have hired a half-dozen paid staffers who’ll welcome the public at a grand reopening Saturday at 10 a.m. and regular hours daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“It’s pretty clear the community loves this place,” Papazian says. “It’s much more than a grocery store — it’s a gathering space. But you can’t have a business unless people actually support it.”

That’s why Paul Bruhn, executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, shopped there during a recent preview visit. Since nonprofits can apply for many grants unavailable to private businesses, his organization has helped commu-nities such as Adamant, Barnard, Groton, Guilford and Shrewsbury save their stores. That said, he can’t name a similar Vermont group that not only owns but also operates one.

“The Putney Historical Society is very courageous and committed,” Bruhn says. “The work it’s doing is all about building and maintaining a vibrant village center and community. It’s a great example of how history is not just about the past, it’s also about the future.”

West Townshend Country Store The West River Community Project housed in the West Townshend Country Store on Route 30 in West Townshend, was established in 2011 to help foster the revitalization of our community in the West River Watershed. “First, we wanted to create a public place to gather, make music, celebrate events and show art. We wanted to support sustainability and local development in the local foods movement while creating access to the products of our commu-nity of artisans and help develop small agricultural businesses. We also wanted a place for our children to play, make friends and feel part of.” “So a group of neighbors and friends got together and established The West River Community Project. In the old defunct country store we painted and built and today we have a thriving cafe, a community processing kitchen, a thrift shop, post office and lots and lots of activities. Monday educational events, Friday cob oven pizza, music, and summer farmers market, monthly food buying club and lots going on all the days in between. Come meet your neighbors, join our book club, have an ice cream, volunteer.” “We are a diverse group of people from all walks of life, with numerous perspectives and lots of productive energy. Among us are farmers and artists, business owners and homemakers, local students and interns from across the coun-try. We are from the old hill country, the green mountains, the misty valleys, the eastern shore, the city. We are dedicated to each other and our community, strong in our values, emboldened by our dreams, and open with our hearts.” “We encourage you to become a part of this community, and invite new friends & neighbors to join us. Stop in for break-fast, join our Food Buying Club, take a class in the kitchen, shop, volunteer, support our thrift store, attend local events & Friday pizza/music nights, Monday education and book club, and participate as a member of our flourishing community! There is much to do here.”

J.J. Hapgood General Store and EateryThe J.J. Hapgood General Store and Eatery, which first opened 150 years ago, was the longest-running general store in Vermont until it closed five years ago. New owners and Peru residents Juliette and Tim Britton felt strongly that the store needed to be revived for the benefit of the community.

“We could not let the village be without a central business,” Juliette said. Rebuilding began in July and the store, which includes a 25-seat cafe and outdoor seating for the summer months, opened for business on Dec. 15. “Our goal was to restore its historical function and to give the community back its gathering space.”

Located in the heart of Peru village, the store sells everything from wine and cheese to charcuterie and focaccia to baked goods and oven wood-fired pizza. The store, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, also serves Vermont beers on draft. The food prepared by Juliette and her staff has a local focus with Vermont-made ingredients, and the menu changes daily.

The community has whole-heartedly supported the store’s reopening from the beginning. One community member donated Danby marble to be used on the new sidewalk in front of the store and on the store’s outdoor patio. Juliette and

Tim hired local contractors and businesses to rebuild the store, and reused whatever materials they could from the old building. The interior of the store is warm and inviting, with old wooden beams, antiques, and Vermont collectables — including one of the earliest Burton Snowboards ever made — as well as a gallery featuring work by local artists, along with plenty of comfortable seating.

The town of Peru has a population of about 425 and is home to Bromley Mountain ski area and the annual Peru Fair that takes place every September. Juliette spent her childhood in Peru and moved back to the area with Tim nine years ago to eventually start a family. She had previously worked as a private chef in Boston and later oversaw some residential in-terior design projects, which prepared her well for operating the store and designing the space. “Since I grew up in Peru, I knew the feeling of the town and what would work here in the store,” Juliette said.

“Juliette and I went to high school together in the 1980s. Back then, the movie “Baby Boom” with Diane Keaton was filmed in and around Peru. One of the movie’s funniest scenes was filmed at the old store, where one tourist gushes, “The whole state is cute.” None of us imagined all those years ago that Juliette would help revive the store and transform it into such a magnificent place. Locals and visitors alike will find so much to love. Thanks to Juliette and Tim, the lovely town of Peru feels as vibrant as ever.”

Hubbard’s Store, Hancock, VTBy Martha Slater Jul. 7, 2016The village of Hancock will once again have a grocery store when Jon and Sara Deering throw open the doors of their newly renovated Hubbard’s Country Store on Route 125 in Hancock village this Saturday, July 9 at 8 a.m. A day-long grand opening celebration will include a barbecue, ice cream, and a bouncy house for the kids.

The Deerings, who also own and operate Deering’s Service Center and JD’s Quick Stop next to their home on Route 100, purchased the building, in which the original Hubbard’s Store began operating in 1906, after its former owner, Peter Harvey, closed the business in 2013.

“We had been checking into making the back room at JD’s into a place where we could make pizza and then Hubbard’s Store came on the market and it all fell into place for us,” Sara said.

Their new business venture was one of four businesses in three area downtowns awarded tax credits by the Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development to make needed improvements. The credits were specifically di-rected toward helping to restore historic buildings, especially in certified downtown and village centers.

The building required major upgrades to meet code requirements. Renovations included insulation, redoing the chimney, plumbing, and electrical systems; and reinforcing the foundation. They bought deli equipment from an auction, and put in a new bathroom.

The main store area now has a cathedral ceiling, and will offer basic grocery items, local produce, deli items, pizza made on-site, ice cream, soda, beer, and wine. There will also be items made by local artists, such as blown glass created by Michael Eagan, and prints of Peter Huntoon’s watercolor paintings.

In addition to Jon and Sara, the store will have four employees on staff, and the couple’s children, Paul and Bea, will help out, too. “Our whole intention is to make this a family-run business,” Sara said.

The MSK Building

1,500 sq/ft on a 1.1 acre lot

1,000 per month rent

195,000 to purchase

Pro

• Plenty of parking with room for more.

• Ample room for increased septic capacity.

• Open floor plan that could easily be renovated, flexible space.

Con

• No Kitchen. An addition to accommodate kitchen equipment (vents, grease traps) would be to best way to approach this issue per Jim Secor.

Lot 17.2-109

The Country Store

2,800 sq/ft of deli/retail space

$2,300 per month rent for lower level

$389,000 to purchase

Pro

• Kitchen equipment is in place. Efficiency Vermont has programs to rehab older refidgeration equip-ment.

• Has historically served as a country store.

• Route 7 frontage.

• 2 upstairs apartments

• Live and work.

Con

• Poor parking.

• Poor bathroom.

• Unknown septic situation.

Lot 17.2-205

The Mattison Building Lot 17.2-112

Pro

• Route 7 frontage.

• Has historically served as a commercial space.

Con

• Owner Peter Cross expressed concern that the septic system would not handle the increased load a business would produce.

Appprox. 1,400 sq/ft of commercial space

$500-600 per month rent

MSK Building

The Country Store

Mattison Building

General Thoughts

Septic is a consistent issue mentioned at every property. A town sponsored micro septic district would help this issue.

While small grants are available to help improve a property (i.e. The Preservation Trust of Vermont) an entrepreneur would need significant capital to get a business up and running. Without an entrepreneur presenting themselves there is little the town can do without running afoul of existing businesses.

An angle that the establishment could focus on such as take out food, seating, or specialty items such as beer or local produce would help set the business apart from existing establisments.

The retail revival examples cited in this report were all powered by community involvement. While there is anecdotal evidence that the loss of the County Store was mourned by many, Shaftsbury has yet to see a similar home-grown effort to bring it back.