Wayne County – Recollections of a Grandfather’s Grocery Store: A Boy’s Journey Through Nostalgia

It is bad enough leaving Goldsboro after a fabulous Main Street Conference, but harder still is the loss of a storyteller with wonderful tales to tell.

I was fortunate to spend time with a grand friend, TMB, while attending the Main Street Conference in Goldsboro, NC. He is a storyteller, my favorite kind, that talks about family history. Included was a story about possibly the first grocery store in Wayne County around the turn of the century. Above is a photograph of that store awaiting a new life.

As a child in the early 1960s, TMB remembers men sitting around a warm pot belly stove in the store. There were nails, saws, small farm equipment, fresh foodstuffs, produced on neighboring farms. There was a big wheel of hoop cheese, Coca-Cola of all varieties (as all soft drinks were called “Coca-Cola”), Nabs, Moon Pies, Honeybuns, and Johnny Cakes.

Over time, the store became more than a place to buy essentials; it was a sanctuary of memories, a portal to the past where it seemed every shelf held a story, and every corner whispered secrets of generations gone by. TMB says, “When I reflect on these things, it takes me back to a simpler time.”

Some distance behind the store there was a cotton gin, with remains still visible today. It was the only cotton gin in the area. Cotton was taken to the nearby small commercial depot and loaded onto trains.

Once the store contained the relics of a bygone era. Yellowing photographs hung on the walls, depicting scenes of the past – TMB’s grandfather proudly standing behind the counter, his father as a child playing amidst the shelves, and the store bustling with activity during its heyday. Photographs contain a flood of stories and anecdotes, and are passed down through the generations like cherished heirlooms, preserving the legacy of a family’s history.

TMB says his grandfather’s grocery store was also a classroom where he learned invaluable life lessons. “Through the guidance of my grandfather, I discovered the importance of hard work, integrity, and compassion – lessons that transcended the confines of the store and remain with me.”

It was the people who brought life to TMB’s grandfather’s store. Neighbors greeted each other with warm smiles and exchanged stories of their day, transforming the space into a hub of camaraderie and connection. Whether it was a friendly chat over the counter or a spontaneous exchange of recipes, every interaction left an indelible mark on TMB’s impressionable young mind. “It taught me the value of human connection and community spirit.”

One of the values of preservation, restoration and repurposing our commercial and residential architecture is captured in the tale of ‘The Store.’ TMB talks about an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the experiences that shaped his childhood. We must recognize the fact that honoring the stories of a time and place are important to building a future. The architecture along a Main Street, or in the countryside are more than just a place of business; they are a sanctuary of love, laughter, and life lessons that continue to resonate.

Though the doors may have closed long ago, the spirit of a place lives on in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to have crossed its threshold. SAVE THE STORE is the new bumper sticker that will keep the legacy of TMB’s grandfather’s grocery store alive, a beacon of nostalgia in an ever-changing world. The building is waiting to be given a new life.

For more information on ‘The Store’ contact Lisa Dismore with the Porter Group 919-801-1087