Monday 18 April 2016

Ashton General Store

It's a pretty little town, Ashton, but the General Store is closing! Their lease is up. We took a drive for distraction.

The store is a heritage building, under the Ontario Heritage Act. It's a busy spot and people arrive in cars, or on horse, and pop in for mail or sundries. You can see the original wicket, preserved from various iterations. It is one of those buildings with the original wooden floors.

'Like Cheers without the alcohol': After 150 years, Ashton ...

Inside, there’s a friendly cat named General, afghans and assorted handcrafts, vintage screws and nails, a shelf of second-hand books for trade, local honey and eggs, and jams and pickles made by Pignal’s mother, Dorothea Bendall, who sometimes runs the post office counter, although Sylvie retains the title of “postmistress.”


10 comments:

Olga said...

What a shame that it is closing.

Anvilcloud said...

I drive thro Ashton from time to time but never went into this store although I always wanted to. :(

Red said...

There are very few functional general stores around these days. some of them have become Seven- eleven wanna be.

Nancy J said...

Those old stores are wonderful, one I knew years ago stocked almost everything in the hardware line you would ever want. Tractors on your main road, and some lined up, was there a farming event somewhere?

Karen said...

This is so sad. I understand the place is being sold in respect to an estate, but where do things go from there? Where will folks get their mail? Will the building just sit empty? Gosh, wouldn't you think the estate would let them just continue in business until the whole issue was resolved. I've seen a similar situation up my way.

Powell River Books said...

Love your new banner shot. I love looking through old general stores and hardware shops. They were like the first Canadian Tire stores, a little bit of everything. - Margy

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
What a shame... not renewable lease? Too pricey? At least under that protection the building will survive... YAM xx

William Kendall said...

That really is the heart of a community.

Debbie said...

omgoodness, a legend, so sad to see it go!!!!

Linda said...

I hate to see stores close, especially old general stores. :(